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CTV News
15-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
‘Dream come true': Wingham, Ont. teen ready to turn pro after being drafted by Kansas City Royals
Wingham teen, Tyson Moran fields a ball with the Great Lakes Canadians near London. Moran was selected 398th overall in today's MLB draft by the Kansas City Royals. June 2025. (Brent Lale/CTV News London) Tyson Moran became the first Wingham, Ont. resident to ever hear his name called in the MLB (Major League Baseball) draft. The 19-year-old is about to become a professional baseball player. 'Sounds really good. Oh, it's, dream come true, and I'm looking forward to it,' said Moran. Surrounded by family, friends, and teammates, Moran was selected in the 13th round of the 20 round MLB draft on Monday, selected 398th overall by the Kansas City Royals. Not bad for a kid from a town of 3,000, where hockey is king, and it's below zero for nearly half the year. 071425 Wingham teen, Tyson Moran was surrounded by friends and family, as he was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 13th round of today's MLB draft. (Scott Miller/CTV News London) 'It hasn't soaked in yet. I'm sure it will in the next couple of days, but I'm just trying not to take it for granted,' he said. 'And trying to make sure that I take it step by step, so that I don't get ahead of myself.' Moran, who played for the Great Lake Canadians in Dorchester, put himself on Major League scouts' radar in the past year, winning MVP at the Toronto Blue Jays Futures Showcase, and hitting two homeruns against professional pitchers in an Arizona-based showcase. Moran was planning on playing at North Dakota State University this fall, but instead he'll be heading to Arizona to join Kansas City's other draftees in the Arizona Complex League. That will happen within the next couple of weeks. 'I won't be playing for the Great Lakes anymore. I'll be in the Kansas City Royals organization,' said Moran. 'Kind of just working my way up from ground zero. Kind of proving myself. It's kind of the first step, if you will, to pro baseball.' 071425 Wingham teen, Tyson Moran was surrounded by friends and family, as he was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 13th round of today's MLB draft. (Scott Miller/CTV News London) 'This is why we do it. The Great Lake Canadians is a development program. We're here to get these kids off. It's mostly to college, but when we have an opportunity to get them into the pro world, it's an amazing thing,' said Jamie Romak, former MLB player and one of Moran's coaches, along with being Director of Player Performance for the Great Lake Canadians. 'So, super happy for the kid and his family. This is well warranted. He's ready to go.' Moran is fully aware that not many 13th round picks make it to the big leagues, but his coaches believe if there is a 13th round pick that will make it, it will be Tyson Moran. 'Obviously the hit tool is what really stands out with him. But I think the separator is going to be the make-up. There's a tremendous amount of determination in Tyson,' said Romak, who played 27 games in the MLB in the 2014-15 season. 'You know he's a player that Great Lake cut several times, but he kept coming back. He used it as motivation to improve his game and really take off. So, I think when it comes to sustaining yourself in a really difficult game, those are kind of the traits that scouts look for. When you pair a guy who can really hit with a guy who's super determined, I think you have yourself a major league player, one day.' Moran said being drafted means a lot to him. 'Obviously there's projections to kind of see where guys might fit in. But again, those are never 100 per cent,' he said. 'Just to hear my name called, that's kind of the 100 per cent for me to be kind of like, I did it.' A sendoff party for Moran is planned for Friday at the Wingham Sportsmen's Club from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m.
CTV News
07-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Tyson Moran of Wingham, Ont. expected to be picked in MLB Draft
A Wingham team has a good shot at being chosen in the upcoming MLB draft. CTV London's Brent Lale reports. A teenager from small-town Midwestern Ontario is likely to hear his name called in the upcoming Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. Tyson Moran Tyson Moran of Wingham, Ont. is projected to be selected in the MLB Draft. (Brent Lale/CTV London) 'He just hasn't stop hitting,' said Chris Robinson, one of his coaches with the Great Lake Canadians (GLC). As the MLB draft approaches this week, the second baseman from Wingham, Ont. is ranked in some mock drafts as a mid-round pick. 'I haven't really been a highly touted prospect over the years until recently,' said Moran. 'I'm just trying to soak it all up and trying not to take it for granted.' The left-hand-hitting infielder has power, speed, and his game has elevated over the past year. Tyson Moran Second baseman Tyson Moran of Wingham, Ont. is a prospect in the upcoming MLB Draft. (Brent Lale/CTV London) His coaches praise his work ethic and describe him as 'determined.' 'It's a two-hour drive (from Wingham to Dorchester) and he's the first kid here, four days a week,' said Jamie Romak, a former MLB player who coaches Moran with GLC. 'He wants to work. He appreciates the opportunity he's been given and guys like that tend to succeed in this game. It started in March on a trip to Arizona playing professional competition that he just absolutely demolished and hasn't really stopped since then.' During that trip he hit two home runs against the Cleveland Guardians. Every time he's played over the past few months, scouts are keeping an eye on him. Tyson Moran Tyson Moran has a 'professional hit tool' according to his Great Lake Canadians coaches (Brent Lale/CTV London) 'It is really cool to kind of interact with some of the scouts, especially with me going out to Arizona,' said Moran. 'That kind of environment was really cool. I'm playing against a bunch of pro guys just realizing that could be me in the next couple of years, but I'm trying not to think about that too much.' His rise through the rankings started less than a year ago. 'He really kind of had a coming out, so to speak, last fall,' said Robinson. 'He was the Futures Game MVP there for the Toronto Blue Jays Showcase, which is a big deal from across the country. He's an easy to root for kid.' Tyson Moran Tyson Moran high-fives a teammate after scoring a run for the Great Lake Canadians. (Source: Brent Lale/CTV London) Moran has committed to North Dakota State but has dreams of playing professionally. With the draft now 20 rounds – a reduction in 2019 – only half as many prospects are selected from previous years. Moran should be one of them. 'That's kind of my goal right now,' he said. 'It'd be something I would never forget.'
