Vancouver Canadians
Minor league baseball team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Vancouver Canadians are a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are members of the Northwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Canadians play their home games at Nat Bailey Stadium, which was built in 1951. They have been the only MiLB team based in Canada since the Ottawa Lynx relocated to Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 2008.
| Vancouver Canadians | |||||
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| Minor league affiliations | |||||
| Class | High-A (2021–present) | ||||
| Previous classes | Class A Short Season (2000–2020) | ||||
| League | Northwest League (2000–present) | ||||
| Major league affiliations | |||||
| Team | Toronto Blue Jays (2011–present) | ||||
| Previous teams | Oakland Athletics (2000–2010) | ||||
| Minor league titles | |||||
| League titles (6) |
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| Division titles (7) |
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| First-half titles (1) |
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| Second-half titles (2) |
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| Wild card berths (2) |
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| Team data | |||||
| Colors | Red, dark red, black, silver, white | ||||
| Mascot | Bob Brown Bear[1] | ||||
| Ballpark |
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Owner/ Operator | Diamond Baseball Holdings[2] | ||||
| General manager | Allan Bailey | ||||
| Manager | José Mayorga[3] | ||||
| Website | mlb.com/milb/vancouver | ||||
The Canadians were established in 2000 after the original Vancouver Canadians, a Triple-A team of the Pacific Coast League, relocated to Sacramento, California. They served as the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Oakland Athletics through 2010. Vancouver became a farm team of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011. After the 2021 restructuring of the minor leagues by Major League Baseball, the Northwest League was reclassified as a High-A circuit, and the Canadians continued their affiliation with Toronto.
Vancouver has won six Northwest League championships—all as a Blue Jays affiliate—including three-in-a-row from 2011 to 2013. With their most recent win in 2026, they hold the third-most titles among active Northwest League teams.
History
Prior to the 1999 season, the Vancouver Canadians, a Triple-A franchise of the Pacific Coast League, was purchased by a group led by Art Savage with the intention of relocating to Sacramento, California.[4] The Canadians moved to California's capital city and were rebranded as the Sacramento River Cats. The Southern Oregon Timberjacks of the Northwest League announced their relocation to Vancouver after the franchise failed to find a new stadium to remain in Oregon.[5] The team, a Class A Short Season team of the Northwest League, assumed the Canadians' name in 2000.
Like the predecessor Pacific Coast League franchise, the new Canadians signed a player development contract with the Oakland Athletics. The Canadians had players such as Nick Swisher, Jeremy Brown, Jason Windsor, Joe Blanton, Rich Harden, Travis Buck, Dallas Braden, and Dan Straily during this period.
2000
In the Northwest League Canadians' inaugural season, the franchise finished with a record of 39 wins and 37 losses but missed the playoffs with a second-place finish in the Western Division, one game behind the Eugene Emeralds.[6]
2001
In their second season, Vancouver posted a losing record of 37–39 and finished second in their division, 14 games behind the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.[7]
2002
The 2002 Canadians had an identical 37–39 record and finished fourth in their division, 7 games behind the Everett Aquasox.[8]
2003
In the 2003 season, the team finished with a record of 35–41 and finished fourth in their division, 8 games behind the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.[9]
2004
The Canadians ended the 2004 campaign tied with the Boise Hawks for a league-best 42–34 record, clinching a spot in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.[10] However, the team was swept in three games by Boise in the best-of-five Northwest League championship series.[11]
2005
Vancouver returned to the playoffs in 2005 with a league-leading 46–30 mark.[12] They were defeated in the championship series in five games to the Spokane Indians.[13]
2006
In the Canadians' 2026 season, they missed the playoffs with a 39–37 record, finishing fourth in their division, 16 games behind the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.[14]
2007
In 2007, local Vancouver businessmen Jake Kerr and Jeff Mooney purchased the franchise and secured a 25-year lease with the City of Vancouver Parks Board. Extensive work began that offseason in a full-scale stadium renovation which improved washrooms, concessions, concourses, and the children's play area. Point-of-purchase concessions increased substantially.[15]
On the field, the Canadians finished the season 37–38, placing second in their division, 19+1⁄2 behind the Salem-Keizer Volcanos.[16]
2008
In January 2008, former Washington Nationals executive Andy Dunn was made the President and General Manager of the Canadians and held the position until he resigned in 2024.[17]
The Canadians ended the season with a losing record of 34–42 and finished third in their division, 6 games behind both the Eugene Emeralds and the Salem-Keizer Volcanos, who were tied for the division lead.[18]
2009
In 2009, the Canadians posted a 36–40 record, finishing third in their division, 13 games behind the Salem-Keizer Volcanos.[19]
2010
In June 2010, the Vancouver Canadians and Scotiabank agreed to a long-term partnership that saw Nat Bailey Stadium renamed to Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium.[20]
The Canadians had a winning record of 42–34 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2005 by winning the Second-Half Western Division title.[21] The team ultimately lost the division finals by being swept, two games to none, by the Everett Aquasox.[22]
2011
The Canadians became the Short-Season A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011. The team's attendance rose to 162,162, a team record. In September 2011, the Vancouver Canadians won their first Northwest League championship, defeating the Tri-City Dust Devils, two games to one.[23]
2012
In 2012, Vancouver became back-to-back champions after defeating the Boise Hawks, 2–1, in the finals.[24]
2013
In August 2013, outfielder Kevin Pillar became the first alumnus of the team to debut in the major leagues for Toronto.[25]
On September 9, the Canadians became the third Northwest League team to win three straight championships, defeating Boise, 5–0, at Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium to win the final series, 2–1, in front of a sellout crowd.[26] The 2013 season also saw the Vancouver Canadians draw over 195,000 fans to Scotiabank Field, a fifth consecutive team record which included 23 sold-out games.
