We saw the gentler side of Gael Salinas recently.

As a participant in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) Bunt Competition at All-Star Weekend in Saskatoon, Salinas showed off his soft touch and was a fan favourite for Berries boosters.

The infielder from Mexico delivered in a big way by scoring 13 points in the opening round of the competition, which saw batters try to collect points on half-moon targets that hugged the first and third base lines. 

Salinas was the front runner heading into the final round against Dan Kawanishi of the Energy City Cactus Rats. After watching Kawanishi collect seven points in that round, Salinas calmly passed him with nine points to claim the WCBL's first ever Bunt Competition championship.

He has been outstanding all season long. Through 155 at bats in the WCBL in 2026, Salinas is batting .400 with a .495 on-base percentage, 45 runs, 62 hits, 39 RBI, 12 doubles and three stolen bases. 

Based on his outstanding performance, Salinas is the SaskTel Saskatchewan Player of the Week for the period from July 13-19.