Turning New Leafs

The 2025 Toronto Maple Leafs Season Preview

Dos Santos and Sato - two names Leafs fans should expect to hear often this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs baseball returns with an onslaught of optimism.

Building on from last year, Leafs ownership is infusing Christie Pits with more attractions, more energy, and more night games.

Cheers for Beers

First off, an off-season announcement from the municipal government.  The Department of Parks and Public Containment declared that the liberation of alcohol in parks was a success.  The previous summer's pilot project to relax some of the moral chokeholds in place since Queen Victoria did not result in drunken riots or naked maypole dances, nor did public parks devolve into mass vomitoriums or urinals.  Toronto the Good can handle its drink.  Long may it continue.

On that note, Left Field Brewery returns as the official food and beverage partner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, providing suds and snacks at Christie Pits.  I like Leafs Lager.  The beer is good!  I say this not as someone with an endorsement deal, but as someone who would welcome an endorsement deal.  Lots of empty spaces on a blog site.  Plenty of room in my fridge.

New Sights off the Field

We've barely gotten to the new stuff.  Visitors to the Pits this summer will immediately notice that most of the area beside the third base fence has become a village of pop-up tents.  A tent for merch.  A tent for tickets to the game-day prize draws.  Most notably, two large navy blue tents will house a ticket-only seating area.  Comfy chairs, field-level views and maybe a charging third baseman cartwheels the fence into your lap.  Theme days and theme nights will feature throughout the season.

Joining the organization as a senior advisor is one of the biggest names in Toronto baseball: Cito Gaston.  With two World Series rings as manager of the Blue Jays, Gaston will provide baseball smarts internally and also serve as a familiar public face for the club.  He is expected to make appearances at the Pits during the season.

New Faces on the Field

One of the biggest roster turnovers in recent Leafs history took place during the off season.  Some big names have departed, replaced by bigger names.

Among several pitchers no longer with the Leafs are inning-eaters Angel Castro, Sam Greene and Julian Valdez.  I just checked the roster and there are eight new pitchers with the Leafs this year.  Toronto-area names include Adam Jafine, Ben Sitarenios, and Jeremy Newton.  Josh Berenbaum comes from B.C. and Eugene Lee comes from Seoul.  There are two pitchers from the Dominican, Luis Florentino and Sebastian Rodriguez.  However, magnitudes of hype has come from the signing of the IBL's first female player, pitcher Ayami Sato from Japan.  Winner of multiple women's world championships and MVP awards, Sato is a legend in Japan and heralded as one of the best female baseball players in the world.  The amount of attention this signing garnered has been unprecedented since the time I've been following the club.

Returning pitchers are Wilgenis Alvarado, Gregory Carrington, Marek Deska, Adam Marra, Chris Nagorski, and Dustin Richardson.

Richardson adds the title of General Manager to his broad shoulders.  His eagerness to take on the role and share his expertise has been evident in a series of online videos posted by the Leafs.

Outfielders.  Team Co-MVP and BUSH-VP Ryan Dos Santos, Marcus Knecht and Connor Lewis return for 2025.  They are joined by Dennis Dei Baning, who arrived via a trade with the Hamilton Cardinals for Johnathan Solazzo.

Infielders.  Dan Marra returns to patrol second base, surrounded by new or returning faces.  Mike Cecchetto, who debuted with the Leafs in 2018 before playing for Guelph, Barrie and Hamilton, returns to play first base.  Zach Lampreia, Jeffrey Mejia, Rando Moreno and Spenser Ross join the infield.  The Leafs filled out their roster with their last, best signing: future IBL Hall of Famer Jordan Castaldo, who will return for a ninth season in Toronto and fifteenth overall.

Catchers.  Leafs legend Justin Marra is back, joined by Luca Boscarino, who returns to the club after some seasons of college ball.

Manager Rob Butler returns, along with assistant coach Brian Sewell.

A revamped 2025 schedule will see the Leafs play two-thirds of their home games at night.  Still plenty of Sunday afternoon games at the start of the season, but they will tail off later in the summer.  Instead, the Leafs will play some Sunday afternoon games on the road, offering a great opportunity for road tripping fans.

Pre-Season Peek

On Sunday, May 4, the Leafs hosted the Ontario Tigers of the Fergie Jenkins Showcase League for a pre-season tune up game. 

Several of the Leafs' new signings made their Christie Pits debuts, and there were lots of fans on hand to welcome back the returning veterans. 

The game was a taste of things to come this summer.  The Leafs' season opener is just hours away.  They will host the Kitchener Panthers on Sunday, May 11 at 2:00 p.m.  As always, the games are free.