Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 34: C.J. Van Eyk
11 months ago
We’ll look at our second straight pitcher selected in the 2020 draft in this article.
Just a quick recap of the mid-season list: We’ll look at the player’s stats, my observations, and finally other publications (Prospects Live, MLB Pipeline, Baseball America)’ scouting reports.
Let’s learn about C.J. Van Eyk.
Getting to know C.J. Van Eyk
Position: Starting Pitcher
Throws: Right
Born: September 15, 1998
Acquired: 2nd round, 2020 draft (Blue Jays)
Current Team: Single-A Dunedin (rehab)
Previous Ranking: 36
The 24-year-old right-handed pitcher was selected in 2020, meaning he didn’t make his professional debut until 2021 because the minor-league baseball season wasn’t played that year because of the pandemic. Add in missing all of 2022 and a large portion of 2023 with injuries, and you have a pitcher who is Rule 5 Draft eligible with less than 100 innings under his belt in the past four seasons.
Van Eyk started his professional career with the Vancouver Canadians in 2021, posting a 5.83 ERA and a 4.55 FIP in 80.1 innings pitched, along with a 28.3 K% and an 11 BB%. He was pulled from his August 26th, 2021 game and missed 619 days due to Tommy John surgery and some additional setbacks.
In 2023, Van Eyk mainly pitched with the Dunedin Blue Jays as he’s rehabbing. He has a 4.11 ERA and a 4.17 FIP in 15.1 innings pitched, along with a 30 K% and an 8.3 BB%. It’s been a very touch-and-go type season, as he missed all of April, a large portion of May (nearly a month from his May 13th start), and only started once in all of June. As you can imagine, health will be a determining factor in how far Van Eyk can make it.
Van Eyk’s best pitch is his curveball, with a low-90s fastball that has touched 96 mph. The slider has a gyro shape and has some interesting features, while his changeup is lagging behind the rest. Command and control is something that the 24-year-old will need to work on, but he will likely remain a starter for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, remaining healthy will likely help accelerate his way up the minors starting next season.
Next up…
We’ll look at one of the most toolsy players in the organization in the next article, so stay tuned!
In case you missed it…
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 50: Garrett Spain
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 49: Connor Cooke
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 48: Michael Dominguez
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 47: Alejandro Melean
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 46: Trenton Wallace
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 45: Brennan Orf
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 44: Robert Robertis
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 43: Sam Shaw
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 42: Rafael Lantigua
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 41: Yhoangel Aponte
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 40: Nick Goodwin
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 39: Irv Carter
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 38: Jimmy Robbins
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 37: Otto López
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 36: Peyton Williams
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 35: Trent Palmer
As always, you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads @Brennan_L_D.
ARTICLE PRESENTED BY BETANO
Recent articles from Ryley Delaney
