Toronto Blue Jays Minor League Recap: Pitching Takes Center Stage for Dunedin and Vancouver

[Daniel Labude]

Blue Jays Affiliate Overview (April 2 – April 5)

Triple-A Buffalo Bisons
Series vs Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals): 1-3
Season Record: 3-6

Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats 
Series vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies (New York Mets): 1-1
Season Record: 1-1

High-A Vancouver Canadians
Series vs. Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels): 0-3
Season Record: 0-3

Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays
Series vs. Bradenton Marauders (Pittsburgh Pirates): 1-2
Season Record: 1-2

Triple-A Buffalo Bisons

• Season Record: 3-6
• Series Opponent: Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals)

April 2: The Buffalo Bisons started the back half of their week-long series against the Omaha Storm Chasers with hopes of surpassing the .500 mark on the season. In a rough game for Bisons pitching, their offense gave them every opportunity to take home a win, but it was just not meant to be. With a rough outing from Grant Rogers, one which saw him only last four innings while giving up four runs, the Bisons offense was playing catch-up all day long.

In the second inning, recently promoted Brandon Valenzuela launched his first home run of the season to right field off of Ethan Bosacker, a 104.3 mph blast. Eloy Jiménez continued his smoking hot stretch to open the season with his first home run in the third, a two-run shot to right center. Jiménez had himself another good day at the plate, going 2-for-3 and before being taken down for a pinch-runner in the eighth, as the Bisons mounted another comeback attempt. The comeback would fall short, but not before Jonatan Clase drove in two runs with a single to center field, bringing the score to 7-9. A valiant effort to mount a comeback, but it just wasn't enough on the day. 

April 3: Postponed 

April 4, Game 1: The Bisons faced a familiar foe on the mound for Omaha, Aaron Sanchez, and used their intimate knowledge of him to ride a power surge to the winner's circle in the shortened game. Rafael Lantigua and Yohendrick Pinango each smacked their first home runs of the season. Pinango's blast was off a changeup down and had an exit velocity of 103.3 mph, flying 411 feet over the right center fence. Eloy Jiménez collected two hits, bringing his hit streak to five games to open the season. Lantigua put the game out of reach with another RBI, this time a two-RBI single in the sixth. The scoring was more than enough for the Bisons pitching staff, as Chad Dallas got his second start of the season and continued to look impressive on the mound. He pitched 3.1 innings, only gave up two hits, and struck out two. He relied heavily on three pitches: his cutter, then his curveball to lefties and sweeper to righties. Jesse Hahn and Michael Plassmeyer came on in relief and held the Omaha bats down from there, and the Bisons took this game easily, 8-0.

April 4 Game 2: In game two of the doubleheader, the Bisons spent the game playing from behind once again, this time due to Devereaux Harrison coughing up three runs in the first inning and another run in the third. Eloy Jiménez's hit streak was snapped at five, but he was still able to be productive at the plate, knocking in a run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth. The Bisons again tried to make a late comeback in the seventh and final inning of the shortened game. Josh Rivera hit a two-run home run off of Shane Panzini, but Carlos Mendoza flew out to center to end the game, with the Bisons falling 4-6. 

April 5: It was a rough game for Buffalo as they took the loss in a close one on Sunday. CJ Van Eyk was the starter for the Bisons, and he got hit around to the tune of four runs on six hits and a walk. He did strike out four batters, but it wasn't enough. Buffalo jumped out to a two-run lead in the first inning on an RJ Schreck RBI walk and a Charles McAdoo RBI single. Buffalo would only add one more run the rest of the game, an Eloy Jimenez RBI single in the fifth inning. The biggest hit for the Bisons was a Yohendrick Pinango 95 mph double. Other than that, it was mostly soft contact for Buffalo as they would struggle to find runs and lost this one 4-3. 

Double-A New Hampshire

• Season Record: 1-1
• Series vs. Binghamton Rumble Ponies (New York Mets)

April 2: No Game

April 3: New Hampshire kicked off their season Thursday with one of the Toronto Blue Jays’ best pitching prospects on the mound, Gage Stanifer. Everything was looking great for the first two innings, as Stanifer was dotting his mid-90s fastball and painting it at the knees for multiple strikeouts with the batters just looking. It was a good shift in his pitching approach, with him using the lower part of the zone.

Unfortunately, after a long bottom of the second inning waiting on the offense, Stanifer came out in the third a bit off with his command. He was just missing the zone at times, but not by much. He ended up allowing a walk, then a groundball double down the line for a run. He almost stranded two more hard-fought walks, but, he left a fastball over the plate, missing the bottom of the zone, and Chris Suero hit an opposite-field grand slam. It was really the only bad pitch of the day for Stanifer, but it hurt. His slider was a bit off, which made him rely heavily on his fastball.

