The Toronto Blue Jays and the Buffalo Bisons already have a few games under their belt with the 2025 regular season underway, but the other Jays’ teams in the farm system are gearing up to begin their respective campaigns later today.

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats will host the Binghampton Rumble Ponies for a three-game set, the high-A Vancouver Canadians are on the road and will face the Tri-City Dust Devils later this evening, and the Dunedin Blue Jays have a matchup against the Clearwater Threshers at TD Ballpark this evening to kick off their 2025 campaign.

Let’s take a quick look at who will be making the Opening Day start for the Fisher Cats, Canadians, and Blue Jays, per each team’s official page.

Taking the mound for the Fisher Cats will be right-hander CJ Van Eyk, who returns to the team after spending all of 2024 with the double-A affiliate.

Van Eyk appeared in 30 games last season, making 16 starts for New Hampshire. He crafted a 3-8 record with a 5.68 ERA, allowing 111 hits and 60 earned runs through 95 innings of work. The Florida State product flirted between the rotation and the bullpen to start the year before becoming a reliever in mid-August, where he was limited to smaller outings ranging from one to two innings. The 26-year-old was struggling to find a rhythm in the rotation to start the year and settled down once he landed in the bullpen, crafting a 4.02 ERA down the stretch while limiting opposing hitters to a .220 average.

The 2025 season will be a big year for Van Eyk as he looks to establish himself as a go-to rotation arm in the farm system. He takes on a Rumble Ponies squad that features Mets top prospects such as Jett Williams (56th in baseball), Ryan Clifford, and Nick Morabito.

He has an opportunity to leapfrog to triple-A early if he can pitch well out of the gate due to injuries overtaking some arms in Buffalo.

Getting the nod for the Canadians on the road is 6-foot-7 McNeese State product, Grant Rogers.

The right-hander was one of the top rotation arms in the Jays system last year, posting a 3.87 ERA between single-A Dunedin and Vancouver, with Rogers producing better results against the tougher bats. A late season callup to Vancouver saw Rogers make six starts down the stretch, where he amassed a 3.11 ERA across 37 2/3 innings, allowing just 13 earned runs and six walks compared to 36 strikeouts. His best outing was his debut with the Canadians against Tri-City on August 3rd, where he went eight innings and allowed just three hits and zero earned runs while striking out nine batters.

Rogers H/9 is a bit on the high side at 8.3 (between both levels), but he kept the walks and checks and didn’t let the opposing team capitalize much on the base paths. His command of the strike zone helped him produce a 1.173 WHIP last year, and he will look to build upon his debut year in the pros by getting off to a strong start against Tri-City. The Los Angeles Angels affiliate boasts top prospects Juan Flores, Capri Ortiz, and Randy De Jesus.

Double-A is calling his name if he can continue his 2024 form into this season.

Making his professional debut on Opening Day for the Dunedin Blue Jays is Khal Stephen, the second-round pick of the 2024 MLB Draft. He stayed within the complex to finish out last season and will begin his professional career later today, getting the ball instead of first-round pick Trey Yesavage.

Stephen spent his first two college years at Purdue before transferring to Mississippi State for his junior year, where he made 16 starts and authored a 3.28 ERA across 96 innings. The Illinois product commanded the strike zone well, amassing just 21 walks on the year for a tidy 2.0 BB/9, and he finished the year with First Team ALL-SEC Team and Third Team D1 Baseball All-American honours, forming a one-two punch with ambidexterous pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje.

Blue Jays fans got to see Stephen at the Spring Breakout showcase against the Minnesota Twins prospects, with the right-hander following Yesavage for the fifth and sixth innings. A single to Diego Cartaya would be his only blemish on the day, with Stephen generating multiple ground balls while also getting a swinging strikeout on a 94 MPH fastball high in the zone.

Armed with a cutter, changeup, and a slider to round out his arsenal, Stephen will get the ball against the Clearwater Threshers, the Phillies affiliate, which boasts top prospects Eduardo Tait, Aroon Escobar, TJayy Walton, John Spikerman, Carter Mathison, and Canadian Dante Nori, as well as fellow Canuck Avery Owusu-Asiedu.