Blue Jays prospect Gage Stanifer finding success in new-found role with Fisher Cats
Photo credit: © Nathan Ray Seebeck - Imagn Images
Aug 28, 2026, 09:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 28, 2026, 08:57 EDT
Gage Stanifer’s role in Double-A New Hampshire has changed, but the right-hander has taken the move in stride.
After working as a starting pitcher over his first 19 outings of the season, the Toronto Blue Jays’ No. 10-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline was moved to the Fisher Cats’ bullpen at the beginning of August, and the results have been impressive.
In his first outing working in relief, Stanifer entered in the top of the fourth inning after right-hander Nolan Perry tossed three scoreless frames. The 22-year-old turned in a pitching line of 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 5 K and picked up the win during the Fisher Cats’ 5-2 victory over the Portland Sea Dogs.
After being forced to throw 84 pitches, Stanifer was given four days off before being tasked with his second appearance as a reliever on August 11. Entering in the bottom of the seventh during the Fisher Cats’ 12-1 loss against the Somerset Patriots, Stanifer worked two scoreless frames, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out three.
In his next two outings, Stanifer allowed four earned runs across two innings pitched as walks reared their ugly head. Stanifer walked four batters in his two appearances, with three of them coming during a blown save on August 14 against the Patriots.
Facing his first real adversity since becoming a reliever, Stanifer rebounded in his next two outings. Stanifer has tossed four scoreless innings in which he has allowed only one hit and one walk while striking out six. For his efforts on August 26, during a 5-4 win over the Hartford Yard Goats, Stanifer picked up his fifth victory of the season.
Working as a reliever, albeit in a small sample size, Stanifer is 2-1 with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. Across his 12 innings, the righty has struck out 16 and held opponents to an average of .158. While the 12 walks are a concern, Stanifer possesses a swing-and-miss ability that few have at his age, especially considering the level he’s reached already.
In his 19 starts, Stanifer was 3-7 with a 5.11 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. Stanifer had walked 49 batters in his 81 innings, but his 106 strikeouts are a reason to believe the former 19th-round draft pick in 2022 has the weapons to make an impact at the MLB level. While the goal was to be a starter, a high-end reliever with Stanifer’s calibre of pitches is highly coveted in the big leagues.
For the season, Stanifer has pitched in 25 games and is 5-8 with a 4.94 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. The righty has struck out 122 batters across his 93 innings and held opponents to a .239 average during that span.
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