On November 4, 2013, the Canadians were named the 2013 recipient of the John H. Johnson President's Award, given to Minor League Baseball's top organization. It was the first time a Canadian-based franchise won the award.[27]
2014
In the 2014 campaign, the team made it to the finals for the fifth consecutive season but failed to defend their three consecutive championships by being swept in the finals by the Hillsboro Hops.[28]
2015
In the franchise's 2015 campaign, they missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2009 season tied for last place in their division with the Spokane Indians, finishing the season at 34–42, eight games behind the Everett Aquasox.[29]
2016
In 2016, the Canadians led the Northwest League with a total attendance of 222,363, averaging 6,177 per game.[30] This earned them the 2016 Esurance "Home Field Advantage Award", given to the organization in each affiliated minor league with the greatest attendance per percentage capacity.[31]
Vancouver missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season finishing the campaign last in their division with a losing record of 29–45, fifteen games behind the Everett Aquasox.[32]
2017
In 2017, the Canadians won their fourth championship after a four year drought, defeating Eugene, 3–1.[33] They beat their previous attendance record with 239,527 people in total attendance for the 2017 season, averaging 6,303 per game. On January 26, 2018, Toronto extended their player-development contract with Vancouver through the 2022 season.[34]
2018
Although the Canadians were unable to make the playoffs in 2018, coming in a close second in both the first and second half of the season, they still lead the league in attendance with a 239,086 in total attendance.[35]
2019
The 2019 Canadians finished the season with a 30–46 record, 15 games behind the Spokane Indians.[36]
2020
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minor League Baseball season was cancelled. In the winter of 2020 as part the reorganization of Minor League Baseball, Vancouver received an invitation to continue as the Blue Jays' High-A affiliate.[37] In a further change, they were organized into the High-A West along with five other teams previously of the Northwest League.[38] The Scotiabank naming rights agreement also expired in 2020 and the stadium reverted back to its original name after Scotiabank declined to renew its contract.
2021
The team began the 2021 season playing its home games at Ron Tonkin Field (the home field of the Hillsboro Hops) in Hillsboro, Oregon, due to COVID-19 border restrictions.[39] The Canadians finished fifth and were eliminated from playoff contention.[40]
2022
Prior to the 2022 season, the High-A West became known as the Northwest League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.[41] Vancouver finished second, qualifying for the first time to the new Northwest League playoffs system. Under the new procedures, a single best-of-five series is played to determine the championship. The Canadians lost the championship series by being swept, 3–0, by Eugene.[42]
2023
Before the 2023 season, Mooney and Kerr sold the team to Diamond Baseball Holdings, a private equity group that owns over 47 minor league baseball teams.[43] Also, Rogers Communications signed a five-year contract to rename their ballpark Roger's Field at Nat Bailey Stadium.[44]
The Canadians led the league at 77–54 and qualified for the playoffs by winning the first-half title with a 38–27 record. Vancouver defeated the Everett Aquasox, 3–1, to win their first High-A Northwest League championship and their first league championship since 2017.[45]
2024
The 2024 season saw the Canadians again qualify for the playoffs as defending league champions for the first time since their 2012 season by winning the second-half title.[46] However, the team ultimately failed to defend their title by losing the championship series, 3–1, to Spokane.[47]
2025
In the 2025 season, the Vancouver Canadians set a new franchise record with an eight-game losing streak from May 15 to 23.[48] The skid began with a 5–4 home loss to the Everett AquaSox on May 15. During the same series, the Canadians also dropped both games of a May 18 doubleheader to Everett. They then traveled to Eugene, Oregon, where their struggles continued with four more losses to the Eugene Emeralds. The losing streak finally ended on May 24, when the Canadians shut out the Emeralds, 9–0, at PK Park.
