Blue Jays Farm Report: Van Eyk making up for lost time with Vancouver

C.J. Van Eyk, pitching for Florida State in Baton Rouge, La., Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Gerald Herbert/AP)

TORONTO – About five minutes before C.J. Van Eyk became a second-round pick, 42nd overall, in last year’s draft, he got a surprise phone call. Five teams had emerged as the likeliest landing spots for the Florida State right-hander, but suddenly the Toronto Blue Jays had parachuted into the mix, saying they wanted to take him when their turn came up.

"I was like, ‘All right, let’s do it,’" recalls Van Eyk, who signed for $1,797,500, slightly above slot.

Unexpected as it may have been, he had enough familiarity with the organization to make the snap decision. As a Tampa native, the Blue Jays’ Player Development Complex in Dunedin, Fla., was a 15-minute drive from home. Growing up, he played with Nate Pearson, P.K. Morris and Cobi Johnson and there was appeal in having some friendly faces in the system.

Nonetheless, Van Eyk’s professional career didn’t start the way he envisioned with the minor-league season cancelled and strict COVID-19 protocols in place.

"I had to sign on a computer with DocuSign – not how I expected my first professional contract to be signed. That was a little weird start," he says. "Nothing much really happened after I signed. I was in contact with the pitching executives and that's about it. I just worked out on my own at my facility, tried to get into the PDC to work out a little bit, but the protocols weren't allowing that. So it was kind of slow."

Van Eyk’s first real pro action came during the fall Florida Development League and he subsequently was invited to big-league spring training, too. Now, like so many other prospects, he’s trying to make up for lost time with the advanced-A Vancouver Canadians, who are playing this season out of Hillsboro, Ore., due to pandemic border restrictions.

Through five starts, surpassing his 2020 total of four with Florida State, he’s struck out 21 in 20.1 innings, allowing 13 earned runs on 20 hits, three homers and 10 walks.

Beyond numbers, the Blue Jays have set a mid-60s strike percentage target for the 22-year-old, making improved command of his four-pitch arsenal his developmental priority. Van Eyk relies mainly on a mid-90s fastball and curveball that at Florida State allowed him to strike out 11.5 batters per nine innings with a walks-per-nine of 4.2.

He also has a cutter and slider he’s added over the past year, and the challenge now is becoming a more efficient version of his college self.

"That's the double-edged sword I'm playing with, sticking to my strengths of being a strikeout pitcher without throwing that many pitches, which strikeout pitchers usually do, a bunch of swing-and-miss pitches out of the zone," Van Eyk says. "That's what's going to determine the success of my professional career, being able to balance those and once that's locked in, I think the sky's the limit."

Triple-A Buffalo Bisons

Anthony Kay, optioned to Buffalo after a rehabilitation assignment for a blister, started Wednesday, allowing four runs on four hits and three walks with six strikeouts over 3.1 innings. It’s the type of familiar stat line the left-hander has posted regularly in the big-leagues as he tries to better leverage his mid-90s heater. … Patrick Murphy (shoulder) joined the Bisons after three rehab outings in low-A Dunedin and threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. The power-armed righty debuted in the majors last year and could become a bullpen option for the Blue Jays once he gets right. … Logan Warmoth, the 22nd-overall pick in 2017, has been moved from middle infield to the outfield this season. … Righty Hobie Harris is off to a strong start as a late-game reliever, with three saves and 14 strikeouts in 9.1 innings during which he’s allowed only seven hits and three walks.

Nate Pearson, RHP
Acquired: 1st round, 2017 draft
Season to date: 5.59 ERA | 9.2 IP | 4 BB | 19 K

Riley Adams, C
Acquired: 3rd round, 2017 draft
Season to date: 65 PA | 3 HR | .192/.338/.404 | 9 BB | 21 K

Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Despite a roster stocked with top prospects, the Fisher Cats carried just a 9-16 record into Thursday’s action. … Catching prospect Gabriel Moreno had an eye-popping opening month with a 1.069 OPS and 21 RBIs over 18 games. He’s someone to keep an eye on. … Infielder Samad Taylor, one of the players the Blue Jays acquired from Cleveland for Joe Smith in 2017, has 11 steals in 12 attempts. … Simeon Woods Richardson is currently with the United States team at the Americas Olympic qualifying tournament.

Austin Martin, SS/CF
Acquired: 1st round, 2020 draft
Season to date: 92 PA | 0 HR | .270/.402/.365 | 12 BB | 25 K

Jordan Groshans, SS/3B
Acquired: 1st round, 2018 draft
Season to date: 67 PA | 1 HR | .233/.313/.317 | 7 BB | 18 K

Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP
Acquired: Trade with Mets in 2019
Season to date: 2.37 ERA | 19 IP | 8 BB | 31 K

Gabriel Moreno, C
Acquired: Signed as international free agent in 2016
Season to date: 83 PA | 3 HR | .389/.458/.611| 7 BB | 16 K

Otto Lopez, INF/OF
Acquired: Signed as international free agent in 2016
Season to date: 108 PA | 0 HR | .343/.389/.465 | 7 BB | 23 K

Advanced-A Vancouver Canadians

Hagen Danner, selected as a catcher in the second round of the 2017 draft, is making quite an impression in his first season as a reliever. In seven appearances so far, the right-hander has 17 strikeouts in 14 innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits and five walks. … Justin Maese also came out of the gate hot after injuries limited him to three games since 2017, striking out 15 in 11 innings of one-earned run work across seven outings. … Will McAffer of North Vancouver, B.C., is pitching for Canada at the Olympic qualifier, delivering 1.2 shutout innings against Venezuela on Wednesday.

Adam Kloffenstein, RHP
Acquired: 3rd round, 2018 draft
Season to date: 7.27 ERA | 17.1 IP | 15 BB | 14 K

C.J. Van Eyk, RHP
Acquired: 2nd round, 2020 draft
Season to date: 5.87 ERA | 20.1 IP | 10 BB | 21 K

Low-A Dunedin Blue Jays

With the Blue Jays now in Buffalo, Dunedin returns to its home at TD Ballpark on Thursday night. … Infielder Addison Barger was named Southeast League player of the week after going 12-for-23 in six games, including a 5-for-5 night May 28 when hit for the cycle with two home runs and seven RBIs. The 21-year-old was a sixth-round pick in 2018.

Orelvis Martinez, SS/3B
Acquired: Signed as international free agent in 2018
Season to date: 111 PA | 3 HR | .253/.333/.404 | 11 BB | 27 K

Miguel Hirlado, 2B/3B
Acquired: Signed as international free agent in 2017
Season to date: 108 PA | 2 HR | .260/.333/.385 | 10 BB | 28 K

Zach Britton, C/OF
Acquired: Signed as international free agent in 2016
Season to date: 97 PA | 3 HR | .232/.433/.435 | 22 BB | 24 K

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