Bush Gala Lights Up Liberty Village

Jordan Castaldo accepts the Golden Bush statuette as the winner of the 2025 Bush.V.P. award.

The stars were out at Left Field Brewery for the 2025 Bush Gala.

A red-circle event on Toronto's social calendar, the gala brings together Toronto Maple Leafs fans, players, family and friends for a night of fun and celebration.

A couple dozen jovial folks were on hand Saturday night, October 18th.  Now in its fifth year, the event was hosted by the Leafs' official brewery partner for the first time.  

The evening was both warm and chill.  Left Field's baseball-themed brewpub/restaurant/retail store/hangout in Liberty Village was the perfect setting for a gathering like this.

After a couple of hours of mixing and mingling, it was time for the highlight of the night.  As MC's for the evening, the Bushmen took to an improvised stage to deliver the 2025 Golden Bush awards.

Pitcher of the Year went to the ageless Marek Deska, who made his IBL debut back in 2006 and shows no sign of letting up.

Hitter of the Year went to outfielder Marcus Knecht, who not only led the Leafs in batting this season, but also published a book on the craft.

Fielder of the Year was Dennis Dei Baning for some spectacular catches in the outfield this season.

The big prize of the night, the Bush.V.P. award went to who else but Jordan Castaldo.  The Leafs' first baseman produced a dominant season in 2025, leading the club with 38 RBIs and an OPS of 1.148.  He also led the entire IBL with 12 home runs, a league-MVP-worthy performance.

All four players were on hand to receive their coveted Golden Bush statuettes.

The Bush Gala is well-established as an end-of-season gathering, and the Bushmen are looking to expand.  Saturday night, they hinted that something could be in the works for next spring prior to the start of the 2026 season.  Stay tuned.

Until then, that is a wrap for Maple Leafs baseball in 2025.

The Golden Bush awards presentation begins

Pitcher of the Year, Marek Deska

Hitter of the Year, Marcus Knecht

Fielder of the Year, Dennis Dei Baning

The four 2025 Golden Bush award winners

The Bushmen

Left Field Brewery, Liberty Village

Castaldo Tops Leafs' MVP Poll

Jordan Castaldo

Jordan Castaldo is the 2025 Toronto Maple Leafs team MVP, having received the most votes in a players-only poll.

This season, the Leafs' first baseman led the IBL with 12 home runs.  He also led the Leafs with 38 RBIs and an OPS of 1.148.

Castaldo's numbers put him in the conversation for overall league MVP, considering the fact that he racked them up in fewer games than any other league star.

Castaldo proved he continues to be a force to be reckoned with in the IBL, and remains a quiet leader in the clubhouse.

"It’s never been my style to go around and tell people what to do or how to do it," he said in a recent interview.  "I just try to be a good teammate and listen and provide what knowledge I can.  It’s a tough game.  I try to take care of myself and my performance first, and then help out the other guys the rest of the way."

Castaldo received twice as many votes as the number two man, Jhon Javier.  The revelation of 2025, Javier was a super-utility guy who did practically everything except put on the mascot suit.  He led the team with 56 hits.

Third place finisher was Marcus Knecht, who led the team with a .358 batting average.

Also receiving votes were newcomer Dennis Dei Baning and club legends Justin Marra and Adam Marra.

Jhon Javier

Marcus Knecht

From the Annex Gleaner: Maple Leafs Wrap Up Historic Season

A summer of memorable moments outshines early playoff exit

For fans of the game, baseball is the annual accumulation of statistics and memories.

Another season of Toronto Maple Leafs baseball has been recorded onto spreadsheets and written into hearts.

After finishing a disappointing seventh in the regular season, the Leafs upped their game in the Intercounty Baseball League playoffs and almost ousted the defending champions.

They made trouble for the Barrie Baycats and pushed their longtime rivals to the brink of an upset in the quarterfinals.

The best-of-five series went to a deciding game on August 27 in Barrie.  It was a close battle and the Leafs took a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning.  They were unable to hold onto it, as the champs came back to win in the ninth with a final score of 5-4.

It was a frustrating finish to a season that left fans with many indelible memories.

The club made history before a single pitch was thrown, signing Ayami Sato of Japan as the first woman in Canadian history to play baseball professionally in a men’s league.

Sato was a sensation whose presence drew larger-than-average crowds to the ballpark at Christie Pits all summer.

The Leafs also welcomed an enthusiastic group of youngsters to the team. 

