Bob Lipman's 2026 Season Preview

MANCHESTER, NH - Can it really be eight seasons since Fisher Cats fans spent a summer watching Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and Manager John Schneider? The boys have grown up, and last season they helped deliver an American League Championship, advancing to one of the most memorable World Series in recent years—a seven-game thriller against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bo has moved on to the Mets this season, but Vlad is back, and so is Schneider at the helm in Toronto. A young, talented group—many of whom once played in New Hampshire—will try to keep the Blue Jays atop the league.

Shoutout to our guy John Schneider (left) for giving up more home runs in 4.5 minutes than anyone in the history of the sport 🙌🏻#DreamTeam 🐐🐐 pic.twitter.com/8FQRgfrINY

— New Hampshire Fisher Cats (@FisherCats) July 9, 2019

Last season, New Hampshire got an early look at a pitcher who may soon emerge as the ace of Toronto’s staff. Trey Yesavage began his remarkable year with Class-A Dunedin before arriving in New Hampshire on June 12. He made eight starts for the Fisher Cats and finished the year with three postseason wins, including a sensational seven-inning, 12-strikeout performance that put the Blue Jays up 3–2 in the World Series.

Several recent Fisher Cats also contributed to Toronto’s success in 2025, including Addison Barger (21 homers, 74 RBIs), Davis Schneider, Braydon Fisher (7–0, 2.70 ERA), and Mason Fluharty.

Trey Yesavage has 12 strikeouts, the MOST by a rookie pitcher in a #WorldSeries game!

He struck out all nine members of the Dodgers' lineup before the sixth inning!

(H/T @EliasSports) pic.twitter.com/1KPmpuRIWX

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 30, 2025

Double-A baseball is often where future Major Leaguers begin to separate themselves. It’s where legitimate prospects face other legitimate prospects. Since the Fisher Cats’ inaugural season in 2004, Yesavage became the 173rd player to reach the Major Leagues after playing in New Hampshire. Naturally, more Fisher Cats alumni appear on Toronto’s 40-man roster than on any other team—but you’ll find former Cats across all of Major League Baseball.

Last season, several players put together strong campaigns in New Hampshire and earned promotions to Triple-A Buffalo—just one step from the big leagues. Charles McAdoo led the team in home runs and RBIs, while Yohendrick Piñango hit .298 before his call-up. RJ Shreck also had an excellent start to the season. Younger players, such as Peyton Williams and Jace Bohrofen, showed flashes of becoming future breakout performers.

After an absolutely dominant performance at the plate this past homestand, Jace Bohrofen (TOR No. 24, MLB Pipeline) was named your Eastern League player of the week! 🚨

🔗 Read more at the link here: https://t.co/oZSIDOAUeI#beyondbaseballnh #destinationcats pic.twitter.com/EOacrlI5Ym

— New Hampshire Fisher Cats (@FisherCats) April 21, 2025

Toronto did trade away several top pitching prospects at last year’s deadline, but the cupboard is far from bare. Grant Rogers, CJ Van Eyk, Devereaux Harrison, and Ryan Jennings should all get opportunities to prove themselves at higher levels, along with breakout relievers Nate Garkow and Alex Amalfi.

So, what can fans expect from the 2026 Fisher Cats under new manager John Tamargo Jr.? In 2025, JT led the Blue Jays’ Florida Complex League team to its first championship. He has been with the organization since 2010, but this marks his first stop in the Granite State. Returning to the staff are Mitch Huckabay and Austin Bibens-Dirkx—Huckabay in his fourth season as Hitting Coach, and Bibens-Dirkx back as Pitching Coach for the club he pitched for from 2013–2015.

🏆 FCL CHAMPIONS 🏆

Congratulations to our Florida Complex League Blue Jays on sWWeeping the 2025 Championship! pic.twitter.com/JCPtn5xlhE

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 1, 2025

Many players on this year’s roster have previous Double-A experience and return to continue their development, joined by rising prospects from across the system. Last season, Advanced-A Vancouver went 75–57, and several of that club’s top performers are expected to make an impact here, including shortstop Arjun Nimmala (TOR No. 3 prospect, MLB Pipeline), pitcher Silvano Hechavarria (No. 14), and infielder Sean Keys (No. 17).

The Fisher Cats’ season spans 138 games—a long grind, but by design. The Blue Jays are preparing these players for the demands of Major League baseball, and you never know when the call for a promotion will come. New Hampshire will compete through the end of September against top prospects from the Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, and more.

Arjun Nimmala enters 2026 with a chance to find more consistency + build on his flashes of promise.

If he can carry his early-season form across a full campaign, he could begin to establish himself as an everyday shortstop 👀 pic.twitter.com/EKpVsuaihn

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) March 1, 2026

A few historical notes: New Hampshire has won three Eastern League Championships—2004 (the inaugural season), 2011, and 2018. The team played its first season at Manchester’s Gill Stadium before moving into what is now Delta Dental Stadium. The Blue Jays first entered the Eastern League in 2003 with the New Haven Ravens; that franchise was sold and relocated to New Hampshire the following year. The Fisher Cats have always been a Blue Jays affiliate, competing annually against AL East rivals such as Somerset (Yankees), Portland (Red Sox), and Chesapeake (Orioles).

Today, the Fisher Cats are owned by Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), which operates select Minor League clubs across the country. Our General Manager is Taylor Fisher, a Merrimac, Massachusetts native who returned to New England last year with a decade of Minor League baseball experience.

All Fisher Cats games are available with an MLB.TV subscription, and a free audio stream can be accessed through our website. Chris Jared, Manager of Broadcasting & Media Relations, will be joined on the air by our new assistant, Adam Glover. I’m looking forward to helping out for my 22nd season. We love talking about our team—feel free to reach out anytime at media@nhfishercats.com.