<p>In this series, <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/">Blue Jays Nation</a> will be featuring Canadians who are eligible for the 2025 MLB Draft.</p>
<p>For this article, pitcher Blake Gillespie will be featured.</p>
<p><strong>Player: </strong>Blake Gillespie<br />
<strong>Hometown: </strong>Clermont, Georgia<br />
<strong>Position: </strong>Right-handed pitcher<br />
<strong>Description: </strong>Bats: Switch / Throws: Right / 6-foot-2<br />
<strong>Program: </strong>University of North Carolina at Charlotte</p>
<hr />
<h2>Background</h2>
<p>Right-hander Blake Gillespie was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, but he holds eligibility for Canada at the World Baseball Classic because of his father, Shawn, who was born in Exeter, Ont. Growing up and splitting time between Avra, Ontario and Georgia, Gillespie originally committed to play for the Georgia Bulldogs and spent the first two years of his college career with the SEC program. He struggled to find a rhythm while splitting time between the rotation and bullpen, allowing 29 earned runs through 19 innings.</p>
<p>A change of scenery was needed, and Gillespie transferred to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, suiting up for the 49ers and becoming the top arm for the squad. Through 15 starts and a team-high 100 1/3 innings, the 21-year-old authored a 2.42 ERA with three complete games, including a no-hitter against James Madison University on March 7th, striking out 11 and allowing just one walk through the nine innings, the second no-hitter in 49ers history. He went eight or more innings on seven different occasions and finished the year with a 0.877 WHIP, 1.7 BB/9, and an 11.8 K/9. Gillespie finished the year with Third Team All-American (Perfect Game), Second Team Atlantic All-Region (ABCA/Rawlings), and Second Team All-American (Baseball America) honours heading into the summer. He was also named the American Conference Pitcher of the Year.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫⚾️</p>
<p>Blake Gillespie x <a href="https://twitter.com/CharlotteBSB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CharlotteBSB</a> ⛏️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericanWay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmericanWay</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericanBSB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmericanBSB</a> <a href="https://t.co/zGJuZRgzaa">pic.twitter.com/zGJuZRgzaa</a></p>
<p>&mdash; The American (@American_Conf) <a href="https://twitter.com/American_Conf/status/1924540566441689589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Gillespie is looking to become the 69th draft pick for the program.</p>
<h2>Profile</h2>
<p>Standing at 6-foot-2, Gillespie features an easy and repeatable delivery from the right side of the mound.</p>
<p>His command and attacking the zone have helped keep the walks in check while racking up the strikeouts, generating swing and miss with his slider and changeup combined with his low-90s fastball. The fastball can hit the mid-90s on occasion, and he has a solid feel for his arsenal. Gillespie is not afraid to attack hitters inside on both sides of the plate, and his fastball can cause some deception given his over-the-top delivery.</p>
<h2>Draft Potential</h2>
<p>After an impressive season at UNC Charlotte, Gillespie figures to be in the top ten rounds of the draft season, but more towards the back half compared to the first five rounds. Ranked at #8 by the Canadian Baseball Network, Gillespie doesn&#8217;t feature in the top 250 for MLB Pipeline but does sit in the 250-500 range on other draft prospect sites/rankings.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another dominant start for Blake Gillespie as he fans 12 batters in the 49ers shutout win against FAU🔥<br /> <a href="https://t.co/gbk3vEKcLz">pic.twitter.com/gbk3vEKcLz</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Carolina Curveball (@CarolinaCurveBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarolinaCurveBB/status/1915841223761285140?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Teams will like his durability and ability to pitch deep into games, but the shaky outings in Georgia may be in the back of teams&#8217; minds. If he can continue to build upon his season with the 49ers, a back-end rotation arm role for Gillespie is not out of the question at the pro level.</p>
<hr />
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In this series, <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/">Blue Jays Nation</a> will be featuring Canadians who are eligible for the 2025 MLB Draft.

For this article, pitcher Blake Gillespie will be featured.

<strong>Player: </strong>Blake Gillespie
<strong>Hometown: </strong>Clermont, Georgia
<strong>Position: </strong>Right-handed pitcher
<strong>Description: </strong>Bats: Switch / Throws: Right / 6-foot-2
<strong>Program: </strong>University of North Carolina at Charlotte

<hr />

<h2>Background</h2>
Right-hander Blake Gillespie was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, but he holds eligibility for Canada at the World Baseball Classic because of his father, Shawn, who was born in Exeter, Ont. Growing up and splitting time between Avra, Ontario and Georgia, Gillespie originally committed to play for the Georgia Bulldogs and spent the first two years of his college career with the SEC program. He struggled to find a rhythm while splitting time between the rotation and bullpen, allowing 29 earned runs through 19 innings.

A change of scenery was needed, and Gillespie transferred to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, suiting up for the 49ers and becoming the top arm for the squad. Through 15 starts and a team-high 100 1/3 innings, the 21-year-old authored a 2.42 ERA with three complete games, including a no-hitter against James Madison University on March 7th, striking out 11 and allowing just one walk through the nine innings, the second no-hitter in 49ers history. He went eight or more innings on seven different occasions and finished the year with a 0.877 WHIP, 1.7 BB/9, and an 11.8 K/9. Gillespie finished the year with Third Team All-American (Perfect Game), Second Team Atlantic All-Region (ABCA/Rawlings), and Second Team All-American (Baseball America) honours heading into the summer. He was also named the American Conference Pitcher of the Year.

https://twitter.com/American_Conf/status/1924540566441689589

Gillespie is looking to become the 69th draft pick for the program.
<h2>Profile</h2>
Standing at 6-foot-2, Gillespie features an easy and repeatable delivery from the right side of the mound.

His command and attacking the zone have helped keep the walks in check while racking up the strikeouts, generating swing and miss with his slider and changeup combined with his low-90s fastball. The fastball can hit the mid-90s on occasion, and he has a solid feel for his arsenal. Gillespie is not afraid to attack hitters inside on both sides of the plate, and his fastball can cause some deception given his over-the-top delivery.
<h2>Draft Potential</h2>
After an impressive season at UNC Charlotte, Gillespie figures to be in the top ten rounds of the draft season, but more towards the back half compared to the first five rounds. Ranked at #8 by the Canadian Baseball Network, Gillespie doesn't feature in the top 250 for MLB Pipeline but does sit in the 250-500 range on other draft prospect sites/rankings.

https://twitter.com/CarolinaCurveBB/status/1915841223761285140

Teams will like his durability and ability to pitch deep into games, but the shaky outings in Georgia may be in the back of teams' minds. If he can continue to build upon his season with the 49ers, a back-end rotation arm role for Gillespie is not out of the question at the pro level.

<hr />

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2025 MLB Draft – Canadian Watchlist: Blake Gillespie

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