Spencer MacInnis, Kalayo Shaw and Ben Sitarenios may be budding stars of the future.  MacInnis hit a couple of home runs and showed speed on the basepaths.  Shaw caught everything hit to his vicinity in centerfield.  Sitarenios flashed his stuff as a two-way player, playing outfield and also pitching in a couple of games.

Former player and general manager Damon Topolie made a surprise return to the Leafs.  One weekend in July, the 49-year-old came out of retirement to fill a roster hole.  He played in a couple of games and was all smiles during his brief comeback.

Ryan Dos Santos set a single-season record with 46 walks, breaking a record that had stood since 1988.

While there were plenty of highs, there were some lows too.  The Leafs’ 18-24 record was underwhelming, and they won only six out of 21 games at home.

The nadir of the season came in July, when general manager and pitcher Dustin Richardson resigned after falling out with club ownership.  Conflicting views of the roster’s makeup proved irreconcilable and the two sides parted ways.

For the Leafs, the highest of highs had to be the season that first baseman Jordan Castaldo put together.  

The fifteen-year veteran and former league MVP had a resurgent year at the plate.  Castaldo batted .336 and led the club with 12 home runs and 38 RBIs.  The dozen round trips were his second-highest in one season and won him the IBL home run crown.

In one game in August, he hit a grand slam and drove in eight runs.

At 36, Castaldo ascended to some rarified air among the league’s all-time greats.  He became only the third man to record 500 career RBIs, the fourth man to hit 100 home runs, and the fifth man to reach 700 hits. 

He credits his great season with being in better shape.  

A hero on the diamond, Castaldo is also a hero in real life.  

In 2024 he became a full-time firefighter with Toronto Fire Services.  Based out of North York, he finds a way to balance his job’s 24-hour shifts and playing time with the Leafs.

“It can be tough, especially with a hot summer like this,” Castaldo said prior to a recent game at Christie Pits.  “It was a busy summer call-wise at work.  You take off that gear and you put on this gear, you lose a few pounds that’s for sure.”

This is Castaldo’s second stint with the Leafs.  In between, he played parts of seven seasons with the Baycats and enjoyed some memorable moments at the Pits.  He is the only man in memory to hit a home run that not only cleared the centerfield fence, but went over the concessions stand and hit the clubhouse roof, a monster shot that may be the longest in the park’s history.

He was also on the Baycats team that clinched an IBL title at the Pits in 2016.

“The Pits has always had its charm,” he said.  “We’ve had really strong fan support this year, and we’re all grateful for the fans who come down and watch us.”

A quiet leader in the clubhouse, Castaldo is happy to help younger players seeking advice.

“If there’s something they want to talk about, I try to be somebody they can talk to or ask questions,” he said.  “It’s never been my style to go around and tell people what to do or how to do it.  I just try to be a good teammate and listen and provide what knowledge I can.  It’s a tough game.  I try to take care of myself and my performance first, and then help out the other guys the rest of the way.”

Castaldo can’t see himself playing at age 49 like Topolie.  Then again, Topolie had a few years off and seized the opportunity to make a brief return, something many athletes wish they could do.

The pull of the diamond is strong.  If he can continue to balance work and baseball, Castaldo is likely to return to the Leafs next year.

After falling short, the Leafs will rebuild and bounce back for another season at the Pits in May, 2026.

[This story was originally published in the September 2025 edition of the Annex Gleaner.]

Some memories from 2025.

Sato's Farewell

Ayami Sato chats with a fan following a screening of "See Her Be Her" at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre.

This week, Ayami Sato made some final public appearances as she prepares to return to Japan in a few days.

Thursday night, the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Don Mills hosted a screening of the film “See Her Be Her” in which Sato is featured with several other women baseball players.  Around 300 people attended.

Following the film, Sato engaged the audience in a Q&A session followed by a personal meet and greet.

A few things revealed during the Q&A:

Sato said that last year when she was approached to join the team, she did not hesitate and wanted to come to Canada. Her season with the Toronto Maple Leafs was really challenging, but she was grateful for the opportunity.  

She said that in the IBL, the quality and power of hitters is high and she found she really had to deal with it.  At some points she did badly and gave up a lot of home runs but she learned to be more strategic and added two pitches to her game: a changeup and a two-seam fastball.

She said she doesn't want to dwell on the negatives because she had many happy moments such as her appearance on Opening Day.  Her time in Toronto was a wonderful experience and she wants to carry that positivity forward next year.

