C’s Chat – 2024 Vancouver Canadians C #26 Nic Deschamps – C's Plus Baseball

The latest C’s Chat is with 2024 Vancouver Canadians catcher Nic Deschamps.

The Quebec City, Quebec native added a fair bit of travelling on his baseball resume during his amateur days. Deschamps batted .717 and was a tournament all-star to help Team Quebec win the 15U Canadian Championship in 2017. He participated in the Perfect Game World Wood Bat Association and was part of two winning clubs that won PG tournament titles in Fort Worth and Arlington. In 2018, Deschamps represented Team Quebec at the T12 Tournament at the SkyDome in Toronto. He was part of two more championship teams in the New England Baseball Complex (NEBC) and the Prep Baseball Report (PBR) in 2019 and participated in another T12 event. In 2018 and 2019, he also joined the Academy Baseball Canada which toured the U.S. to play several colleges.

In 2020, Deschamps played for a travel team called the Florida Hurricanes and joined TNXL Academy in Orlando in 2021. With TNXL, he batted. 307 with three doubles, two triples and five home runs and stole 10 bases. That performance helped Deschamps live up to the billing of Perfect Game pre-season All-American and All-Region Team honourable mentions for the Florida region.

Deschamps was set to attend Stetson University in 2021 but the Toronto Blue Jays came calling and signed him as a free agent on August 16 that year, giving him a signing bonus of $20,000. Scouted by Jasmin Roy, Deschamps got in three games and batted .333 with a walk in four plate appearances with the Florida Complex League Blue Jays.

The 2022 season saw Deschamps play just 24 games between the FCL and the Dunedin Blue Jays but he showed a good eye at the plate with a combined .447 on-base percentage in 76 plate appearances. He also belted his first professional home run in the FCL and was behind the plate to catch a no-hitter turned in by the quartet of Kendry Rojas (2024 Vancouver Canadian), Cooper Benson (2023), Sam Ryan (2022-2023) and Ian Churchill (2023) for Dunedin against Tampa on August 14. Deschamps also contributed a hit and two walks at the plate. Unfortunately, he wound up on the injured list and missed the latter part of August but returned to action with Dunedin in September.

In 2023, Deschamps was back with the Dunedin Blue Jays and posted a .341 on-base mark with four doubles, three homers and 17 RBI. He was also successful on all three stolen base attempts in 57 games. The injury bug got Deschamps again for the second straight August but managed to return late in the month.

The 2024 campaign began in Dunedin and Deschamps opened the year with a four-game hitting streak before being sidelined with a shoulder injury. He returned in May and reached base in all nine games he played with the FCL and Dunedin. In his first game back witht he D-Jays, Deschamps drilled a two-run homer and added an RBI triple and a walk in a victory against Jupiter on May 16. A .378 on-base percentage in the month of July and an overall slugging mark of .422 led to Deschamps getting promoted to Vancouver on July 28.

His C’s debut came on August 1 against Tri-City and his first hit was a double that nearly left the yard in the ninth inning, a game in which the C’s would walk it off in the 10th. That game saw the C’s feature three Canadian-born players in action for Monty’s Mounties with center fielder Dasan Brown from Oakville, Ontario and pitcher Connor O’Halloran from Mississauga, Ontario.

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C’s Plus Baseball caught up with the 22-year-old Deschamps during the team’s homestand against Eugene.

C’s Plus Baseball – You signed as a free agent with the Blue Jays. How did that all happen?

Nic Deschamps – Basically, what happened was I was committed to go to Stetson to play D1 (Division I) baseball over there. Obviously, the COVID season, COVID just shut down Canada so I moved to the States. I didn’t get drafted because of the five-round draft that year. So I was going on campus, and one day before, one of the scouts from the Blue Jays called me the night before. And he was like, ‘Hey, we need a catcher. Are you willing to take X amount of money?’ My dream was to play pro ball obviously before going to college. I didn’t want to go to school so I just said yes and I’ve been here for now three years, up to my fourth year and enjoying every day.

CPB – How big a moment was that for you to sign? Did it seem surreal that you were joining a professional organization?

ND – It was cool and obviously being from Quebec and playing for a team from Canada, my hometown and home country. That was cool, that was a pretty good moment and I never looked back. Honestly just looking back over the years, should I have done this? I don’t regret a single thing. I’m just happy to be here and try to prove to these people I can play at a high level.

CPB – You’ve been with the organization since 2021. You spent some time in the Florida Complex League and Dunedin. When you look back on that, what stands out for you?

ND – Just seeing how good baseball players are. In Quebec we do have good baseball players but baseball in America is way way better so just like hitting that wall when signing and facing guys throwing 96, 97 (miles per hour) every day and seeing how the ball moves. It was a learning process. Last year I didn’t have a great year, which was like a learning year for me. I tried to use that for this year and obviously it paid off a little bit. I got the call up here, which is great. I’ve been waiting to play for Vancouver for a long time. Just learning from the older guys, like teammates, coaches, whoever speaks to you about baseball, just listening and trying to improve my game that way.

CPB – How did you find out about getting called up to Vancouver? I know the coaches sometimes like to mess around. What was your story?

