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. They have been the only MiLB team based in Canada after the Ottawa Lynx relocated to Allentown, Pennsylvania in 2007.

ClassHigh-A (2021–present)
Previous classesClass A Short Season (2000–2020)
LeagueNorthwest League (2000–present)
TeamToronto Blue Jays (2011–present)
Quick facts Team logo, Cap insignia ...
Vancouver Canadians
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
ClassHigh-A (2021–present)
Previous classesClass A Short Season (2000–2020)
LeagueNorthwest League (2000–present)
Major league affiliations
TeamToronto Blue Jays (2011–present)
Previous teamsOakland Athletics (2000–2010)
Minor league titles
League titles (5)
  • 2011
  • 2012
  • 2013
  • 2017
  • 2023
Division titles (7)
  • 2004
  • 2005
  • 2011
  • 2012
  • 2013
  • 2014
  • 2017
First-half titles (1)
  • 2023
Second-half titles (2)
  • 2022
  • 2024
Team data
ColorsRed, dark red, black, silver, white
         
MascotBob Brown Bear[1]
Ballpark
Owner/
Operator
Diamond Baseball Holdings[2]
General managerAllan Bailey
ManagerJosé Mayorga[3]
Websitemilb.com/vancouver
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A game at Nat Bailey Stadium in 2007

History

Prior to the 1999 season, the Vancouver Canadians Pacific Coast League franchise was purchased by a group led by Art Savage with the intention of relocating to Sacramento, California.[4] Despite winning the Pacific Coast League title and Triple-A World Series, the Canadians moved to California's capital city. The Southern Oregon Timberjacks of the Northwest League announced their relocation to Vancouver.[5] The team, a member of the Class A Short Season 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.

2007

In 2007, local Vancouver businessmen Jake Kerr and Jeff Mooney purchased the Vancouver Canadians 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 children's play area. Point-of-purchase concessions increased substantially.

In January 2008, former Washington Nationals executive Andy Dunn become the President and General Manager of the Canadians.

2010–2012

In spring 2010, the Vancouver Canadians and Scotiabank announced a long-term partnership that would see Nat Bailey Stadium renamed to Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium.

The Canadians became the Short-Season A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays following the 2010 season. The team's attendance rose to 162,162 in 2011, a team record. In September 2011, the Vancouver Canadians won their first Northwest League title, defeating the Tri-City Dust Devils, 9–2, to win the final series, 2–1. The following year, the Vancouver Canadians became back-to-back champions for the first time in franchise history, defeating the Boise Hawks, 12–9, to win the final series, 2–1.

2013

In August 2013, outfielder Kevin Pillar became the first alumnus of the team to debut in the major leagues for Toronto.[6]

On September 9, 2013, the Canadians became just the third Northwest League team to win three straight championships, defeating the Boise Hawks, 5–0, at Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium to win the final series, 2–1, in front of a sellout crowd.[7] 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.[8]

2016–2017

In 2016, the Canadians led the Northwest League with a total attendance of 222,363, averaging 6,177 per game.[9] 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.[10] In 2017, the Canadians won another championship, defeating Eugene, 2–1, to win the series, 3–1.[11] They beat their previous 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.[12]

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 an impressive 239,086 in total attendance.

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.[13] In a further change, they were organized into the High-A West along with five other teams previously of the Northwest League.[14]

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.[15] The Canadians finished 5th in 2021, missing out on playoffs.

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.[16] Vancouver finished 2nd in the 2022 season, qualifying for the first time to the new Northwest League playoffs system. Under the new playoffs system, a single best-of-5 series is played to determine the championship winner. Vancouver lost 3–0 to Eugene to finish runner-up.

2023

In the 2023 season, the Canadians had the best overall record in the Northwest 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.[17]

In 2023, Mooney and Kerr sold the team to Diamond Baseball Holdings, a private equity group that owns over 47 minor league baseball teams.[18]

2024

The 2024 season saw the Canadians again qualify for the playoffs, but they lost the championship series 3–1 to Spokane.

2025

In the 2025 season, the Vancouver Canadians set a new franchise record with an eight-game losing streak from May 15 to 23.[19] 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, 2025, 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.[20] They finished the first-half with a 37–29 record, tied with Everett who got the playoff berth due to head-to-head tiebreaker.[21]

On August 13, the Canadians turned their first triple play in High-A franchise history against the Indians in Spokane.[22] A 1-6-3-2 triple play that happened in the bottom of the 7th, where 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.[23] The Canadians missed the playoffs for the first time since 2021, when they placed second-place in the second-half, 11 games behind the Eugene Emeralds.

