Blue Jays Minor League Teams ft Florida Complex League

What is Florida Complex League? It is the league of rookie-level affiliates of the major league baseball teams and operates in Florida.

The league is divided into three divisions; East, North, and South, with five teams each. All fifteen groups are associated with fifteen major league clubs.

The Florida Complex League was founded in 1964 as the Sarasota Rookie League and was named Gulf Coast League (GCL) a few years later. The Yankees affiliated team, FCL Yankees, are the reigning league champions and the side with the most titles, thirteen.

Florida Complex League Blue Jays are the rookie affiliate of the MLB team Toronto Blue Jays. The team was founded in 1981 and played in GCL from 1981 to 1985 and 1991 to 1995.

After an eleven-year absence, FCL Blue Jays returned as a minor league team in 2007 and have played ever since. The team has won two division titles and is yet to win the league.

Major league teams use these leagues as a platform to develop young talents until they are ready for the majors or to ease some players returning from injury or a long layoff. One such case is of the Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah.

Manoah, who was first assigned to Buffalo Bisons during the start of the 2021 season, was selected in the 40-man roster of Blue Jays on May 27, 2021. The pitcher played throughout the 2021 and 2022 seasons for Toronto.

However, he struggled in the ongoing season, posting an ERA of 6.36 in thirteen games. On June 5, the pitcher gave away six runs in the first innings of the game against the Astros and was relieved with two outs remaining in the round.

Alek Manoah Florida Complex League demotion occurred on June 6.

Infielder Ernie Clement and right-handed pitcher Jay Jackson are among other Blue Jays players recently demoted to the minor league. Both the players are assigned to the Triple-A affiliate of the side.

Toronto Blue Jays Triple A team is Buffalo Bisons. The team was founded in 1979 and has been associated with the Jays since 2013.

Bisons compete in the east division of the International League. They have been affiliates of four other major league teams in the past, such as the Mets, Pirates, Cleveland, and White Sox.

They play their home games at Sahlen Field, the ballpark with the highest capacity in the Triple-A league in the States. Due to travel restrictions between the USA and Canada, the stadium hosted some Blue Jays games during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. 

Buffalo has won three league titles in their history but none with the Blue Jays. Further, they have ten division titles to their name. The tenth one came during the 2021 season, after a fifteen-year gap.

The team's name is derived from the place they are based in, Buffalo, New York. Jim Thome, Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, and Valdimir Guerrero Jr. are some of the notable alumni of the affiliate.

Bisons are currently eighth in the division with a record of 26-32. The team finished fourth last season with a 76-72 record, failing to qualify for the postseason for the sixteenth straight season.

Toronto Blue Jays Double-A affiliate team is New Hampshire Fisher Cats. The Cats have been an affiliate of Toronto since the 2003 season.

Established in 1994 as the New Haven Ravens based in New Haven, Connecticut, they were renamed New Hampshire Fisher Cats in 2004 after a fan poll. They play in the Northeast division of the Eastern League.

Based in Manchester, New Hampshire, the baseball club plays home games at Delta Dental Stadium. Fisher Cats have won three division and three league titles with the Blue Jays.

The team is currently third in the division with twenty-seven wins out of fifty-one games. During its foundation, Fisher Cats were initially affiliated with the Rockies.

After five years with Colorado, they spent the next four seasons as an affiliate of the Mariners and Cardinals, finally settling for the Blue Jays. Some notable alumni of the Double-A team include Marcus Stroman, Kevin Pillar, and Aaron Sanchez.

Toronto Blue Jays High-A affiliate team is Vancouver Canadians. They play in the Northwest League and have been associated with Toronto since 2011.

Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Canadians play their home matches at Nat Bailey Stadium. Vancouver is the only Canadian-based MiLB team in the league.

The team was founded in 2000, succeeding the Pacific Coast League's Vancouver Canadians, who moved to California. The team has won four league titles in its two-decade-long history, all as an affiliate of the Blue Jays.

Initially, Vancouver was an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics and won two division titles. They added five more division crowns to their name after switching associations.

The Double-A affiliate side has helped provide a learning platform for many players who went on to play for the major league. Roberto Osuna, Nate Pearson, and Noah Syndergaard are some of those payers.

They are currently at the top of the league with a record of 27-24.

Toronto Blue Jays Single-A affiliate team is Dunedin Blue Jays. They play in the West Division of the Florida State League.

The minor league team from Florida has been associated with Toronto since its inception in 1987. During that time, Dunedin has won one league title and seven division titles.

Established as one of two teams with the same name that played in Dunedin, the original Class A affiliate of Toronto was founded in 1978. They played for two seasons and were disbanded, and the current team continued the affiliation.

The Single-A affiliate side plays their home games at the TD Ballpark. The stadium has hosted many events and Toronto Blue Jays spring training games.

Kevin Pillar, Aaron Hill, and Carlos Delgado are among some players who played for the side and were later called up to the majors. Donnie Murphy, a former MLB player, is the side's manager.

They are fourth in Florida League State West division with a record of 25-27.

Toronto Blue Jays Rookie-level affiliate team is Dominican Summer League Blue Jays. They play in the Dominican Summer League, called the foreign rookie league.

The team is based in Boca China, Santo Domingo and plays in the Baseball City division. The DSL team plays its home games at the Boca Chica Baseball City Complex, a 1.4 miles complex with ten baseball stadiums.

The complex is home to other rookie teams as well, including the affiliates of the Orioles, Reds, White Sox, and Diamondbacks. The team is managed by a former minor league player Andy Fermin.

DSL Blue Jays have won two league titles and have been an affiliate of the MLB side since their inception. They won their first title during the 1991 season, whereas their second title came in 2021.

The team has played just two games this season, winning one. Their next game is on June 8 against the DSL Arizona Blacks.