Prospect Pulse (AB): Catch and Throw
January 22, 2026
‘Prospect Pulse’ is a series that provides insight into Canada's amateur baseball scene, with vital intel on prospects in each of our big three provinces... Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. Each 'Prospect Pulse' article will cover different and timely topics from different classes as we look to bring you the best coverage within Canada on the amateur prospect within it.
This week’s topic: This week, Western Canada's Lead Scout, Jaxson Smith-Peterson covers five catchers within Alberta who stand out with their catch and throw abilities.
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PROSPECT PULSE (AB): CATCH AND THROW
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Rhys Whiteford C / OF / Foothills Composite, AB / 2026Whiteford is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound C/1B out of the Okotoks Dawgs Program. The left-handed hitting backstop suited up for Prep Baseball Canada at the Senior Future Games last July and shortly after became the first member of that squad to commit to play at the next level when he made things official with NCAA D1 USC Upstate. Defense has been the calling card for Whiteford for some time now, but the bat has taken significant strides since joining the Okotoks Dawgs, now posting a max EV of 95.8 mph with distances topping out at 367 ft. Whiteford impressed our staff during the 2025 season with advanced catch and throw skills and several impressive blocks with runners in scoring position. At the Senior Future Games, Whiteford registered pop times between 1.85-2.00 paired with throws that topped out at 77 MPH. Part of a very strong group of Dawgs behind the dish, look for Whiteford to be a consistent contributor in 2026.
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Taye Thierman C / Okotoks Dawgs Academy, AB / 2026Strength gains were evident for the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Junior National Team Member during our in-event look last winter where Thierman recorded a catcher velocity of 82 mph and max exit velocity of 100.4 mph. There’s an abundance of tools in the profile with advanced bat speed, event pop times between 1.71-1.90 and an ability to hit high level pitching that was demonstrated on multiple stages over the last year plus. A Houston recruit, expect Thierman to be a key attraction on a loaded Dawgs Black squad.
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Tanner Morris C / 3B / Vauxhall Academy, AB / 2027Morris had arguably the best performance out of all the catchers in attendance at the Sylvan Lake Classic this past fall. During defensive workouts, Tanner recorded poptimes between 1.86-1.98 with throws reaching a velocity of 83 mph. Morris showed advanced footwork behind the plate with quality receiving skills. Our staff will be afforded an updated look at the 2027 grad in early March at the Calgary Future Games Trials.
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Kaden Carson C / Vauxhall Academy, AB / 2027Carson is another member of the Vauxhall program who impressed our staff during the defensive workout in Sylvan Lake. The Saskatchewan native showcased quality footwork with a quick transfer and accurate arm. Metrically, Carson recorded pop times in the 1.96-1.99 range with throws reaching 76 mph. Expect Carson to continue to trend up over the next year as he matures physically.
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Stone Foster C / 1B / Rundle College, AB / 2026The 6-foot-2, 205-pound backstop showed well consistently during multiple in-game looks during the 2025 season, including this caught stealing in Kamloops. Foster is an advanced blocker with pop times we had in the high 1.9’s this fall. The Webber product was consistently on the barrel and showed off some pullside power during 2025. Look for Foster to be a big piece on the Wildcats, before joining the Florida JUCO ranks at Chipola.
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