Ballpark

The Canadians play their home games at Nat Bailey Stadium which had hosted previous minor league teams.

Season-by-season records

More information Season, League ...
Season-by-season records (last five seasons)
Season League Regular-season Postseason MLB affiliate Ref.
Record Win % League Division GB Record Win % Result
2021 A+W 55–64 .462 5th 14 Toronto Blue Jays [24]
2022 NWL 67–62 .519 2nd 14 0–3 .000 Won Second-Half title[25]
Lost NWL championship vs. Eugene Emeralds, 3–0[26]
Toronto Blue Jays [27]
2023 NWL 77–54 .588 1st 3–1 .750 Won First-Half title[28]
Won NWL championship vs. Everett AquaSox, 3–1[28]
Toronto Blue Jays [29]
2024 NWL 68–61 .527 2nd 10+12 1–3 .250 Won Second-Half title[30]
Lost NWL championship vs. Spokane Indians, 3–1[31]
Toronto Blue Jays [32]
2025 NWL 75–57 .586 2nd 6 Toronto Blue Jays [33]
Totals 342–298 .534 4–7 .364
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Canadians attendance

More information Year, Total Attendance ...
YearTotal
Attendance
AveragePercent ChangeRef
2000109,5762,884N/A[34]
2001118,3573,115+8.0%[35]
2002127,0993,345+7.4%[36]
2003137,0263,606+7.8%[37]
2004140,0373,685+2.2%[38]
2005124,7083,370–8.5%[39]
2006123,8783,260–3.3%[40]
2007126,4913,419+4.9%[41]
2008129,0733,585+4.9%[42]
2009149,2973,929+9.6%[43]
2010154,5924,068+3.5%[44]
2011162,1624,267+4.9%[45]
2012164,4614,445+4.2%[46]
2013184,0424,843+9.0%[47]
2014180,1874,870+0.6%[48]
2015215,5355,825+19.6%[49]
2016222,3636,177+6.0%[50]
2017239,5276,303+2.0%[51]
2018239,0866,292–0.2%[52]
2019 235,980 6,210 –1.3% [53]
2020[Note 1] - - - [54]
2021[Note 2] 15,822 286 - [55]
2022[Note 3] 313,256 4,857 +1879.88% [55]
2023 297,437 4,541 –5.05% [55]
2024 274,892 4,262 –7.58% [56]
2025 277,990 4,212 +1.13% [57]
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Roster

More information Players, Coaches/Other ...
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 40 Trace Baker
  • 28 Gilberto Batista
  • 10 Austin Cates
  • 27 Eminen Flores
  • 31 Daniel Guerra
  • -- Silvano Hechavarria Injury icon
  • 44 Johnny King
  • 22 Landen Maroudis
  • 35 Carson Pierce
  • 32 Kelena Sauer
  • 34 Jay Schueler
  • 38 Danny Thompson Jr.
  • 33 Jonathan Todd
  •  1 Juanmi Vasquez
  • 30 Holden Wilkerson
  • 37 Reece Wissinger

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

  •  4 Jake Casey
  • 16 Carter Cunningham
  • 24 Alexis Hernandez
  • 19 Brennan Orf
  • 26 Matt Scannell

Manager

Coaches

  • 13 Thomas Caulfield (assistant pitching)
  • -- Jonathan Davis (hitting)
  • 14 Petr Stribrcky (coach)
  • 15 Matt Van Roemer (bench)
  • 29 Eric Yardley (pitching)

60-day injured list

  • 21 Colby Holcombe
  • -- Connor O'Halloran
  • -- Sam Shaw
  •  2 Mathieu Vallee

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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.[58]

Notable former players in the major leagues

Notes

  1. The 2020 Minor League Baseball season was cancelled due to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  2. Due to pandemic restrictions during the 2021 MiLB Season, the Canadians played in front of reduced crowds at Ron Tonkin Field in Hillsboro, OR.
  3. Due to being promoted from Class A Short Season to High-A, Northwest League teams began playing an increased number of games beginning in 2021.

References

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