As the Toronto Blue Jays launch into their most highly-anticipated season in recent memory, a young Canadian talent is capturing the imagination of the team's fan base.

Brett Lawrie, the 22-year-old phenom from Langley, B.C., enters his first full season with the Blue Jays as the great Canadian hope: A high-energy third baseman with an abundance of confidence, ego and ability.

Lawrie played 43 games with the Jays at the end of last season, cementing himself as a key piece in the team's development. With five more games already under his belt this season, including the sold-out home opener on Monday, Lawrie is ready to take his game to the next level.

Ranked among the elite prospects in Major League Baseball, Lawrie says he has been dreaming about playing professional baseball since he was six years old. Getting the chance to play on Canadian soil is a bonus, he says.

"Getting the opportunity to compete against the best was always what I wanted to do. And now to be able to do it, kind of on my home turf, it is a plus for me," Lawrie told CTV's Canada AM in an interview broadcast on Wednesday. "I get to wear the maple leaf and hear the national anthem every day."

It has been said before but is worth repeating, Brett Lawrie is a ball of excitement.

He pounds his fists with every hit, rounds the bases at a full sprint and, when he returns to the dugout, he celebrates with high fives and back pats so vigorous that they threaten injuries to himself and his teammates.

During a recent interview with CTV's Scott Laurie, Lawrie stood on the Rogers Centre Astroturf, shifting back and forth as if he had springs under his feet.

His eyes flitted across the stadium, ready to jump into action should a ball come suddenly flying out of the vacant infield and down the third-base line.

He likes house music, or country and hip hop. Anything with a beat, he said; anything high energy.

Lawrie has only appeared in 48 games with the Jays, during the end of last season and the start of this one, but fans have already latched onto the excitement he exudes.

"We gotta show a lot of heart. We've seen a lot of heart already," Lawrie said on the Jays' key to success.

"We don't shoot for fourth or third, we shoot for No. 1. Everyone in this clubhouse is looking for a world championship. We are not looking just to make the playoffs. The goal is to win it. We will do everything in our power to achieve it."