- McKenna threw the ceremonial first pitch at the Blue Jays game a day after going No. 1 to Toronto
- He swapped a Yankees hat for a Blue Jays one and called the high throw a “tough throw”
- Read below for the video and McKenna’s first Toronto baseball moment
Gavin McKenna’s first full day as a Maple Leaf came with a baseball detour.
One day after Toronto made him the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the 18-year-old threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Saturday’s Blue Jays game at Rogers Centre. Fans gave him a loud welcome. McKenna said Friday he’d never been to a baseball game before.
Here’s the moment the Leafs shared:
The throw sailed a little high. McKenna didn’t pretend otherwise.
Asked about it on Sportsnet, he kept it honest. “It was a tough throw,” McKenna said.
The Blue Jays also came with a gift. A recent social media photo showed McKenna holding a big fish while wearing a New York Yankees hat, so Toronto handed him a fresh Blue Jays cap to take care of that problem.
McKenna got the joke right away. “I appreciate that,” he laughed. “You won’t catch me in that Yankees hat anymore.”
Watch the pitch:
McKenna is the first Maple Leafs player to throw a first pitch at a Blue Jays game since Auston Matthews in 2022. The whole ride kicked off Friday night, when Justin Bieber stepped to the podium to announce his name as Toronto’s top pick.
The pitch missed high. The welcome landed.