In June, the Canadians set a new franchise record for consecutive wins. The streak began on June 5, with a 9–4 victory over the Tri-City Dust Devils in Pasco, Washington, at Gesa Stadium. They matched their nine-game winning streak record on June 14 with a 6–1 home victory over the Spokane Indians in front of a sold-out crowd, and then set a new franchise record the following day with a 3–2 win over the Indians before another sold-out home crowd. The Canadians also swept the six-game series, marking the first time in Spokane Indians history that they had been swept since being promoted to High-A.
The franchise record was extended to an 11-game winning streak on June 17 with a 12–8 victory over the Emeralds at PK Park. The Canadians fell short on June 18 with an 8–1 loss, ending their record-setting winning streak. The Canadians had previously matched their nine-game winning streak three times in the past four years but had not been able to break that record until the 2025 season.[49] They finished the first-half with a 37–29 record, tied with Everett, who got the playoff berth due to winning the head-to-head tiebreaker.[50]
On August 13, the Canadians turned their first triple play in High-A franchise history against the Indians in Spokane.[51] The 1-6-3-2 triple play happened in the bottom of the 7th, when pitcher Aaron Munson threw to shortstop Arjun Nimmala, who then threw to first baseman Carter Cunningham, who threw home to catcher Edward Duran, who tagged the runner out.[52] The Canadians missed the playoffs for the first time since 2021, when they placed second in the second-half, 11 games behind the Eugene Emeralds.[53]
2026
In the 2026 season, the Canadians made the playoffs after missing the previous postseason by finishing second-best in the league.[54] Vancouver won their sixth Northwest League championship by sweeping Eugene in three games, ending a three year championship drought.[55][56][57]
Ballpark
The Canadians play their home games at Nat Bailey Stadium, which first hosted minor league baseball in 1951. During the 2026 Vancouver Canadians season, the stadium celebrated its 75th anniversary as a baseball venue with many promotions including 75 cent hotdogs on select days and 5 pennant giveaway days recognizing previous teams that played at the ballpark throughout its history.[58]
Season-by-season records
| Season | League | Regular-season | Postseason | MLB affiliate | Ref. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record | Win % | League | Division | GB | Record | Win % | Result | ||||
| 2022 | NWL | 67–62 | .519 | 2nd | — | 14 | 0–3 | .000 | Won Second-Half title[59] Lost NWL championship vs. Eugene Emeralds, 3–0[60] |
Toronto Blue Jays | [61] |
| 2023 | NWL | 77–54 | .588 | 1st | — | — | 3–1 | .750 | Won First-Half title[62] Won NWL championship vs. Everett AquaSox, 3–1[62] |
Toronto Blue Jays | [63] |
| 2024 | NWL | 68–61 | .527 | 2nd | — | 10+1⁄2 | 1–3 | .250 | Won Second-Half title[64] Lost NWL championship vs. Spokane Indians, 3–1[65] |
Toronto Blue Jays | [66] |
| 2025 | NWL | 75–57 | .586 | 2nd | — | 6 | — | — | — | Toronto Blue Jays | [67] |
| 2026 | NWL | 64–68 | .485 | 3rd (tie) | — | 15+1⁄2 | 3–0 | 1.000 | Won Wild-Card berth[68] Won NWL championship vs. Eugene Emeralds, 3–0[69] |
Toronto Blue Jays | [70] |
| Totals | — | 351–302 | .538 | — | — | — | 7–7 | .500 | — | — | — |
Attendance
| Season | Total attendance | Average attendance | Percent change | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 109,576 | 2,884 | N/A | [71] |
