Blue Jays: High-A Vancouver Canadians set 2023 roster
The Vancouver Canadians, the Toronto Blue Jays' High-A affiliate, have announced their 2023 Opening Day roster ahead of their April 7 season opener.
The Canadians finished second in the Northwest League last season, with a 67-62 record, before losing 3-0 to the Eugene Emeralds in the finals. The roster features 23 returnees and nine of the Blue Jays' top 30 prospects, as ranked by MLB Pipeline.
Pitchers: Cooper Benson, TJ Brock, Connor Cooke, Chad Dallas, Michael Dominguez, Mason Fluharty, Hunter Gregory, Devereaux Harrison, Justin Kelly, Conor Larkin, Adam Macko, Abdiel Mendoza, Eric Pardinho, Naswell Paulino, Sam Ryan, Dahian Santos
Catchers: Jommer Hernandez, Andres Sosa
Infielders: Alex De Jesus, Cade Doughty, Josh Kasevich, Estiven Machado, Rainer Nunez, Glenn Santiago*, Riley Tirotta, Michael Turconi
Outfielders: Dasan Brown, Devonte Brown, Gabby Martinez, Alan Roden, Garrett Spain*
There are a few names on the roster that Blue Jays fans will already be familiar with.
Left-hander Adam Macko, who came over from Seattle in the Teoscar Hernández trade, is one of two Canadian-born players on the team. The Jays' No. 9 prospect will make his system debut with the Canadians after pitching 38.1 innings in High-A and 13.1 innings in the Arizona Fall League last year.
Infielder Cade Doughty, the Jays' second-round pick from last year's draft, is already the team's No. 8 prospect. In 26 games in Single-A Dunedin last year, the 22-year-old hit .272/.370/.495 with six home runs, 21 runs, 24 RBI and three stolen bases. Per MLB Pipeline, Doughty could move quickly through the system this season, so he may not be in Vancouver very long.
No. 15 prospect Dasan Brown, who hails from Oakville, Ontario, has 80-grade speed and an above average glove in the outfield. When he arrived in Vancouver last season Brown hit .298/.392/.411, propelling the Canadians to the postseason. Over 40 games he scored 25 runs, drove in 11, stole 11 bases and even chipped in a couple of home runs.
Corner infielder Rainer Nunez appeared at Spring Training, playing in 15 games for the Jays. The No. 26 prospect has a plus power tool and hit a combined 19 home runs with a .304 average and .824 OPS across Low-A and High-A last season.