MLB scouts expected at Royal Athletic Park
It’s a speed trap of a different kind. The radar guns will be out and prevalent at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park when Major League Baseball scouts gather to assess West Coast League talent. The Victoria HarbourCats will host the 2026 and 2027 WCL all-star games, it was announced Thursday.
“Every MLB team will have one or two scouts here and there will be more radar guns out than people have seen before,” said Jim Swanson, managing partner of the company that owns the HarbourCats and Nanaimo NightOwls of the WCL.
The 2024 and 2025 WCL all-star games, the latter on Wednesday night with the North Division beating the South Division 5-3, took place at historic Joe Martin Field in Bellingham, Washington, before 3,308 fans and was livestreamed on MLB.com, MLB.tv and in the MLB app. The North beat the South 3-2 in last year’s game in Bellingham.
“The exposure for Victoria and the Island is going to be tremendous,” said Swanson.
“Hosting the two all-star games back-to-back really lets you sink your teeth into them.”
Swanson said the organizing committee envisions associated activations across the region, including a kids’ whiffle-ball game on the lawns of the legislature, hot-stove baseball discussions and a “next-level” home-run derby to be announced.
“Hosting back-to-back West Coast League all-star games in 2026 and 2027 is exciting for fans and once again demonstrates how Victoria is being recognized as a go-to destination for sports tourism and major sporting events,” said Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto, in a statement.
“Our dedicated partners and passionate community are showing the world what Victoria can do.”
Swanson estimated it will cost a combined $150,000 to $200,000 to stage the all-star games over the two years, with revenues to come from ticket sales and sponsorships. Swanson said the provincial government is contributing $9,000 through a community fund designed to host arts, cultural and sports events. Also involved is the Greater Victoria Sports Tourism Commission, a part of Destination Greater Victoria.
Swanson said he anticipates crowds in excess of 5,000 for each of the two all-star games. Victoria last hosted the WCL all-star game in 2013 with a then-record 4,210 fans in attendance at Royal Athletic Park. Five HarbourCats were selected to play in that 2013 game including Alex DeGoti, who went on to become one of six ’Cats players to have played in the majors along with current MLB players Nick Pivetta, Nathan Lukes, Cade Smith, Andrew Vaughn and Chase Meidroth.
There is expected to be no shortage of talent for both scouts and spectators to watch in the next two WCL all-star games on Caledonia Avenue. There were 34 WCL alumni players and eight current players in the league selected in this week’s 2025 MLB draft held in Atlanta. They included former Corvallis Knights pitcher Tyler Bremner going second overall to the Los Angeles Angels to become the third-highest former WCL player drafted behind top overall selections and fellow former-Knights Adley Rutschman in 2019 and Travis Bazzana in 2024. Former Wenatchee AppleSox short-stop Aiva Arquette went seventh overall this year to the Miami Marlins.
It marked the eighth time in the past nine years that a former WCL player was selected in the first round and the third time in the past four years that multiple WCL players have been picked in the first round.
The HarbourCats (10-2 in the second half of the season and 22-16 overall) were represented by five players in the 2025 WCL all-star game Wednesday night in Bellingham — pitcher Tommy Bridges and sluggers Logan Shepherd, Tanner Beltowski, Jack Johnson and JC Allen. Playing in the game for the Nanaimo NightOwls (5-4 and 17-19) in front of the gathered assemblage of MLB scouts were infielders Jacob Hayes and Talan Zenk.
Shepherd and Zenk each scored a run for the victorious North Division side.
Tickets for the 2026 and 2027 WCL all-star games in Victoria will go on sale in September.
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