In August, Sato tried out and qualified to join the Women's Professional Baseball League which will begin play in 2026.  The structure of the league and its clubs will be announced shortly, and a draft is expected to take place in late October.

 Before saying goodbye, Sato shared a message for all the Maple Leafs fans who came to see her this year:

“Throughout this season I got to know many people here in Toronto.  Thank you for having me and I want to thank you so much for inspiring me.  Even after I go back to Japan I will never ever forget the people of Toronto.  I will do my best and hope you will continue to follow my journey.”

From the Annex Gleaner: From Toyko to Toronto, Sato's Season of Surprises

A sit-down with baseball sensation Ayami Sato

A sensation from day one, Ayami Sato is routinely sought out for autographs and photos whenever the Leafs play.  (photo by Craig Aikin)

It’s a Friday night in July, an hour before gametime at Christie Pits.

Ayami Sato seeks out a shady spot on a bench beside a tree.  Speaking through interpreter Yoko Van Veen, she says the heatwave doesn’t bother her, that it’s even more humid in Japan.  She only wants to get out of the sunlight while we talk.

Sato has just finished helping her Toronto Maple Leafs teammates at batting practice.  As a pitcher, her duty was to retrieve baseballs.  As one of the most accomplished female baseball players in the world, the task might have seemed beneath her, but it was not. 

Last winter, the Leafs made international headlines when they signed Sato, who helped her native country win five women’s world baseball championships.  This spring she became not only the first woman to play for Toronto, but the first in Canadian pro baseball history.

A year ago, she never imagined she’d be sitting on this bench, not far from the kids’ splash pad.

“This is a very casual place to play baseball,” she says.  “Everybody can just drop by and watch.  I feel the players and fans are very close and they can interact easily.”

Sato was an opening day sensation.  Her presence attracted thousands of spectators.  She started the game and pitched two perfect innings.

“Every moment here has been precious for me, but when I stood on the mound and made my first pitch, that was the most memorable moment,” she says.

Since opening day, Sato has settled into the bullpen.  Like most ballplayers, she’s had her ups and downs over the course of the season.

After some games, Sato has posted long messages on social media, analysing her performance on the mound, being self-critical when necessary, and always looking forward to the next game determined to succeed.  Not a common practice among North American athletes, it’s another thing that has made her stand out from her peers.

She routinely praises her teammates online, and says she enjoys the collegial atmosphere of the Leafs’ clubhouse, a place filled with postgame music, pizza and beers – three things that break down barriers in most places.  

She appreciates the diversity of Toronto, and the Leafs’ roster reflects that diversity.  Being the only Japanese is not as isolating when her teammates here are Canadian, American, Dominican, Venezuelan and Korean.

“Playing with those guys, it’s very inspiring,” she says.  She admits it was a huge leap from living near Tokyo and playing for a women’s team to competing against men in a foreign country. “But I just jumped into the environment and tried to do my best to adjust.”

Prior to making the move to Toronto, Sato received messages of support from former Toronto Blue Jays Munenori Kawasaki and Yusei Kikuchi, who encouraged her to enjoy her journey.

The support of her countrymen followed her to Canada.  Sato says she can pick out voices shouting in Japanese when she is on the mound.

“I hear a lot of supporting voices and I know they are out there and I’m happy to receive that support,” she says.

In between game days, Sato has spent time visiting girls’ baseball teams, coaching and speaking to younger players.  She has also taken the opportunity to play tourist, visiting Niagara Falls, the CN Tower, Centre Island and Kensington Market.

She is impressed by Toronto’s Japanese food scene, praising Ikkousha Ramen and Taro’s Fish in particular.  She is also amused by the creativity of Canadian sushi restaurants.  She breaks into a wide smile as she describes how one place put cream cheese on top of salmon, something she’d never seen before.

As for Toronto’s greater food scene: “There are so many temptations when it comes to sweets.  I like fried chicken and French fries and I’d love to try [more] but since I have to perform, I restrict myself.”

She lives close to Christie Pits and has travelled around the city on all modes of transport.  Asked to compare Toronto’s subway system to that of Tokyo, she goes politely silent.  

“It’s small,” she concedes, “but I can access anywhere easily so I think it’s very convenient.  I use it a lot.”

Some of Sato’s teammates begin to emerge from the clubhouse in uniform.  First pitch is approaching.

Since arriving in April, Sato has loved her time in Toronto.  However, she will return to Japan in September and rejoin her Saitama Seibu Lions women’s team for a big competition in October.  

