Canadian baseball fans, familiarize yourself with Maple Ridge, B.C., product Tyler O’Neill.
According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold, the St. Louis Cardinals have recalled the 22-year-old outfielder from the Memphis Redbirds, the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate.
Ranked as the Cardinals’ No. 4 prospect by MLB Pipeline, the 5’11’’, 210-pounder has gotten off to a red-hot start in 2018 by hitting .388/.385/.837 with six home runs (tied for the most in the PCL) and 18 RBIs in only 12 games. He also leads the league with 18 runs scored. Last season, he belted 31 home runs and 87 RBIs in total in his first full season in Triple-A after being acquired from Seattle Mariners in the summer.
With power being his forte, one quick look at O’Neill and you’ll quickly release that he’s a lot more muscular than the average human. That doesn’t seem shocking when you realize that he’s a professional athlete, but if you peep his Instagram, you’ll soon understand why O’Neill is one of the most jacked baseball players you’ll ever see, period.
After all, his dad was named Mr. Canada in 1975, and after you see him squatting 585 pounds, you’ll see why he was nicknamed “Popeye.”
Those shoulders and arms are almost bodybuilder territory. Like most Canadians, O’Neill was a hockey player growing up, and took up the game of baseball because he was getting bored in the summertime. He’s slated to become the sixth Canadian to play in the MLB this season along with Joey Votto, Russell Martin, James Paxton, and John Axford. He suited up for Team Canada at last year’s World Baseball Classic, and has a pretty sweat maple leaf tattoo, too.
Originally a third-round pick of the M’s back in 2013, O’Neill is a graduate of the Langley Blaze out of the PBL, one of the best developmental leagues in Canadian for high school aged players. The league is one of the best baseball grooming grounds teens can play in, providing as a great stepping stone before heading off to college. Built off power and athleticism, O’Neill can play all three outfield positions, boasts a strong arm and can run the base paths well, but is predomaintly known for his raw power.
Don’t be surprised if you see O’Neill pouding 30 dingers a season at MLB level in the coming years.
(h/t MLB's Cut4 and The Province)
