
Sam Shaw wants to ‘create a good example’ as MLB draft prospect
VICTORIA, British Columbia (BVM) – TNXL Academy baseball star Sam Shaw played a plethora of sports when he was growing up in Victoria. He played hockey as well as lacrosse and even soccer, but one sport stood above the rest – baseball.
“I played like everything growing up and baseball just stood out,” Shaw said. “I feel when you love something it’s hard to put into words, but I just enjoy going out every day and trying to improve and playing the game I love.”
While baseball is America’s pastime, in Canada it is still clearly behind hockey in terms of popularity. This could be attributed to the Canadian climate which only gives a few solid months where teams can play.
“I played a tournament in either November or February at the start or end of winter and it was snowing when we were playing,” Shaw said. “That’s probably the most different thing.”
Despite the difficulties of playing the sport in the country and its smaller following than other sports, Shaw feels like it still has a strong community of fans.
“There’s a lot of people [up here] that love it. It’s obviously not our main sport but I feel like people love it,” Shaw said. “It is just baseball, no matter where you play it. I played in Mexico, I’ve played in the Dominican. It’s the same game, there are obviously some little differences, but it’s the same game.”
Shaw has played that game at an extremely high level as one of Canada’s best players. He has done so well in fact that, despite playing in an area that is less recruited than most of the United States and even other Canadian provinces, he has drawn the attention of MLB scouts.
The recent graduate of Lambrick Park Secondary School is listed among the top 300 prospects in this year’s MLB Draft, being listed at No. 139 by ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and No. 245 by Future Star Series. He was even one of just 300 draft–eligible players to participate in this year’s MLB Draft Combine from June 19-24 at Chase Field in Phoenix.
“It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I was fortunate enough to get the invite,” Shaw said. “Playing with kids from all over the country and all over the world really was pretty cool and to see the guys that I was up against in this draft was something else that I haven’t gotten to do. It was an enjoyable experience, they did a great job.”

A stellar athlete, Shaw has played all over the diamond during his career which includes all across the infield and even the outfield. Shaw hopes that versatility will pay dividends as he advances in the game.
“For me, I think I will do the best wherever [teams] put me,” Shaw said. “I went to a [Los Angeles] Dodgers game three weeks ago and Mookie Betts was playing shortstop, so the best place I can play is the place that helps my team the best. That can be center field, that can be shortstop, first base, that could be wherever, just being there to help my team win.”
‘23 Sam Shaw (@SamShawbaseball) showing well in both the infield and outfield in Chicago today. @XavierBASE commit. #Super60 || @prepbaseball pic.twitter.com/EKpnutP9il
— Prep Baseball BC (@PrepBaseballBC) February 5, 2023
While Shaw’s versatility is a huge part of his game, he believes that his best play comes when the bat is in his hands.
“I think I swing the bat pretty well,” Shaw said. “I take pride in that.”
💣𝐏𝐁𝐑 𝐁𝐎𝐌𝐁 𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐃💣
‘23 #Xavier commit Sam Shaw (@SamShawbaseball) absolutely crushes this baseball over the right field fence.
A no-doubt HR from one of the top prospects in Canada’s ‘23 class. @VicMariners || @ShooterHunt @NathanRode || #BlazeProTour🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/rUm9AuQ9RB
— Prep Baseball BC (@PrepBaseballBC) March 22, 2022
If things in the draft don’t work out for Shaw, he has a pretty good backup plan. In April 2021, Shaw committed to the D-I program at Xavier University. The Musketeers just finished up a strong season where they went 39-25, won the Big East tournament and made it to the NCAA Tournament’s Nashville Regional Final. Shaw is excited about how things are going for the program.
“I really like the coaching staff and looking at how they were structuring their program it looked like it would be on the upswing,” Shaw said. “They won the Big East last year so I feel the program is doing exactly what I thought it would be and just continuing to improve. I just kind of wanted to get in there and be able to play and it was really just a perfect fit.”

Whether he goes to Xavier or gets drafted by an MLB team, Shaw wants to show kids from his community that it is possible to go far in baseball. Shaw hopes that his play will also encourage more scouts and programs to evaluate the talent that British Columbia has to offer on the diamond.
“For kids coming up, especially from B.C. or Victoria as well, there haven’t been too many baseball players so hopefully I can create a good example,” Shaw said. “We’ve got some good players and hopefully it ignites something.”
For Shaw, if he is selected during the draft, he is prepared to continue working to achieve his dreams of playing in the big leagues.
“It would be the start of a new beginning,” Shaw said. “The goal was to get drafted, but I think in the end the goal is to do something special in this game and that’s what I’ll be working for. It will definitely mean a lot and the hard work that I put in will go towards something, but I will continue to do that and hope for the best.”