McKenna Blue Jays split

Need a first pitch? Call the first pick.

That's exactly what the Toronto Blue Jays did on Saturday, hosting the No. 1 pick in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft and newest member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Gavin McKenna.

McKenna's name was the first called Friday night during the first round of the draft. The announcement was made by pop music superstar and die-hard Maple Leafs fan Justin Bieber.

It's been a whirlwind for McKenna, from press conferences to meeting the Maple Leafs brass as a team member for the first time to doing a little social media content.

McKenna was greeted warmly by the fans in attendance at Rogers Centre. On Friday he said he'd never been to a baseball game before.

He then joined Sportsnet for an in-game interview where he was given a special gift. In a recent photo on social media, McKenna was showing off a large fish he caught. In it he is wearing a New York Yankees hat. To make sure that doesn't happen again, he was gifted a Blue Jays one on behalf of the organization.

"I appreciate that," McKenna laughed. "You won't catch me in that Yankees hat anymore."

And while the ceremonial pitch sailed a little high -- McKenna told Sportsnet that it was a "tough throw" -- we can pretty much guarantee the entire city of Toronto does not care how good he is at throwing a baseball.

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