Class of 2010

Alex Anthopoulos

Montreal native Alex Anthopoulos is senior vice president of baseball operations and general manager for the Toronto Blue Jays. The 33-year-old was selected to the position last year, when he replaced former GM J.P. Ricciardi.

Anthopoulos’ passion for baseball first began in the early 90s when he first saw the former Montreal Expos play at Olympic Stadium. As a young man he studied economics at McMaster University in Ontario.

After the death of his father, Anthopoulos realized he needed to do something that he loved, which was baseball. He began making cold calls to major league baseball general managers at 23 in hopes of getting his foot in the door.

In 2000, he began working for the Expos as an intern sorting through fan mail. His work there led to a job offer with the club as an assistant in international scouting the following year, and he moved up the ranks to become the Expos’ scouting supervisor for Canada. He joined the Ricciardi and Toronto Blue Jays in 2003 as their scouting coordinator. By 2005 he was assistant general manager, and by 2006 he was vice president of baseball operations.

Post-Ricciardi, Anthopoulos has been determined to turn the Blue Jays around from shaky previous records. He has is focused on building relationships with players and developing their strengths, completely rebuilding the team’s scouting system to attract star players. In the past six months, he has reorganized the Blue Jays’ front office and overhauled the player development and scouting staffs. He constantly travels across the country to meet players himself and watch them in action. He is one of the youngest general managers in major league baseball, and one of only six GM’s under 40.

In 2004 he helped put together the Greek national baseball team for the Olympics in Athens, bringing the unknown sport—and his passion—closer to the people of his ancestral country.