2021 marks the first season that the Vancouver Canadians baseball club are competing as a High-A affiliate of the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays.
Vancouverites have long enjoyed taking in a baseball game on a hot summer day at Nat Bailey Stadium as from 2000-2020 the Canadians played in the Northwest League as a low-A affiliate of the Blue Jays, and in more recent years, many fans have made the trip down to Seattle to watch the Jays take on the Mariners.
Because of the Canadians previous low ranking, the players and prospects that came through to play at the Nat weren’t necessarily top tier.
Although some great players such as Alek Manoah, Nate Pearson, Marcus Stroman, Nate Pearson, and Roberto Osuna made stops in Vancouver, players who were top-tier prospects such as Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, and Cavan Biggio, typically begin their minor league careers at the High-A level rather than Low-A.
Thanks to the Canadians being promoted to High-A, there are going to be some seriously talented prospects making their way through the Nat moving forward.
This season, the Canadians’ roster is headlined by Toronto’s #11 ranked prospect CJ Van Eyk, a strikeout-first pitcher who is absolutely thrilling to watch. Hopefully Vancouverites will be able to take in a game toward the end of the summer or in the early fall, as the C’s season as a High-A club will now run until late August, with the playoffs starting in September.
🥁 DRUMROLL 🥁
Now introducing your 2021 Canadians…
♦️ 19 former C’s Players
♦️ 3 on the Top 30 Blue Jays prospects pic.twitter.com/uOr7NiAipc— Vancouver Canadians (@vancanadians) May 3, 2021
Due to the coronavirus pandemic — and the Canadians being the only team north of the border competing in the newly formed High-A West league — the club is beginning their season at Ron Tonkin Field, in Hillsboro, Oregon.
“We have had to make a very tough decision that impacts so many people, however, as much as we would love to be starting at the Nat, we have had to find a temporary home and we are very fortunate to find a location that will welcome us like Hillsboro”, stated C’s President Andy Dunn back in March.
The C’s open their first series of the season against the Tri-City Dust Devils this week.