2018 RHP Eric Cerantola touching 90mph on his FB with a 75mph curve. #ProDay
Blue Jays Nation’s Top 25 Canadian Baseball Prospects for 2026: #11 Eric Cerantola
Photo credit: © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Feb 11, 2026, 08:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 10, 2026, 20:08 EST
In this installment of the 2026 edition of Blue Jays Nation’s Top 25 Canadian Baseball Prospects, we profile a right-handed pitcher who has steadily climbed the minor league ladder and established himself as one of the more experienced Canadian arms in professional baseball.
No. 11 – Eric Cerantola
Hometown: Oakville, Ont.
Organization: Kansas City Royals
Draft: 5th round, 2021 (KC)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Organization: Kansas City Royals
Draft: 5th round, 2021 (KC)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Eric Cerantola’s development began after moving from Montreal to Oakville, Ont., where he attended Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School and played for the Great Lakes Canadians and the Junior National Team under longtime national team coaches Adam Stern and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Greg Hamilton.
A multi-sport athlete, Cerantola also excelled in hockey and was selected in the eighth round of the 2016 Ontario Hockey League Draft by the Owen Sound Attack before ultimately choosing to pursue baseball full-time.
That decision paid off quickly. Cerantola emerged as one of Canada’s top amateur pitching prospects, earning a spot on the Canadian National Team that finished fourth at the 2017 WBSC Baseball World Cup when he was just 17 years old.
Viewed by scouts as a projectable arm, Cerantola was selected in the 30th round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays out of high school but elected not to sign. Instead, he enrolled at Mississippi State University, where he continued his development while pitching against Division I competition.
Following his freshman season in Mississippi, Cerantola represented Canada again at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, gaining more experience on the international stage.
At Mississippi State for three seasons, Cerantola refined his arsenal and leaned into his physical profile, standing six-foot-five with a power fastball and swing-and-miss secondary pitches. In his junior season, he posted a 12.5 K/9 rate and held opponents to a .209 batting average, strengthening his draft stock. That performance led the Kansas City Royals to select him in the fifth round (No. 139 overall) of the 2021 MLB Draft, signing him to an above-slot-value $500,000 bonus.
After going pro, Cerantola advanced steadily through the Royals’ system, transitioning into a bullpen role that allowed his raw stuff to play up. By 2023, he had reached Double-A Northwest Arkansas, and in 2024, he split the season between Double-A and Triple-A Omaha. Across both levels, he finished with a sub-3.00 ERA and 12.5 K/9 in 72.2 innings pitched. That performance prompted Kansas City to add him to the 40-man roster following the season, protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft.
2025 Season
Cerantola spent most of the 2025 campaign with Triple-A Omaha, appearing in 38 games and logging 49.0 innings. He posted a 4.04 ERA with 63 strikeouts and a 1.31 WHIP. While his results fluctuated at times, Cerantola missed time due to two minor injuries, limiting his workload. Despite that, he continued to generate strikeouts and made progress with his control, lowering his walk rate to 4.4 per nine innings.
How about this last night... @OMAStormChasers RHP Eric Cerantola threw 2.0 scoreless innings and struck out 6 of 8 batters he faced. AND: 14 of 19 swings on his slider were whiffs, a *74%* whiff rate on that pitch last night! Here were 3 of his best strikeouts from the outing👇
Following the minor league season, Cerantola pitched in the Dominican Winter League with Águilas Cibaeñas. He rebounded with a strong showing, recording a 1.50 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 12.0 innings.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Entering 2026, Cerantola brings extensive upper-minors experience along with a lengthy history of international competition. He was selected to represent Team Canada at the 2026 World Baseball Classic this March out of the bullpen, allowing him to compete on the most significant stage of his career against MLB talent.
Cerantola’s professional progression and international pedigree earn him the No. 11 spot on Blue Jays Nation’s Top 25 Canadian Prospects list. If his command continues to trend in the right direction, he remains a viable candidate to make his MLB debut with the Kansas City Royals at some point during the 2026 season.
Previous rankings
#14 – Sam Shaw
#15 – Will Hynes
#18 – Brady Cerkownyk
#19 – Micah Bucknam
#20 – Matt Wilkinson
#21 – Jacob Zibin
#22 – Eric Hartman
#23 – L.P. Langevin
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