Right-Hander CJ Van Eyk Becomes Eighth Fisher Cats Alum to Reach Majors in 2026
MANCHESTER, NH – On Friday, July 17, Toronto right-hander and former Fisher Cats pitcher CJ Van Eyk made his MLB debut with two scoreless innings of relief in Toronto, becoming the 181st Fisher Cats alum to make their Major League debut after playing with New Hampshire. Van Eyk joins INF
MANCHESTER, NH – On Friday, July 17, Toronto right-hander and former Fisher Cats pitcher CJ Van Eyk made his MLB debut with two scoreless innings of relief in Toronto, becoming the 181st Fisher Cats alum to make their Major League debut after playing with New Hampshire.
Van Eyk joins INF Sean Keys, RHP Chad Dallas, RHP Hayden Juenger, INF Charles McAdoo, LHP Adam Macko, OF Yohendrick Piñango and LHP Kendry Rojas to punch their ticket in 2026.
Of New Hampshire’s eight alums to debut this year, five of the eight suited up in a Fisher Cats jersey since 2025. There have been 200 players to reach the Majors after wearing a Fisher Cats uniform, including players that signed minor league free agency contracts with Toronto. Of the 200 to reach the MLB, 181 reached the level for the first time.
Van Eyk, a second-round draft pick in 2020, missed all of 2022 after a Tommy John procedure in late 2021. Van Eyk finished 2023 with the Fisher Cats and spent all of 2024 in New Hampshire. Van Eyk was named the Eastern League’s Pitcher of the Week on May 12, 2024, thanks to five scoreless innings against Harrisburg and six strikeouts on May 10 in Manchester. Van Eyk began 2025 in New Hampshire and was shipped to Buffalo on May 20.
At the time of his promotion to Toronto, Van Eyk ranked amongst the best of all Blue Jays’ farmhands with the lowest ERA (3.79), the second-lowest WHIP (1.30), and the third-most innings worked (78-1/3) in 2026.
14 of the 15 former Fisher Cats players to debut in the Majors since 2025 have been with the Blue Jays. All seven debuts in 2025 were with Toronto, and of the eight this season, Kendry Rojas’s April debut with Minnesota is the only one not with the Blue Jays.
The Fisher Cats return to Delta Dental Stadium to open a six-game homestand against the Somerset Patriots on Tuesday, July 21. The homestand features another Tenders Tuesday, with the final Chicken Tenders bobblehead giveaway of the summer presented by Delta Dental. On top of a pair of Atlas Fireworks postgame shows, the weekend includes another Space Potatoes game on July 24, WWE Night presented by the NH Liquor Commission on July 25, and the debut of the Manchester Coconut Tenders on Sunday, July 26, featuring a Coconut Tenders bobblehead gate giveaway, also presented by Delta Dental.
Season and single-game tickets for the 2026 season are available at nhfishercats.com, via email at [email protected], by phone at (603) 641-2005, and in-person at the Delta Dental Stadium Box Office on 1 Line Drive in Manchester, New Hampshire.
About the New Hampshire Fisher Cats
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays and play their games at Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester. Over 180 former Fisher Cats have gone on to make their Major League debut. The Fisher Cats have raised millions of dollars for various charities through the Fisher Cats Foundation and continuously strive to improve the quality of life for Granite State residents. The organization has been recognized as New Hampshire Business Review’s “Best Sporting Event to Take Clients to”, Parenting New Hampshire Magazine’s “New Hampshire’s Favorite Sporting Event for Families”, and New Hampshire Magazine’s “Best New Hampshire Sports Team”. For more information on the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, please visit nhfishercats.com, call (603) 641-2005, or contact Chris Jared via email at [email protected].