Canadian infielder Brendan Lawson claims top spot in Baseball America’s MLB draft rankings
Photo credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
By Nick Prasad
Nov 2, 2026, 09:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 1, 2026, 14:17 EST
Canadian baseball players continue to make noise in the industry. University of Florida’s infielder Brendan Lawson sits at the top of the 2027 Major League Baseball Draft rankings, as per Baseball America.
Lawson is from Toronto, Ontario, and played his travel ball locally. The infielder played for the Ontario Blue Jays in the Canadian Premier Baseball League. He also played for the Canadian Junior National Team and the P27 academy.
Before Lawson went off to college baseball in Florida, we saw a lot of his makeup and physicality at the Canadian Futures Showcase, a high-school prospect tournament held by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Lawson’s offensive profile has developed strongly over the years
The Canadian infielder was selected out of high school in 2024 by the St. Louis Cardinals. Lawson decided to follow through with his college commitment, taking his talents to Florida. That was the best decision he made, as he’s increased his draft stock with a strong Southeastern Conference performance.
To date, he’s averaging .315 in 116 games played, 410 at-bats, recording 129 hits, 28 extra-base hits, 29 home runs, 109 RBIs, a .602 slugging and a .464 on-base percentage.
His beginning with the Gators was a very steady one, being immediately in the starting lineup and displaying offensive capabilities. The left-hander shows raw power in his hitting profile with a very compactful swing, with bat-to-ball skills, and launch angle.
Defensively, Lawson has what it takes to remain at shortstop at the professional level, however, second base could be an option. So far, his college career fielding percentage is a .947; he’s displayed a strong ability to play his position.
In 2026, Lawson started 56 games at shortstop for Florida with five as the designated hitter. He also led the SEC with the sixth-highest OBP. Lawson was a two-time freshman of the week in 2025 along with Baseball America’s First Team Freshman All-American amongst other awards and mentionables in 2025 and 2026.
Lawson’s junior season will be a cherry on top if he can repeat his offensive performance with more beef on the numbers. He’s projected to be a first-round, possibly first-overall selection. The left-handed bat would be one of the top Canadian prospects in such a selection position.
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