C’s Chat – 2025 Vancouver Canadians RHP #22 Gage Stanifer – C's Plus Baseball

Filling up the strike zone in the latest C’s Chat is 2025 Vancouver Canadians pitcher Gage Stanifer.

Hailing from the Hoosier State, the Indianapolis native played baseball and football in his early years. Stanifer would leave the gridiron for good in the eighth grade due to a broken collarbone and numerous concussions. That was a wise decision as Stanifer would star on the mound at Westfield High School, where he would post a career earned run average of below one. As a junior in 2021, he struck out 100 batters in 52 innings and won seven of eight decisions with a 0.94 ERA. In 2022, Stanifer continued to dominate, posting a 5-2 record, a 0.74 ERA, and striking out 83 batters in 38 innings.

With the 2022 MLB Draft approaching, Stanifer had to decide whether to go to college at Cincinnati or turn pro if his name was called. He chose not to “Do the Bearcat” when the Toronto Blue Jays drafted him in the 19th round based on the evaluation of scout Matt Huck.

After receiving a $125,000 signing bonus, Stanifer would not throw his first pitch as a professional until 2023 when he was assigned to the Florida Complex League. He made seven of his 11 appearances as a starter and struck out 47 batters in 42⅔ innings, but he issued 23 walks with an ERA above six. However, Stanifer had two scoreless appearances out of three to end the season, including five shutout innings of one-hit, one-walk relief with five strikeouts to earn the win over the host FCL Phillies on August 5.

A transition to full-season baseball in 2024 had its ups and downs for Stanifer. With Low-A Dunedin, he finished May on a strong note by allowing just two runs over 12 innings in which he struck out 16 batters and walked five batters. Stanifer earned his first win as a Dunedin Blue Jay with five innings of one-run ball and seven strikeouts at Bradenton on May 26. He was able to continue the positive momentum with four no-hit innings in June, working around four walks and striking out five against St. Lucie on June 2. Stanifer then notched another victory with five frames of one-run ball at Palm Beach on June 9.

The rest of the season did not go nearly as well, and it resulted in a year-ending 6.34 ERA, one tick higher than his season in the FCL. Stanifer maintained his strikeout an inning pace by whiffing 64 batters in 59⅔ innings, but his struggles traced back to his walk rate, which went up from 4.85 to 7.54 per nine innings.

In a scene right out of the movie Major League when Ricky Vaughn began to pitch better after wearing glasses, it was discovered that Stanifer had astigmatism in one of his eyes after a series of vision tests during spring training earlier this year as reported by Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. After getting fitted for contacts, Stanifer started rolling by giving up just three runs in seven relief appearances with Dunedin to begin 2025. He was a perfect 4-0 in April, working in tandem with starter Trey Yesavage, including four shutout frames and seven strikeouts against Lakeland on April 19. Stanifer’s walk rate was more respectable at 4.15 per nine innings and he gave up just 10 hits in 26 innings. A 4-0 record, two saves and a 0.69 ERA with the D-Jays led to a callup to Vancouver along with Yesavage and fellow pitching prospect Khal Stephen on May 20.

The Yesavage/Stanifer combo made just one appearance at Nat Bailey Stadium but what an appearance it was. Stanifer followed Yesavage’s 4⅓ innings of one-run ball by striking out seven batters over four shutout innings to get the save against Hillsboro on May 31. He would also get the save in another four-inning shutout stint in which he struck out six batters at Tri-City on June 6.

When Yesavage was called up to Double-A New Hampshire, Stanifer was moved into the starting rotation for Monty’s Mounties and struck out 10 batters over four innings of three-run ball against Spokane on June 12. He finished June by giving up just two runs and striking out nine over five innings against Tri-City on June 25. Stanifer’s first Northwest League win came on July 2 when he surrendered just one hit and struck out nine over 5⅓ shutout innings against Everett at The Nat.

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C’s Plus Baseball spoke with the 21-year-old Stanifer during the team’s homestand against Tri-City in late June. This interview has been edited for clarity.

C’s Plus Baseball – There was a story about you recently in The Athletic. As Mitch Bannon in The Athletic called it, it was a Ricky Vaughn situation out of the movie Major League when it came to testing your eyesight. How did it all come about?

Gage Stanifer – Yeah, I mean, I really just went in for a standard eye check-up in spring training and ended up doing a little more in-depth stuff with some depth perception testing and stuff like that. But a half-hour test ended up being a two-and-a-half hour test.

CPB – There was a colour test as well?

GS – Yeah. There were like four coloured dots and I ended up only really seeing one of them, and I was supposed to see two to four of them.

CPB – How did it feel after you got your contacts and your eyewear, it must have been like a big revelation?

GS – Yeah, I mean, I think the biggest challenge was just trying to put them in, figuring that out, but it was definitely nice just kind of figuring something out that could help me on the mound and help my game.

