There are certain players who make a coach's job easier, not simply because of their talent, but because of their attitude, competitiveness and willingness to do whatever the team needs. Marco Cunha is one of those players. Marco, a member of the Vaughan Vikings HPP (2011) team, was recently named both the Vaughan Rep Player of the Year and the York Simcoe Baseball Association Player of the Year for the 2026 season. Having had the opportunity to coach Marco, I can tell you th

There is something about the Milwaukee Brewers that I really appreciate, and it goes well beyond their success on the field. In an era where so much attention is placed on individual statistics, physical tools, exit velocities, throwing velocities, and personal recognition, the Brewers have demonstrated that there is still tremendous value in understanding how to play baseball the right way. They compete, pay attention to details, execute situations, and have created an envir

Over the past several years, the Vaughan Vikings High Performance Program has continued to establish itself as a competitive baseball organization, with teams across multiple age groups demonstrating their ability to compete and succeed on the field. But while winning games and championships is important, there is another responsibility that comes with developing young athletes. We need to provide them with opportunities that extend beyond the baseball field. On Saturday, Oct

Fall baseball is supposed to be about development. At least, that's what everyone says. There are no league standings to protect, there isn't a playoff race, and for most teams there isn't a championship waiting at the end. These are exhibition games in September and October, which should make this one of the easiest times of the year to challenge players, try different things and find out where a team really stands. Play different teams. Play outside your league. Play organi

National Coaches Week wrapped up yesterday across Canada, and it got me thinking about some of the coaches I've had the opportunity to work with or coach alongside during my years in baseball. When coaches receive recognition, it is often the most visible names we hear about. They may run programs, coach prominent teams, work showcases, give private instruction or simply have a larger presence within the baseball community. But they represent only a small part of the people w

Ontario baseball has more options than ever before. There are association programs, private programs, high-performance programs and several different leagues providing opportunities for players throughout the province. That should be a good thing. More opportunities should mean more competition, more ideas, more coaching and ultimately a higher standard of baseball. But having more doesn't automatically make us better. Teams spend most of their seasons inside their own league

The 2026 season has officially come to an end for the Vaughan Vikings HPP program. The 13U, 15U and 16U teams all finished their seasons at the Baseball Ontario Provincial Championships, giving Vaughan three consecutive HPP age groups competing at the highest provincial championship available to them. Each team arrived there after a very different season. There were tournament championships, deep tournament runs, travel across Canada and into the United States, National Quali

13 Years of Developing Hitters in the GTA 10 SESSIONS | MONDAY NIGHTS | LIMITED SPOTS October 5 – December 7, 20266:00 PM – 7:30 PM The Dugout — 7551 Jane Street, Vaughan, Ontario, TO REGISTER: d-quattro@hotmail.com This camp sells out quickly. Register early to secure your spot. For 13 years, Coach Q’s Elite Hitting Camp has provided players with a progressive offseason hitting program focused on developing the complete hitter. One of the longest-running hitting camps in the

When I created the Summer Hitting Club this year, I didn't want it to be another place for players to simply take more swings. Players get plenty of swings during a baseball season. What often disappears once the season begins is the opportunity to actually work on their hitting. The offseason gives players months to build their swings, improve their movements and prepare for competition. Once games begin, schedules become packed with practices, tournaments and travel. Traini

A baseball season that began with months of indoor training has reached its final weekend. For the Vaughan Vikings HPP program, three teams are still playing. The 13U, 15U and 16U HPP teams have all qualified for the 2026 Baseball Ontario AAA Provincial Championships, putting three different age groups from the program into the OBAs on the same Labour Day weekend. The 13U and 15U championships will be played at home in Vaughan, while the 16U group will compete in Aurora. Afte

The 2026 Baseball Canada championship season has given Ontario baseball plenty to celebrate. Teams and players from across the province travelled throughout Canada this summer to compete against some of the best their age groups had to offer. Ontario brought home National Championships, earned medals, reached medal games and gave players from different programs opportunities to compete on the national stage. Every tournament has its own story. Some teams dominated from beginn

Earlier this year, I wrote about the changing Youth Baseball Landscape in Ontario and the different options now available to families. I followed that by looking at How to Choose the Right Baseball Program in Ontario. But there is another part of that conversation that deserves just as much attention. Once you've chosen where to play, what are you actually playing toward? Canadian baseball can be confusing because there isn't one championship or pathway that carries players f

