Royals Sign Eight Juniors From Tigers
GUELPH - The Guelph Royals Baseball Club is excited to announce today the signing of eight juniors from the Mississauga Tigers High Performance Program.
Returning as juniors for their second season will be outfielders David Stanley and Marc Nellis, both of whom made an impact on the Royals in 2024.
In their first season, Stanley, who has the potential to get drafted in June, batted .235 before heading off to Connors State for his freshman season.
Nellis, meanwhile, was the Royals nomination for Rookie of the Year after batting .323 in 2024.
Among the players joining Stanley and Nellis will be Canadian National Junior Team infielder Tommy Hanger, who is committed to Texas Tech University.
Joining Hanger will be pitchers Jordan Taylor and Owen Newman, catcher Anderson "Hoss" Fenwick, and outfielders Nate Belle and Jordan Gallo.
Every junior, except Hanger and Belle, is committed to Connors State. Belle is committed to San Jacinto College.
Royals assistant general manager Ryan Eakin said the juniors will be critical to the success of the Royals in 2025 and beyond.
"First off, we owe a huge thank you to our Director of Player Personnel Sean Travers for sending us the best junior group in the IBL.
"Secondly, the players sent to us will be impactful Royals in 2025. Taylor and Newman give us depth on the mound, Fenwick is someone I have been a fan of for a while, Hanger could win Rookie of the Year, and Belle and Gallo are both major upside players.
"Ideally, these kids will one day go pro, but if not, we hope they enjoy their time in Guelph this summer and can be long-term pieces as we try to build a sustainable winner."
We are also excited to announce the signing of David Alvarez.
Alvarez, 21, was recommended to the Royals by bench coach Donny Fell after hitting a staggering .412 in eight games for the Brantford Red Sox in 2024.
Alvarez, who was teammates with Brando Leroux at Florida Atlantic University in 2024, projects to be a major part of the Royals outfield for seasons to come.