SEVENTHINNING

BY JOHN IABONI

Lots To Note With Zach Pop

Zach Pop is the 29th – and most recent – Canadian-born player for the Blue Jays. The Brampton, ON, native was acquired from the Miami Marlins on August 2, 2022 and made his Blue Jays debut three days later in Minnesota.

On September 20, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pop became the eighth Canadian-born pitcher to earn a win for the Blue Jays. The others (with date and opponent in their first Blue Jays win) were London’s Paul Quantrill, May 9, 1996 at Texas; Kelowna’s Paul Spoljaric, July 21, 1996 versus Detroit; Vancouver’s Scott Richmond, September 26, 2008 at Baltimore; Mississauga’s Shawn Hill, September 23, 2010 versus Seattle; Vancouver’s Jeff Francis, April 30, 2015 at Cleveland; Simcoe’s John Axford, June 9, 2018 versus Baltimore; and Markham’s Jordan Romano, July 24, 2020 at Tampa Bay.

Pop and Romano became the first Canadian-born Blue Jays to combine for the win and the save in the same game –6-3 over the Boston Red Sox on October 2, 2022.

Pop gained another significant distinction when he became the first Canadianborn Blue Jay to earn a win in a season Home Opener, against the Detroit Tigers on April 11, 2023.

Opening Day 2023 marked the first time in franchise history that the Blue Jays roster included three Canadian-born players with Pop, Romano and Montreal’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Pop’s arrival made the provincial breakdown of the first 29 Canadian-born Blue Jays as follows: Ontario 12, B.C. 10, Quebec 3, Nova Scotia 1, New Brunswick 1, Manitoba 1 and Saskatchewan 1.