Vancouver Canadians win 2026 Northwest League Championship
After missing the 2025 playoff run the Vancouver Canadians fought hard this 2026 season to secure their spot in the finals. The Canadians saw plenty of action throughout the season with injuries sidelining key players, while others got promoted to Double-A throughout the season. However, players promoted from Single-A helped add new depth and talent throughout the season.
The Canadians faced off against the Eugene Emeralds in a best of 5 playoff run. The series began September 8, in Vancouver, giving the Canadians the home field advantage for the first 2 games.
Game 1 started strong with the Emeralds landing 2 runs in the second inning. Dasan Hill started the game, but was replaced at the top of the third by Holden Wilkerson.
The Emeralds managed to score a run in the top of the third after the pitching change, however, that would be their only run giving them a 3-0 lead in the top of the third.
The Canadians got their first run of the game in the bottom of the third with a sacrifice fly from Maddox Latta, that allowed Ryan Sprock to score.
Going into the bottom of the fifth the Emeralds led 3-1. With the bases loaded the Emeralds made a pitching change replacing Henry Lalane with Nate Nabholz. Austin Smith took advantage of the pitching change, hitting a grand slam to pull the Canadians ahead by 2 runs.
The Emeralds would not let that lead last, with a 3 run home run to pull them ahead by one. The Canadians replaced Wilkerson with Jack Eshleman, who allowed 1 more run, ending the inning 7-4 going into the bottom of the sixth.
A pitching change was made by the Emeralds changing Nabholz with Matt Dunaway. The Canadians also made a lineup change switching out Jean Joseph with David Calabrese, who hit a triple on his first at bat and would score on a double hit by Jaxson West. West would score on a double hit by Jojo Parker. Putting the game 7-7 going into the seventh inning.
The seventh inning went scoreless for both teams, leading tensions to rise. In the bottom of the eighth Sprock hit a sacrifice fly leading to West scoring the go ahead run. This would be the last run of the game which secured the Canadians game 1 of the series.
Game 2 had a very similar energy to game 1, with both teams fighting hard to secure the lead. The Canadians took the lead early, but the Emeralds came back to pull ahead by a run.
The game then shifted leads again with the Canadians pulling ahead by 2 runs. However, in the top of the seventh the Emeralds tied the game again after a throwing error.
The game went to extra innings but with a sacrifice fly from Gabel Mitchell the Canadians scored, to take game 2, 5-4.
Game 3 headed down to Eugene where the Emeralds looked to gain a win on their home field and the Canadians looked to end their run and take the Northwest League Championship title.
Similar to games 1 and 2 it was a quick start. The Canadians landed the first run of the night, but the Emeralds would come back and pull the lead.
The Canadians pulled ahead, only for the Emeralds to tie the game in the fourth. However, in the bottom of the seventh the Emeralds scored 4 runs and it looked like they would take game 3.
But the Canadians wouldn’t be counted out, they came back to tie the game in the top of the ninth, forcing the game to extra innings.
Both teams scored in the tenth, but in the top of the twelfth with the first at bat Ryan Sprock singled out to centre field allowing Jojo Parker to score. This was the winning run, securing the Vancouver Canadians the title of Northwest League Champions.
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