World Baseball Classic 2013 Rosters: Breaking Down Canada

As the top-ranked team in qualifying round play for the 2013 World Baseball Classic, Canada boasts several promising youngsters and a few battle-tested veterans.

And you can bet Canadians such as Joey Votto and Justin Morneau are hoping for the team to advance in the tournament.

The top players to look out for on Canada are former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher and outfielder Adam Loewen, Skyler Stromsmoe (San Francisco, Triple-A), left-handed pitcher R.J. Swindle (St. Louis, Triple-A), third baseman Shawn Bowman (Miami, Triple-A), and, last but not least, outfielder Tyson Gillies (Philadelphia, Double-A).

Gillies hit .304/.369/.453 for Double-A Reading in 2012 as the club finished second in the East. The 23-year-old, who was part of a three-team trade in 2009 that involved such names as Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, could make it to the majors next season.

Canada also has infielder Skyler Stromsmoe, who hit .267 with eight home runs in just 75 at-bats with Triple-A San Jose this season. 

Third baseman Shawn Bowman put up some big numbers for Triple-A New Orleans this season, hitting .333 with three home runs in 78 at-bats. 

Lefty R.J. Swindle will complement veterans such as Shawn Hill. Swindle pitched for Triple-A Memphis this season. Hill last pitched for the Blue Jays, posting a 2.61 ERA in four games in 2010.

While Canada has yet to make it out of the first round in the World Baseball Classic, it's shown vast improvement lately, finishing third at the 2011 World Cup and winning gold at the 2011 Pan American Games.

Look for Canada to give Votto and Morneau something to be proud of as the team gets set to face Great Britain on Thursday.