ND – I wasn’t supposed to catch that day. I was supposed to play first. And I was just getting treatment, just getting stretched out. And the manager’s like, ‘Hey, I got some bad news. Come meet me in my office, right?’ And I was like, ‘All right, what did I do wrong? Is it bad news? What did I do wrong? And he’s like, ‘Well, it depends how you take it.’ So I was like, ‘All right.’ So then I go in the office and all the coaches sit down and he’s like, ‘Listen, we just got this catcher from the draft, so you don’t have a roster spot. You won’t be playing tonight. And I was like, ‘What do you mean I don’t have a roster spot?’ And he’s playing tonight and I was like, ‘Wait, I don’t have a roster spot.’ He’s like ‘Well you’re not gonna play the rest of the year. You’re not on the roster. Are you mad?’ I was like, ‘Well I mean it’s my third year and I’m not on the roster so I was kind of getting pissed.’ And then he’s like, ‘Yeah, you’ve been added to the Vancouver Canadians roster.’ So then it was like just pure joy.

CPB – You hit with some power at Dunedin. What was the key to your success this year?

ND – Just kind of getting used to everything but mostly finding a swing that is simple and easy to do every at-bat. Mainly it was more approach-wise. People say it’s up in the brain, you’ve got to think. So just not getting out there without a plan. I get information on the pitcher in the dugout and then when I step up, I’ve got to plan what I want to do, what the pitches look like and stuff like that. I think that’s been a key. And now, obviously I’m facing new guys so it’s harder to try to know them really quick but I’m getting used to it pretty sure, things will click pretty soon.

CPB – Have you found it a really big step up in this level compared to Dunedin to this league?

ND – Obviously guys are better. Pitchers miss less. Fastballs are the same velo, just different shapes and stuff like that. Also, guys are older here so it’s more like baseball IQ than pure talent so that comes into play. Honestly, just having more fans here. The adrenaline is up, you got to calm yourself down a little bit and stuff like that. I mean, it’s the same game, right? I just gotta get used to it and I’ll be fine.

CPB – In your first game here, you nearly hit one out. What do you remember about your first game here at Nat Bailey Stadium?

ND – It was funny, though, because I remember this year just watching games on my phone and the field looked kind of small. I remember thinking, ‘Oh, putting a ball out would be pretty nice.’ And then I was hitting BP, and the guys were like, ‘No, this park is huge. It’s really hard to get one out.’ I had three strikeouts start the game, so I was like, ‘All right, this is going to be brutal. A brutal start to my career.’ And I don’t know, the guy (Tri-City pitcher Glenn Albanese Jr.) just left the slider up, put a good swing on it and I thought it was gone too. I was kind of not jogging, but like semi-sprinting. I was just watching it. It would have been cool (to hit one out) but when you get a base sit, you’ve done your job right. When you hit a ball hard, that’s all you can wish for no matter where it goes.

CPB – Did you allow yourself to kind of soak in the moment a little bit standing at second base with the fans cheering?

ND -Yeah, I honestly didn’t know how to react that second. I was kind if you look at the video, I’m just kind of standing like ‘This is cool. This is 6,000 people just cheering.’ We had to walk it off after that. So that was fun but it’s been a really fun two weeks just playing in front of crowds. The guys are obviously good friends and good teammates so it’s really cool to play baseball here.

CPB – Iit was an all-Canadian battery with Connor O’Halloran from Mississauga that night. That must be a source of pride for you guys and (manager) Brent Lavallee and (position coach) Ashley Stephenson but what was that like getting to work with handle Connor O’Halloran?

ND – Connor’s a great dude, really good pitcher too, easy to handle. He knows how to pitch. He knows his stuff. He’s a cool guy to catch, honestly, a really easy job for me. Obviously being Canadian, it’s kind of fun to represent your country as a team and actually play in your home country too. I mean, I haven’t played home in like five years right? So just being here it’s pretty fun. The fans are electric. It’s just fun baseball all around.

ND – Let’s take it back to the very beginning. How did you get started in baseball?

ND – So I obviously played hockey. My Mom (Sonia) was actually a softball player when she was younger. My Dad (Francois) never played baseball and was terrible at hockey too. But we all grew up playing hockey. My two brothers as well played hockey. And I don’t know, I’m thinking my parents put me up to baseball and kind of liked it. I was kind of good, not the best player ever but a decent baseball player throughout my years. I never made the Canadian national team. I made Team Quebec in my last year. I got cut two times and then I think I was at 17, 18 (years old) that I really took a step forward. I don’t know how but it’s probably training-wise and all this stuff I would do because I kind of really wanted to be a professional baseball player. I put in the extra hours and stuff like that. I think it really worked out for me. I had to stop playing hockey unfortunately at 15 because I had to choose one or the other. But I do miss hockey, though. I love playing that sport but I was definitely a better baseball player when I grew up. That’s how we made the choice.

CPB – You were signed out of TNXL Academy. How did you wind up there?