The 2026 Baseball Canada Cup is over, and Ontario finished seventh for the second consecutive year. That result is disappointing, but I don't believe seventh place is the biggest issue facing the Ontario Youth Team right now. One tournament can go badly. One group can underperform. Baseball can be unpredictable, and no province is entitled to win simply because it has a large population or a deep talent pool. What concerns me more is whether Ontario is consistently getting th

Every baseball season has a tournament that reveals who a team really is. Not because of the standings. Not because of the medals. And not because of the championship game. It reveals character. For the Vaughan Vikings 13U team, the 2026 Baseball Ontario Elimination Tournament became that tournament. Over six games, this young group experienced everything baseball has to offer. They jumped out to big leads, erased deficits, celebrated convincing victories, endured heartbreak,

Every AAA baseball team in Ontario begins the season with the same destination in mind. The Baseball Ontario Elimination Tournament is where months of hard work are put to the test. Every practice, every workout, every lesson learned throughout the year is leading to one opportunity: earn the right to represent Ontario at the Baseball Canada National Championship. There are no second chances and no easy paths. If you want to advance, you have to earn it against the very best

A year ago, I had the opportunity to return to York Baseball as a guest instructor. This past week, I had the privilege of doing it again. Over the years, I've coached at the provincial level, worked with college athletes, helped develop high-performance programs, and had the opportunity to work with players who have gone on to professional baseball. Yet every summer, when York Baseball reaches out and asks if I'd be willing to spend a day working with their young athletes, m

Most hitters think their at-bat begins the moment they step into the batter's box. They're wrong. By the time you dig your back foot into the dirt, much of your preparation should already be complete. Your eyes should already be adjusted to the pitcher's velocity. You should already have a feel for his timing. Your body should be ready to move at game speed, and your brain should already be making swing decisions based on the pitches you've been watching. Unfortunately, that'

Hosting a tournament brings a different kind of pressure. You're playing in front of your own families. You're sleeping in your own beds. Every opponent wants to knock off the home team, and there are no excuses if things don't go your way. The Vaughan Vikings 13U HPP embraced that challenge from the very first pitch. Although the tournament began on June 12 and was scheduled to conclude on June 14, weather forced Championship Day to be postponed until July 10. Nearly four we

On June 24, 2026, Mitchell Bratt accomplished what nearly every young baseball player dreams about. The Newmarket native made his Major League debut for the Arizona Diamondbacks against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Bratt pitched three innings, allowing one earned run on two hits and two walks while striking out three in Arizona's 9-4 victory. His first Major League strikeout came against Jordan Walker, a moment he'll undoubtedly remember for the rest of his life.

Why Vaughan HPP Continues to Seek Out the Best Competition in North America Before the first pitch was thrown in Houston, the Vaughan Vikings HPP 15U and 16U teams had already accomplished something important. They had chosen to leave their comfort zone. Every summer, youth baseball teams travel across North America chasing championships. Some return home with medals. Others leave disappointed. While trophies are always worth pursuing, they have never been the primary reason

Has Major League Baseball Forgotten What It Looks Like to Be Professional? One of the things that has always made baseball special is that emotion comes naturally. A walk-off hit, a division championship, or a dramatic playoff victory creates moments that players remember for the rest of their lives. Nobody expects athletes to act like robots, and celebrating genuine accomplishments has always been part of the game. What concerns me is how many Major League teams now seem det

A few weeks ago, one of my remote hitting clients reached out because something didn't feel right. Through his first 10 games of the season, he was hitting just .136. Like most players, he was trying to figure out why. He wasn't completely lost at the plate. He was still competing. He was still putting balls in play. But he wasn't finding the barrel consistently, and when he got pitches he felt he should be driving, the results weren't matching the quality of the swings he th

One of the most misunderstood concepts in baseball is the two-strike approach. Ask most players if they have one and they'll immediately tell you yes. They'll talk about shortening up, battling, protecting the plate, and putting the ball in play. Most have heard those phrases from coaches for years and genuinely believe they understand what a two-strike approach looks like. The problem is that many players define a two-strike approach by what happens before the swing rather t

The Father's Day Classic in Okotoks, Alberta has become one of the premier youth baseball tournaments in Western Canada. Every year, top programs from multiple provinces gather to compete against unfamiliar opponents, experience different styles of play, and test themselves against some of the strongest competition in the country. For the Vaughan Vikings HPP 13U team, the tournament provided exactly that opportunity. After traveling across the country, the Vikings put togethe