Rays catcher Liam Hicks spent teenage years in Toronto area before baseball career blossomed

Tampa Bay Rays catcher Liam Hicks wasn't given the can't-miss prospect tag growing up in Toronto. He didn't move the needle much when he graduated high school either.

Hicks, who developed his elite bat-to-ball skills as a teen with the Toronto Mets of the Canadian Premier Baseball League, was armed with a strong work ethic and desire to improve.

He got a chance with the Mineral Area Cardinals and blossomed at the U.S. junior college level before transferring to Arkansas State, setting out on a path that took him to the pros and now the World Series.

"He had a real knack for hitting," recalled Jordan Thompson, Mineral Area's hitting coach and recruiting co-ordinator. "But it was the strength and athleticism that just kept growing and growing and growing."

Now 27, Hicks landed with the Rays this season after a trade-deadline deal with Miami. He made his big-league debut with the Marlins last year as a Rule 5 pick and enjoyed a solid rookie campaign.

His numbers jumped this year with 18 homers, 82 runs batted in and a .284 average. Hicks has worked well with the Rays' pitching staff and frequently been slotted in the heart of the batting order in the playoffs.

"He's a really talented player, but he's a Grade-A human being," said Rich Leitch, vice-president of operations for the Toronto Mets. "Like this is the kind of guy you want your daughter to bring home."

Game 1 of the Fall Classic between the Rays and hometown Milwaukee Brewers is scheduled for Friday at 8 p.m. ET at American Family Field.

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Leitch remembered Hicks's debut with the Mets, who play in a league for top Ontario juniors, as a 15-year-old who was raw but had talent.

"He was an