ND – COVID. COVID happened. And Canada basically shut down everything. I talked to my coach down in Quebec. I was like, ‘Hey, can I get the phone number for somebody in the States? I’m gonna move. I can’t not play one season. This is my draft year, I gotta play.’ So I reached out to Brian Martinez down at TNXL in Orlando. He’s like ‘Send me a couple videos of you.’ A week later, I took a flight, met him over there and started playing. A host family down in Orlando took me in really, really great people. Became a huge Bills fan so they got me into that. Great people honestly, I can’t say how grateful I am for them taking me in and allowing me to continue my dream. I don’t think I would be here honestly if they wouldn’t have taken me in because that would have been much harder to play ball. After that TNXL season, I went back home for a couple weeks and was ready to go to Stetson like I mentioned, and got the call and here we are.

CPB – When did you first become a catcher?

ND – I was a shortstop until i want to say 14-years-old and then this coach came up to me in high school and was like, ‘Hey, do you want to start catching?’ I was like, ‘I don’t know, not really, but I’ll give it a try.’ I would go to catching practice without any gear. I didn’t have a glove, I didn’t have nothing. They would just give me stuff. I started liking it a little bit but definitely I was terrible. I could not block a ball, could not frame it. I got videos. My coach in the off season was my catching coach back then and he always laughed at me by sending me videos of how bad I looked. So, yeah, I started catching and then went to TNXL as a catcher. So from like, 15 to 18 (years-old), I was a full-time catcher. I never played shortstop again. But now I love it. I love catching. I love being there for the pitchers. I love it. I love blocking balls. I love taking balls off the mask. So, honestly, I kind of love it. It’s kind of my spot.

CPB – I noticed you wear the hockey-style mask. Is that something you have always had?

ND – No, it started last year. I always wore a two-piece. I don’t know, I guess I saw somebody use it in the bigs or like, spring training. I was like, ‘Hey, can I try it on?’ And it kind of felt easier, putting it on and off and stuff like that and just the way it’s made. I wasn’t a goalie when I played hockey. I played defense. So it has nothing to do with hockey either. Now I kind of like it, so I kind of just kept doing it.

CPB – How do you get ready for a game when you know you’re catching? Take us through the process of what your game day is like.

ND – Game days are usually more of a relaxed day for me before the game. I warm up hitting a bit, take big stretches, get the hips loose. Go out here, hit BP, no defensive work usually. Just take it easy, hydrate. And then an hour before the game, I stretch again. I would go in the bullpen, get my legs warm, get my framing, blocking and throwing in. And then it’s all with the pitcher. The pitcher gets loose, 30 minutes before the game. I’m there with them and the game starts. When I’m not playing, that’s where I would put in some work. For example, like today, we’re working on arm strength, long toss and throwing to the bases. Another day. I want to block, throw to bases, we’re going to block, like 100 balls today. We’re going to focus on that. But when I play, it’s really easy, cue the button, and play the game.

CPB – Did you have a favourte major league team or catcher growing up?

ND – I watched the Blue Jays. Honestly, I don’t watch baseball anymore really because I play every day which makes sense but I started watching when the Blue Jays were good like in 2015 and 2016. I always loved watching Russell (Russell Martin) obviously. I had the pleasure of meeting him when we went to play we went to Topgolf together two or three years ago so that was fun. I loved watching him, another Canadian, play for the Blue Jays. Awesome guy, that’s who I looked up to. I’m really a big football fan and sometimes playoff hockey.

CPB – You’ve mentioned you’re a Buffalo Bills fan. Are you a Montreal Canadiens fan as well?

ND – Yep, the Canadiens. I grew up an Ovechkin (Alexandher Ovechkin) fan. I think he’s a great athlete. But now Montreal, they’re kind of really bad right now so it’s really hard to be a fan. But obviously when they play, I watch and I love watching hockey.

CPB – Final question, the Canadians have five uniforms—white, red, black, blue and gray. Do you have a favourite?

ND – That’s tough. I just love the combinations of having different jerseys. In Dunedin, we always wore the same stuff so now it’s kind of different. But honestly, I like the blue, how the blue fits. I like the retro one. But honestly, I don’t really have to choose.

CPB – So you’re good with all of them.

ND – Yeah. Whatever jersey fits me, I’m good with that.

Nic Deschamps File

Born – August 25, 2002 in Quebec City, Quebec
Height/Weight – 5-foot-11, 180 pounds
Bats/Throws – Left/Right
Uniform Numbers – Wore number 70 for the Florida Complex League Blue Jays in 2021, wore number 39 with the FCL Blue Jays and number 1 with the Dunedin Blue Jays in 2022, wore number 6 with Dunedin in 2023 and wore number 31 with Dunedin in 2024.
Walkup Music – “Hola Señorita” by GIMS, Maluma.
Professional Debut – August 24, 2021 vs Florida Complex League Tigers East
First Professional Hit – September 18, 2021 – single at Florida Complex League Yankees
First Professional Homer – June 28, 2022 versus FCL Yankees
Twitter – @NicolasDescha17
Instagram – @nicdeschamps
Fun Fact – The Toronto Blue Jays signed Deschamps and 2022-2023 Vancouver Canadians catcher Andrés Sosa as free agents on August 16, 2021.