Looking ahead, she has her eyes on the nascent Women’s Pro Baseball League, which will be the first of its kind in North America in over 70 years when it begins play in 2026.

For now, the present beckons.  It’s time to suit up for this evening’s game.  The Maple Leafs are hosting the Guelph Royals as they battle for playoff contention.

Sato is fully committed to doing her part to help the Leafs succeed.  Modest to a fault, she doesn’t dwell on her place in Toronto sports history.  Having achieved that by spending the summer here, her focus is on the collective goal.

“We play as a team, so every player has to do their best in their positions,” she says.  “That’s the beauty of baseball.  I have to play my role and focus on what I have to do.  I’ve started to figure it out, and by the end of the season I hope I can say I did my best and it was a great season.”

[This story was originally published in the August 2025 edition of the Annex Gleaner.]

From the Annex Gleaner: Dos Santos Finds Home at Christie Pits

Team leader racks up runs and chases records for the Maple Leafs

Ryan Dos Santos shows off his own Toronto Maple Leafs baseball card priot to a game at Christie Pits on July 11.  For the first time ever, the Leafs have released a complete team set of cards available for purchase at the ballpark.  

The Toronto Maple Leafs baseball season is in full gallop.

For fans at Christie Pits that means lazy summer nights, home runs and hot dogs.

The Leafs are putting on a charge for the Intercounty Baseball League championship. Halfway through the season, they hold fifth place in the standings. They are the second-highest scoring team in the league, guaranteeing audiences a show of offensive firepower each time they take the field.

Ryan Dos Santos is one of the horses pulling the blue and white chariot.

The 26-year-old Toronto native is having a career season. At the midway point, he leads the league in walks and is on pace to shatter the single-season record. Of course, walks are not as sexy as home runs, but once he gets on base, Dos Santos makes the most of it.

He is among the league leaders in stolen bases, and he has scored more runs than any other player so far this year.

“I’m more disciplined away from my pitch,” Dos Santos says.

“Last year I set a career high for myself in walks, so I’m sticking with the same approach of looking for a fastball early. If I don’t get it, [I’m] not chasing a pitcher’s pitch on the outside to just put a ball in play but waiting for my pitch. It’s led to me getting on base a bit more through walks rather than hits and my goal is to score runs.”

Scoring is definitely sexy.

Dos Santos first joined the Leafs in 2019. At the end of last season, he was selected co-MVP of the team in a players’ vote.

He loves the uniqueness of playing at Christie Pits, where games are free, fans can sit anywhere on the slopes surrounding the diamond, and the place has an aura all its own.

“The fans here are different, the atmosphere is different,” he says. “You have that home field competitive edge on most teams because of how different Christie compares to other stadiums. It’s not a full stadium but it gets loud like a stadium, which is awesome.”

Dos Santos is currently tracking another record, one which simply involves showing up.

Last season, he was the only Leaf to play every single regular season and postseason game. This season, he has not missed a game. If he completes two 42-game regular seasons in a row, he will be the first Leafs player to achieve that record of consistency.

In a league where players have to juggle baseball along with full-time jobs, family commitments, travel and other facts of life, this consecutive-games-played streak is notable.

“Someone mentioned last year how I played every game,” he says. “Honestly, I like to make myself available for the guys and to the ownership here as well in that they signed me on [and] they’re going to have me for as many games as I can go out there and play. I’m all in good health and happy for that and hope to keep that going.”

Dos Santos expects to keep showing up whenever and wherever the Leafs take the field.

“I don’t plan on missing any games – knock on wood – yeah that’s the goal.”

Normally an outfielder, Dos Santos has also put in playing time at third base and shortstop, whatever it takes to help the team. He also senses a culture change in the team, the Leafs moving away from being a “swing for the fences” type club, with results to show for it.

“Guys are way more bought in for playing for each other, and more quality at bats,” he says. “We’re more of a base hit type team, driving in runs rather than so many fly ball outs and I think that’s changed the win total.”

Even if the Leafs win an elusive championship this season, Dos Santos sees himself working counts, tearing up the basepaths, and scoring more runs for years to come.

“I think I’ll stick around,” he says. “Only being 26, I’m just entering my prime and understanding of baseball.”

In addition to the action on the field, the Leafs organization continues to roll out promotions and attractions.

In late June, former Toronto Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston made a guest appearance at the Pits. He signed autographs and posed for photos, and the club has confirmed he will make a return appearance later this season.