Eddie Micheletti Jr. launched a home run to bring the score closer for the Fisher Cats, and the game was back and forth until the ninth inning. Sean Keys crushed a pitch to right field for a game-tying two-run home run. The game would be decided in the 13th inning, after a New Hampshire error let up a run. They couldn't answer in their half and ended up losing a close battle, 10-9. 

April 4: In their second straight back-and-forth battle, New Hampshire would come out on top. Richard Gallardo and Alex Amalfi combined for 7.2 innings, only allowing one hit and zero runs. They would each strike out four batters as well. Eddie Micheletti Jr. hit a home run in his second straight game to power New Hampshire. Caleb Freeman would go on to shut the door for the save. Both teams struggled offensively in the game, with only seven hits combined. It was just enough for the New Hampshire win, 2-1.

April 5: Postponed

High-A Vancouver 

• Season Record: 0-3
• Series vs. Tri-City Dust Devils (Los Angeles Angels)

April 2: No Game

April 3: It was a back-and-forth game for each team, as Arjun Nimmala started it off with a homer in his first at-bat of the season.

Landen Maroudis impressed after an aggressive promotion to Vancouver, sitting in the mid 90s with his fastball and without walking a batter in three innings. Gilberto Bastista could not find the zone, however, and did not get out of the inning after walking in two runs. Nimmala took the lead back on his second extra-base hit of the night, but the bullpen continued to struggle. Austin Marozas and Kelena Sauer gave up more runs, which ended with a Canadians loss. 

April 4: Daniel Guerra and 2025 second-overall pick Tyler Bremner had a pitching duel in which both starters struck out six batters. Unfortunately for the Canadians, Guerra was the one to falter, as he gave up the only run of the game on a solo homer given up to Juan Flores. Danny Thompson Jr. excelled in relief, as he pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless ball with five strikeouts, but the offense sputtered against the Dust Devils pitching, striking out 17 times on the night. 

April 5: Colby Holcombe took the bump for the Canadians in the last game of the series, but got hit around, as he gave up three runs in just 2.2 innings of work. The Canadians could not get to Yeferson Vargas, as he struck out six batters without allowing a run in four and a third innings. Mason Olson relieved Holcombe and pitched well, giving up only one run to keep it close, and the Canadians broke through against Max Gieg and Keythel Key, scoring five runs, including Manuel Beltre’s first homer in Vancouver. 

Carson Pierce returned to the mound for the first time since 2024 and threw a scoreless inning, but Juanmi Vasquez took the loss as he gave up three runs in the bottom of the ninth, leading to three straight losses for Vancouver.

Single-A Dunedin

• Season Record: 1-2
• Series vs. Bradenton Marauders (Pittsburgh Pirates)

April 2: Postponed

April 3: It was a battle between two of the best pitching prospects in baseball, as Trey Yesavage had his first rehab start and Seth Hernandez made his professional debut. Blaine Bullard immediately hit a triple on the first pitch of the game, and was scored on a single by a rehabbing Peyton Williams. However, Hernandez then began to dominate as he struck out eight in only three innings of work. Yesavage was also excellent, sitting in the mid 90s with his fastball, with his only blemish being an inside-the-park homer that was misplayed by Enmanuel Bonilla. 

The best pitcher from the 2025 FCL champion Blue Jays team, Troy Guthrie, made his debut for the Dunedin Blue Jays and did not disappoint, showing off his brand new slider to pair with a high-riding fastball, which led to three no-hit innings. Unfortunately for Dunedin, Dylan Watts struggled in his pro debut, which broke the tie in the seventh as he gave up three runs. A big inning after the Jays loaded the bases tied the game up in the bottom of the seventh, but Carson Myers took the loss as he gave up an additional two earned runs, and the Jays could not get those runs back. 

April 4: Recently signed Patrick Corbin made his first start in the Jays organization, as he looks to replace Cody Ponce in the big league rotation. Matt Scannell made a fielding error that allowed a run to score in the first, but the veteran went up to 74 pitches in five innings, striking out the young hitters nearly half his age. The Jays fired back in the bottom of the second, with Yorman Licourt tying it up with a solo homer at 109.4 mph, and then Austin Smith scored another on an RBI groundout. The inning after, Licourt had himself another homer at 100 mph, showing off his raw power, which scored two runners this time. Blaine Bullard hit a sac fly after Dariel Ramon tripled to cap off the scoring, and Trace Baker earned the save in the first game of the doubleheader. 

In game two of the doubleheader, Nolan Perry and Karson Ligon both took turns with pitching excellence. Both sat in the mid 90s with their fastballs, showing great stuff. Perry did get tagged on a solo homer by Samuel Escudero in the third, and in extras, Ligon gave up an unearned run in extra innings on a wild pitch and a throwing error from Charlie Saum, but they combined for 12 strikeouts. 

The offense could not support the excellent pitching, and the Jays lost in the ninth inning after Mason Davenport gave up a two-run double. JoJo Parker did get his first professional hit and steal of his career, and walked two times as well. 

April 5: No Game

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