Alexander Bilecki's not only Toronto's 60th overall pick in the 2026 Draft but a two-sport athlete who had the potential to be drafted into pro baseball instead.
With the 60th pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Maple Leafs took a very solid player in Alexander Bilecki. Coming off a Memorial Cup win with the Kitchener Rangers, the smooth-skating two-way defender is someone who could add a great dynamic to Toronto's blueline in a few years, and brings another winner to an organization suddenly full of them.
He's not going to be ready for a bit though he looked comfortable at development camp and showed some very good defensive awareness, and even coming out on top in the Blue vs. White scrimmage where his Blues came away with a 6-4 win.
Bilecki's baseball path was serious enough to delay full hockey specialization
But as part of that development camp, the new Maple Leafs were invited to take part in some batting practice and workouts with the Toronto Blue Jays as a bit of a welcoming gift, which suits Bilecki perfectly considering he could have been on the opposite side of the fence.
One little tidbit about Bilecki is that he's actually a star baseball player who considers it his summer sport when hockey is on pause. He's been part of Team Ontario, and is a dual-threat as both a pitcher and outfielder.
His skills were on display when taking a bullpen session as his teammates gathered around and stood in awe as Bilecki lit up the radar gun. Though he wasn't exactly Roy Halladay, Bilecki's ability to throw 80+ MPH is pretty unreal given that he's not training to do that and just to show his athletic ability - is a switch hitter; not the easiest thing to do.
Bilecki admitted that he had to make a choice between the two sports, but felt that hockey was more to his strengths and the OHL was a better decision than trying for pro baseball:
Yeah, I had a choice you know, do this or focus on the OHL. I thought I was a bit better in hockey, so I decided on that path and you know I haven't really looked back.
Though he's now focused solely on the Maple Leafs, there's obviously still a love for the game and his chance to meet the Blue Jays, speak with Ernie Clement (himself a former star hockey player in his own right who chose baseball), and still be involved is no doubt helping him achieve his dream even if it's not his career path.
Choosing hockey may have left the Maple Leafs with untapped upside
But herein lies the rub. Two-sport athletes are a rare breed and sometimes you can get the best of both worlds. Bilecki is no Bo Jackson, but there's still a lot of potential he can bring to the ice from the dugout.
For all intents and purposes, it's genuinely one of the hardest things in professional sports to hit an MLB fastball. The microseconds you have to adapt and decide is life or death between a home run and a whiff.
In hockey, you need your head on a swivel and a constantly evolving mindset, adapting to real-time changes. Much like in baseball, things happen in a fraction of a second so while others are taking an extra second to calculate - Bilecki's already got a plan.
Baseball is also a sport predicated on flexibility, dexterity and quick-twitch movements. Bilecki's knowledge of how to properly prepare physically is a huge advantage, and there are certain exercises and regimens in the baseball world that could help hockey players be more spry.
Plus, as a pitcher he's used to high-pressure situations. Bases loaded, two outs, full-count? You need nerves of steel to get out of that, just like you need nerves of steel to grind through the rigours of an NHL game; let alone season.
Bilecki may have chosen hockey over baseball and obviously it was the right decision considering he was selected by his hometown Maple Leafs. But the love of the game is still there, and his experience on the diamond will no doubt help prepare him better for him time on the ice.
Did you know that Alexander Bilecki was a two-sport athlete?
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