Jared Young is about to get a chance to play baseball for his country.
On Thursday Baseball Canada named the 27-year-old Chicago Cubs prospect from Prince George to the 30-player Canadian team roster and Young will be sporting the maple leaf at next month’s World Baseball Classic tournament.
“I’m pumped, they called and asked and it’s during spring training, during a very big part of my career, but it’s something you can’t turn down,” said Young.
“Playing for Canada is something I’ve wanted to do my entire life and I’m getting the chance at 27, so that’s cool.”
Canada is grouped in Pool C with the United States, Mexico, Colombia and Great Britain. All Pool C games will be played in Chase Field in Phoenix, close to Young’s home in Scottsdale.
“Some of the games are in Japan, and all over the world, and mine are going to be about a 20-minute drive to the field - it’s pretty cool and it’s a pretty special opportunity,” Young said. “It’s going to feel like I’m playing baseball at home and that’s kind of neat. It works out great that spring training is 20 minutes away and I don’t have to do any extra travel. I couldn’t be more excited.”
Young will face his Chicago Cubs teammates in an exhibition game on Wednesday, March 8 in Mesa, Ariz., the Cubs’ spring training base. Canada also has an exhibition lined up against the Seattle Mariners on March 9 in Peoria, Ariz.
Managed by former Toronto Blue Jays catcher Ernie Whitt, Canada opens its tournament March 11 against Great Britain, then plays the U.S. (March 12), Colombia (March 14), and Mexico (March 15).
The U.S. won it in 2017, the last time the WBC was played.
“That’s definitely a good team and I can’t wait to go out there and give them a ball game and see what we can do, because it’s going to be really exciting,” said Young.
Young was called up from triple-A Iowa last September and made a smashing major league debut with the Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago in a game against Colorado. With his Prince George family - parents Dana and Randy and brother Tanner - watching from the stands, Young collected his first MLB hit, a double down the right-field line in the eighth inning.
He went on to play five more games during a 12-game call-up to Chicago. In 19 at-bats he collected five hits and scored two runs, batting .263 with a .364 on-base percentage. He went error free with 17 put-outs in two games at first base and also played at right field and as the designated hitter.
Young was sent back to the Iowa Cubs for their last game in 2022 and ended the season at their home park in Des Moines against the Toledo Mud Hens with a two-run walk-off home run in the ninth inning.
“That meant a lot more than you think,” said Young. “That was a really good one.”
He played 109 games for Iowa in 2022 and hit .230 with 17 home runs and 21 doubles and 59 runs batted in.
JARED YOUNG WITH THE WALK-OFF WINNER TO END THE YEAR! pic.twitter.com/7ytm5uNH4a
— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) September 28, 2022
