Sam Shaw watched games at Nat Bailey. Now he’s a Vancouver Canadian

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Sam Shaw played his first games for the Vancouver Canadians at Nat Bailey Stadium last week. But his first games there as a fan came 10 years ago.

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Shaw is a 20-year-old outfielder from Victoria trying to climb the Toronto Blue Jays system after the team picked him in the ninth round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He began this season with the single-A Dunedin Blue Jays and was promoted to high-A Vancouver officially on July 18.

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Shaw’s initial trip to the Nat came in 2015, when his team of 9- and 10-year-olds from Beacon Hill Little League had a break during the provincial championships hosted by Jericho Little League and took in some C’s action.

This past week, Beacon Hill made its first trip back to the B.C. tournament in that age group since Shaw’s team. His father Craig was one of their coaches again this time around, and the squad was in the midst of winning the districts in Victoria when he got a text from Sam hinting that he was on his way to the C’s.

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It was all of five words: “I’ll see you guys soon.” His family instantly figured it out.

“What’s the better message — I just got drafted by the Blue Jays or I’m being promoted to Vancouver? They’re both pretty cool, to be honest. They’re pretty equal,” Craig said.

Shaw had family, former teammates from that 2015 squad and members of this latest 9-10 Beacon Hill team check out his first games at the Nat. Beacon Hill was playing in the provincials hosted by Hastings Little League.

The C’s followed up visits from the Spokane Indians and Eugene Emeralds by hitting the road to face the Tri-City Dust Devils this week. They are back at the Nat for six straight starting next Tuesday against the Hillsboro Hops. Check out the team’s website for ticket information.

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Shaw says that as a youngster he went to watch more games with the summer college all-star league Victoria HarbourCats than the C’s, which is logical considering proximity. His memories of the Nat do include “getting a foot-long hotdog and an ice cream helmet.” He has ample company in that.

The C’s have been a Blue Jays’ farm team since 2011 at the short-season single-A and now high-A levels, and there has been a small handful of homegrown players line up for the home team at the Nat in that time.

Damiano Palmegiani, a third baseman who grew up in Cloverdale, is the most notable of late. He hit 13 homers and drove in 46 runs while batting .224 in 63 games with Vancouver in 2022.

He advanced to the triple-A Buffalo Bisons by the end of the following season. He has had his struggles making consistent contact in the two years in Buffalo since, though, and Toronto has him currently in Dunedin on a development list reassignment, trying to work it all out.

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Another prominent name in that category is Tom Robson, a Ladner right-hander who was a driving force in Vancouver’s 2013 run to the Northwest League championship. That included tossing six and one-third shutout innings in a 5-0 win over the Boise Hawks in the title clincher that campaign.

single-A baseball at the Nat in its various forms dates back to 2000, and the best B.C. player to come through in that time has to be righty Rich Harden, a Victoria native who struck out 100 hitters in 74 and one-third innings for the C’s in 2001 when they were an Oakland Athletics affiliate. He went on to pitch nine years in the majors.

MLB Pipeline has Shaw as Toronto’s No. 25 best prospect in its most recent rankings.

Shaw’s bat is going to be his main carrying tool. He’s not a massive guy — listed at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds — but he has enough pop that he hit seven home runs in 62 games with Dunedin. He showed discipline, too, with 45 walks compared to 54 strikeouts. He batted .253 there.

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Shaw’s started slow with Vancouver, hitting .111 (3-for-27) through his first seven games going into Wednesday. That’s standard for someone getting accustomed to the new level.

Finding him a defensive position does seem to be a work in progress for the Blue Jays. His initial games with Vancouver have come with him manning centre field. He made 45 starts at second base in Dunedin. He was a shortstop mainly coming through the ranks in Victoria.

“I’ve put some good swings on the ball. I haven’t had the best of luck so far,” Shaw said before the C’s headed off for the series with the Dust Devils. “I’m just getting my timing down and trying to hit line drives around the field, and I think I’ll have success. I haven’t had too much yet, but I’m confident.

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“I think the bat can be a lot better. I think getting stronger and getting even more bat speed to do more damage will be a big thing for me.

“I don’t know if I’ll be playing centre field next year but that’s what I’ll be trying to work toward this off-season. And I know that I can steal more bases. I haven’t tried too much yet, but I know that could be a bigger part of my game.”

Among the hitters he’s studied is former Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley, who was a five-time all-star game participant during his 15-year big league career. He retired in 2023. Like Shaw, he’s a lefty hitter, although he’s a little bigger, coming in at 6-foot-2 and 209 pounds.

Shaw first caught on with Brantley’s talents while playing the MLB The Show video game, and then started watching him in real life.

“Mr. Smooth. Kind of cool, really professional hitter, and he’s always fun to watch,” Shaw offered up as a scouting report.

@Seveves

SEwen@postmedia.com

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