Alumni Spotlight: Chris Kemlo

37-year-old Chris Kemlo has become a well-known name across the Canadian baseball landscape over the past five years or so, working for Prep Baseball Report and recently becoming an area scout for the San Diego Padres.

But what a lot of people don't know is before making a name himself as a scout and pro baseball player, he was mowing down opposing hitters for Team Ontario. Kemlo, a 6-foot-5 right-hander, graduated from the Team O program back in 2001 before being selected by the New York Yankees in the 2001 MLB draft. 

The Oshawa native was one of several big time arms in the program at the time who went on to get drafted including Mark McDonald and Scott Kelly as well as three big leaguers, John Axford, Dave Davidson and Chris Leroux.

Kemlo also played for the Canadian Junior National Team and a year of college ball at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Florida before signing with the Yankees. 

He pitched two full seasons in the Yankees organization before he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, spending nearly two full seasons there as well. 

Following his playing career, Kemlo joined the MLB Scouting Bureau where he kickstarted his career as a scout under Walt Burrows, the Canadian director at the bureau.

Kemlo began running PBR Canada in 2014 following his time with Scouting Bureau and he still stands at the Scouting Director of the country, also joining the San Diego Padres early in January as a Canadian scout.

Kemlo also spent seven years with the Butler Prospects as a coach and has worked for the Toronto Mets since 2013.