| 2001 | 118,357 | 3,115 | +8.0% | [72] |
| 2002 | 127,099 | 3,345 | +7.4% | [73] |
| 2003 | 137,026 | 3,606 | +7.8% | [74] |
| 2004 | 140,037 | 3,685 | +2.2% | [75] |
| 2005 | 124,708 | 3,370 | –8.5% | [76] |
| 2006 | 123,878 | 3,260 | –3.3% | [77] |
| 2007 | 126,491 | 3,419 | +4.9% | [78] |
| 2008 | 129,073 | 3,585 | +4.9% | [79] |
| 2009 | 149,297 | 3,929 | +9.6% | [80] |
| 2010 | 154,592 | 4,068 | +3.5% | [81] |
| 2011 | 162,162 | 4,267 | +4.9% | [82] |
| 2012 | 164,461 | 4,445 | +4.2% | [83] |
| 2013 | 184,042 | 4,843 | +9.0% | [84] |
| 2014 | 180,187 | 4,870 | +0.6% | [85] |
| 2015 | 215,535 | 5,825 | +19.6% | [86] |
| 2016 | 222,363 | 6,177 | +6.0% | [87] |
| 2017 | 239,527 | 6,303 | +2.0% | [88] |
| 2018 | 239,086 | 6,292 | –0.2% | [89] |
| 2019 | 235,980 | 6,210 | –1.3% | [90] |
| 2020[Note 1] | — | — | — | [91] |
| 2021[Note 2] | 15,822 | 286 | — | [92] |
| 2022[Note 3] | 313,256 | 4,857 | +1879.88% | [92] |
| 2023 | 297,437 | 4,541 | –5.05% | [92] |
| 2024 | 274,892 | 4,262 | –7.58% | [93] |
| 2025 | 277,990 | 4,212 | +1.13% | [94] |
| 2026 | 276,766 | 4,193 | –0.01% | [95] |
Roster
| Players | Coaches/Other |
|---|---|
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Pitchers
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
|
Manager
Coaches
60-day injured list
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Media
In the 2019 season, radio rights moved from CKST to CISL Sportsnet 650. As part of the deal, Sportsnet Pacific also gained rights to air a package of Canadians games on television.[96]
Notable former players in the major leagues
- Trey Yesavage (2025)
- Alan Roden (2023)
- Mason Fluharty (2022–2023)
- Leo Jiménez (2022)
- Steward Berroa (2022)
- Lazaro Estrada (2021, 2024)
- Addison Barger (2021–2022)
- Orelvis Martínez (2021)
- Brandon Eisert (2021)
- Hagen Danner (2021)
- Max Castillo (2021)
- Adam Kloffenstein (2019, 2021–2022)
- Davis Schneider (2019, 2021–2022)
- Will Robertson (2019, 2021)
- Cam Eden (2019, 2021)
- Luis De Los Santos (2019, 2021)
- Spencer Horwitz (2019, 2021)
- Alek Manoah (2019)
- Vinny Capra (2018)
- Zach Logue (2017)
- Travis Bergen (2017)
- Cavan Biggio (2016)
- Lane Thomas (2015)
- Tim Mayza (2014)
- Tim Locastro (2014)
- Miguel Castro (2014)
- Ryan Borucki (2014)
- Franklin Barreto (2014)
- Richard Urena (2014)
- Roberto Osuna (2012)
- Daniel Norris (2012)
- Dalton Pompey (2012)
- Marcus Stroman (2012)
- Kevin Pillar (2011)
- Aaron Sanchez (2011)
- Noah Syndergaard (2011)
- Justin Nicolino (2011)
- A. J. Griffin (2010)
- Ian Krol (2009)
- Dan Straily (2009)
- Max Stassi (2009)
- Sean Doolittle (2007)
- Andrew Bailey (2006)
- Justin Sellers (2005)
- Jeff Gray (2005)
- Anthony Recker (2005)
- Travis Buck (2005)
- Kurt Suzuki (2004)
- Dallas Braden (2004)
- Landon Powell (2004)
- Gregorio Petit (2004)
- Alexi Ogando (2004)
- Omar Quintanilla (2003)
- Andre Ethier (2003)
- Santiago Casilla (2002)
- Jared Burton (2002)
- Joe Blanton (2002)
- Mark Teahen (2002)
- Nick Swisher (2002)
- Nelson Cruz (2002)
- John Baker (2002)
- Mike Wood (2001)
- Rich Harden (2001)
- Neal Cotts (2001)
- Dan Johnson (2001)
- Franklyn Germán (2000)
- Ron Flores (2000)
- Freddie Bynum (2000)
Notes
- The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Due to pandemic travel restrictions during the 2021 season, the Canadians played in front of reduced crowds at Ron Tonkin Field in Hillsboro, Oregon.
- Due to being promoted from Class A Short Season to High-A, Northwest League teams have played an increased number of games since 2021.