Fans and collectors now have an opportunity to grab some Leafs baseball cards. For the first time, a complete team set of cards has been released. It includes all the players, coaches and even the club mascot. The cards are available during home games at Christie Pits and go for $20 a set.

The Leafs’ regular season continues to mid-August, followed by playoffs.

[This story was originally published in the July 2025 edition of the Annex Gleaner.]

From the Annex Gleaner: Sato Makes Baseball History With Perfect Debut

Largest crowd in over a decade packs Christie Pits for Leafs season opener

On May 11 at Christie Pits, the Toronto Maple Leafs' Ayami Sato is greeted by manager Rob Butler after pitching a perfect inning as the first woman to play in a men's pro baseball league in Canada.

She stands on the field near third base.

Diminutive and still, she is wearing her crisp white and blue Toronto Maple Leafs baseball uniform.  An arm’s length away, a dozen people lean over the fence, cameras trained, phones recording.

Ayami Sato’s face is attentive.  She listens as a reporter asks a question and waits as her interpreter, Yoko van Veen, translates.  She responds in Japanese, then waits again as her words are translated back.  It’s a familiar routine.  She has been asked many of these same questions for months.

“Why did you choose Toronto?”

“Have you played against men before?”

“Do you hope to inspire girls and women?”

She answers all the questions again.  In a few moments, the questions will cease and a new chapter of her life will begin.

It is Sunday, May 11.  Opening Day at Christie Pits, and a groundbreaking new season of the Intercounty Baseball League.  Last December, when the Leafs announced that they had signed Sato to play for them in 2025, it made international headlines.  A star of women’s baseball in Japan, she would be the first woman in Canadian history to play professional baseball against men.

The Leafs described the signing as “a pivotal moment, inspiring future generations and redefining the boundaries of professional sports.”  The Sato hype was accompanied by a newly-announced Women's Pro Baseball League that will begin play in 2026.  Leafs ownership has a hand in that venture.

After months of hype and interviews, the moment has arrived.

Corner to corner, the Christie hillsides are carpeted with thousands of fans, friends and curious onlookers, a crowd of this size not seen for over a decade.  

Before Sato can take to the mound, she receives greetings from a collection of dignitaries gathered on the infield.  Mayor Olivia Chow speaks to the excitement of the day.  Japanese Consul General Ken Matsunaga expresses pride and good wishes.  Councillor Dianne Saxe notes that the neighbourhood is represented by women at all levels of government, municipally, provincially and federally.  Sato receives bows, a bouquet, a box of doughnuts.

It’s time to play ball.  The Leafs take the field and the Kitchener Panthers prepare to bat.

The first batter steps in.  Instead of a cinematic hush descending over the park, the crowd of thousands applauds and cheers in anticipation.

Sato winds up, delivers, and is tested right away.  Her first pitch is tapped back to the mound.  She grabs the ball and throws to first base.  Jordan Castaldo makes the catch.  One pitch, one out.

The second batter grounds out.  The third batter pops up and second baseman Dan Marra catches it on the infield dirt.  It’s a perfect inning for Sato, who threw just five pitches.

She’s done it.  An ovation rings around the ballpark.  All the questions have been lifted off Sato’s shoulders.  She smiles and bounds towards the Leafs bench with her teammates.  Her beaming manager Rob Butler greets her with a hug.

Having passed the first test, Sato returns to the mound in the second inning.  It takes her just nine pitches to record three more outs, including a strikeout.

From the day Sato was signed, Leafs ownership showed unwavering confidence that she could compete in a men’s league.  She has rewarded their confidence and made history in style.  Two perfect innings, forever etched in time.

As usual on Opening Day, the Leafs gave most of their roster an opportunity to get into the game.  Sato’s day was done after the second.  With a Leafs hoodie pulled over her uniform, she spent the rest of the game in the Leafs bullpen, chatting with fans and signing autographs.

The Leafs went on to drop the game 6-5, but the Pits overflowed with positive vibes all afternoon.

The Sato sensation is undeniable.  The Leafs do not track attendance but at a glance it looked like a record crowd was at Christie Pits for the historic day.

As the season goes on, Sato will be expected to go deeper into games and help rack up wins.  If her debut is any indication, the Leafs and their fans can look forward to a successful summer.

The Leafs’ regular season continues into August, followed by playoffs.

More information and a schedule can be found at www.mapleleafsbaseball.com.

[This story was originally published in the May-June 2025 edition of the Annex Gleaner.]

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.