Artifact Highlights: 2025 MLB Debuts
If you get excited about a Canadian MLB debut, then 2025 has been a very exciting year indeed! We’ve had a lot to cheer about as we’ve watched Canadian ballplayers, some of whom even played on the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum fields as youngsters, hit the field as a Major Leaguer for the first time. With each start, we know that we’re observing history in the making, and so it’s our job here at the Hall in St. Marys to ensure that we gather something from each of those games to be preserved as part of the collection. With so many debuts this season, we wanted to share some of the artifacts we’ve collected from those moments, all of which add to the story of Canadian baseball!
Liam Hicks
MLB Debut: March 28, 2025
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Team: Miami Marlins
Position: Catcher
This cap was worn by Liam Hicks when he made his debut for the Miami Marlins on March 28 earlier this year. Hicks started the game as the Marlins’ catcher, joining fellow Canadians, Cal Quantrill and Otto Lopez on the Miami team. Hicks registered his first hit (a single to left field) on April 2, and knocked his first career MLB homerun off of Canadian reliever Jordan Romano in a game against the Phillies on April 19. Liam Hicks has also been a part of several Canadian batteries while catching Cal Quantrill’s starts. Hicks even caught Quantrill’s immaculate inning, which he pitched in the top of the 4th on May 18 against the Tampa Bay Rays. Liam Hicks has proven himself a solid choice behind the plate for the Marlins, and in just his first season in the MLB has become an essential part of the Miami roster.
Donated by the Miami Marlins.
Steven Jaschinski
MLB Debut: May 16, 2025
Hometown: Burlington, ON
Position: Umpire
Steven Jaschinski, a native of Burlington, ON, made his MLB debut as an umpire in his own backyard at the Rogers Centre on May 18, 2025. The former Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) umpire worked his way up through the minor leagues, and had officiated spring training games in the previous two seasons before getting the call earlier this year. On May 16, Jaschinski took the field as the second base umpire in the first of three games between the Tigers and Blue Jays. Two days later on May 18, Jaschinski stepped in as the home plate umpire. This red dirt was collected from around home plate and sent to the Hall of Fame along with a baseball from his debut game to commemorate the event. The 26-year-old Jaschinski joins fellow Canadian MLB umpires, Stu Scheurwater and Alex Tosi.
Donated by Steven Jaschinski.
Denzel Clarke
MLB Debut: May 23, 2025
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Team: Athletics
Position: Outfielder
Denzel Clarke was called up to the big leagues just 5 games before the Athletics took a trip to Toronto, meaning that Clarke’s 6th Major League start was in his hometown. On the third game of the Toronto series, Clarke hit his first big league homerun over the left field wall in Rogers Centre. This base was in place at 2nd when Clarke launched the two-run homer in the top of the 2nd inning to make the round trip. Although the power potential is there, it’s Clarke’s defense that is turning heads. Just over a week after leaving Toronto, the A’s landed in LA to face the Angels, which is where Clarke made one of the greatest catches we’ve ever seen, scaling the wall to rob Nolan Schanuel of a homerun.
Donated by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Owen Caissie
MLB Debut: August 14, 2025
Hometown: Burlington, ON
Team: Chicago Cubs
Position: Outfielder
On August 13, Owen Caissie got the call that he would be joining the Cubs’ starting lineup the next afternoon at the Rogers Centre in the final game of the series against the Blue Jays. Just like Steven Jaschinski, the Burlington native would be making his debut on the field against his hometown team, with family and friends watching from the stands. Caissie left Iowa Thursday morning, arriving at the Rogers Centre just 90 minutes before the first pitch. Caissie, who is known for his exceptional offense, stepped into the box to face Max Scherzer for his first career MLB at bat. He promptly drilled the first pitch he saw into left field for what looked sure to be an extra base hit, before Davis Schneider made a phenomenal catch. Caissie was held off the scoreboard on August 14, but just four days later he recorded his first career hit against the Brewers. The following day in the first game of a double-header, Caissie knocked in his first RBI, and socked his first career homerun, recording his first multi-hit game in the same moment. It’s clear this Canuck is in the game to stay, and he just keeps gaining steam!
This scorecard was used by Sportsnet’s Jamie Campbell to record the game in which Caissie debuted. You can see where Campbell used an asterisk to note Caissie’s first career MLB at bat.
Donated by Jamie Campbell.
Jonah Tong
MLB Debut: August 29, 2025
Hometown: Markham, ON
Team: New York Mets
Position: Pitcher
We here at the Hall of Fame heard the news of Tong’s call up to the Mets on the same day that a package arrived at our door from the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. When Tong was called up to the AAA Syracuse Mets, the Rumble Ponies sent us this cap which Tong had worn on his final start in AA. Little did we know that Tong would only make two AAA starts before getting the life-changing phone call every prospect waits for: you’re joining the big club!
On August 29, Jonah Tong entered the game as the starting pitcher in Citi Field against the Miami Marlins, facing off against fellow Canadians Otto Lopez and Liam Hicks. Tong cruised through his first four innings of work, recording his first career strikeout in the top of the 3rd when he punched out Joey Wiemer on a curveball. Tong pitched five innings, allowing only one earned run, and taking the 19-9 win in his MLB debut.
Donated by the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.
It has been such an exciting year in Canadian baseball as we’ve had the fortune to watch Canadians debut and excel. Congratulations to the five individuals featured here and to the many more who are representing the maple leaf in professional baseball. At this point it’s undeniable that baseball is a Canadian sport too!
Thank you to everyone who has donated an artifact to the CBHFM collection this year. It is through the generosity of individuals and teams that we are able to grow and diversify our collection. Hope you enjoyed the Artifact Highlights: 2025 MLB Debuts