Two University of British Columbia baseball players are now officially MLB prospects.
UBC Thunderbirds starting pitcher Ryan Heppner was selected in the MLB Draft on Sunday, being taken in the 19th round (577th overall) by the Atlanta Braves. By doing so, he has become the 20th Thunderbirds pitcher ever to be selected in the MLB draft, and it comes just a year after his brother, Sean, was selected in the 12th round by the Cleveland Guardians.
“My reaction was just pure excitement,” said Heppner, who was second in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) with seven wins this past season. “I was so happy, I think the Braves were definitely the number one choice for me, I really like their organization. To hear my name finally get called was just a massive sense of relief and excitement for what’s to come in the future.”
Heppner, who hails from Point Roberts, also finished third in the CCC with 77 strikeouts, while his 4.50 ERA with eighth. Back in his freshman season in 2023, he finished with a 3.12 ERA.
Though he went undrafted, Thunderbirds outfielder Jonny McGill was able to sign a deal with the Los Angeles Angels. He and Heppner were able to become the 33rd and 34th players in Thunderbirds history to latch on with an MLB organization.
“It’s a super awesome opportunity,” said McGill. “I’m very thankful to have the opportunity to play professional baseball as a player with the UBC Thunderbirds and the NAIA, very grateful to my family, my teammates, and my coaches. I’m super excited to get started!”
McGill, who was born in Richmond, is coming off of an incredible season with the Thunderbirds that saw him top the CCC with 89 hits, 80 runs scored, and 169 total bases. He also led the conference with a ridiculous .405 batting average.
While UBC has plenty of notable alumni, Jeff Francis sits at the top of the list. He was selected ninth overall by the Colorado Rockies in the 2002 draft and went on to enjoy an 11-year MLB career that included stints with the Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, and Toronto Blue Jays.
UBC happens to be the only Canadian university baseball team that competes against American schools, so it’s no surprise that they blow other Canadian schools out of the water when it comes to sending players away to MLB organizations.
They also consistently rank in the top 25 among the 200+ National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and were as high as number 3 in 2010.
19 Canadians selected in MLB Draft
In total, there were 19 Canadians selected in the 2025 MLB Draft, including pitcher Ty Bremner, who went second overall to the Angels. Despite being born in California, Bremner holds dual citizenship as his parents are Canadian.
Bremner’s mom tragically passed away from breast cancer last month, and the 21-year-old has said he would like to honour her by suiting up for Canada at the World Baseball Classic.
Of the 19 Canadians drafted, eight grew up in the Vancouver area, further showcasing just how big the sport is becoming on the west side of the nation.
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