CPB – What was the biggest difference that you noticed?

GS – I think the biggest thing was just kind of being able to focus a little bit more, not having the eyes kind of wander and bounce in between. So just being able to focus on the target and lock in a little bit longer.

CPB – I guess you’ve seen the movie Major League, did that remind you of the Ricky Vaughn scene?

GS – Oh yeah, that’s the first thing my agents actually texted me.

CPB – Would you say that’s your favourite baseball movie?

GS – I’d say that and The Sandlot.

CPB – Okay. Let’s turn it back now to how you first got started in baseball. When did it all begin for you in Indianapolis?

GS – I’d say I was probably eight or nine. Started out at just a local T-ball league and then worked into machine and coach-pitch and tryout ball throughout Westfield and Indiana.

CPB – When you look back on your high school career, any moments that stand out for you?

GS – It was always fun playing at Westfield. Got to be around a couple of the alum. One of the big names is (Tampa Bay Rays pitcher) Ryan Pepiot. Just being able to grow up and meet him and still be in contact with him is huge, and watch him do his thing with the Rays.

CPB – Did you play any other sports in high school?

GS – I played football for a little bit. I stopped playing (because of) injuries and then just rec basketball, but mainly just baseball.

CPB – What did you play in football?

GS – I was a quarterback.

CPB – Favourite NFL quarterback? Peyton Manning, maybe?

GS – Yeah, really just Peyton Manning.

CPB – Colts fan?

GS – Try to be. Try to be.

CPB – Do you have any other favourite pro sports teams?

GS – I followed the Pacers this year. I’m not a big NBA fan, but it’s always nice to see them do their thing, and I was rooting for them.

CPB – Let’s take it back to when you first became a pitcher? How did that all start?

GS – I’ve really always kind of been around the mound. I started out when I was in coach-pitch. I was right next to the coach being that little side helper and then my first year of kid pitch, I was pitching, so kind of all my life.

CPB – Who would you say has helped you develop as a pitcher?

GS – I’d say the biggest resource I’ve had is Greg Vogt back in Indiana at PRP (Passion Resilience Process Baseball). I’ve been working with him since 2017. Before that, I was with (nine-year major league pitcher) Doug Sisk just kind of doing one-on-one stuff with him when I was real young.

CPB – Were there certain pitching drills that they taught you when you went to this baseball camp?

GS – The biggest thing was just kind of learning how my body moved, learn the basic fundamentals and then building over time. Obviously, as you get older, your body starts to grow and move differently. So it was a little weird when I was young and lengthy and skinny, just trying to figure out how to time things up and now just being more aware of things and figuring out how to move properly on the mound has helped out a lot.

CPB – Taking it to the draft now, you were picked in the 19th round in 2022. What do you remember about your draft day experience?

GS – It was awesome to just hear my name called. It’s always been a goal of mine to get into a major league program and start a career off. I knew when I heard my name, I wanted to sign and get things rolling. Obviously, I was committed to Cincinnati. You can always go back to school, but you might not get the chance to play pro ball again.

CPB – Were you at all nervous? The draft was almost up, but were you confident that you were going to get picked?

GS – I figured I would get picked. I was definitely happy to hear my name called in the 19th (round). It was a little bit of relief just to hear it called and have things be over with and know I’d get to start things off.

CPB – Did you have any idea this Blue Jays were going to take you or did you think maybe it was going to be somebody else?

GS – They were actually the first team that I had contacted scout-wise, so I kind of had a relationship building with them from the start.

CPB – You report down to Dunedin and get to see the new Player Development Complex. How has that helped you develop as a pitcher?

GS – Yeah, I mean, the complex is really just unreal. You’ve got all the resources you need, the staff is great, the pitching lab is insane. You’ve got biometric stuff, slow-mo cameras, everything you need. It’s pretty cool with all the force plates and all that, so it’s definitely helped get me to where I am now.

CPB – Would you say there was something you learned about yourself? Maybe ‘I didn’t know this about my delivery’ or the way you pitch or how your pitches move, anything like that?

GS – I think the biggest thing I’ve realized this past year is just kind of cleaning up the glove side has helped with about everything in my delivery as far as a posture and release point thing. It has cleaned up my pitches and made some of them better.

CPB – At draft camp, was there anyone you hit it off with right away that some of you just immediately connected with?

GS – Actually my first roommate, Pat Gallagher. Obviously I got to play with him a little bit here, which this was my first time playing with him since being drafted. It’s been cool to kind of just see his progress and stay in contact and watch what he’s been doing while I’m kind of doing my thing and then I finally got up here to play with him.

CPB – You had a bit of a rough introduction (to pro ball), but things have really turned around for you this year. Talk about your progression from first arriving on the scene to where you are now?

GS – I think the biggest thing is just trusting myself and trusting my stuff and the work I do every day, trying to stay confident and just compete and trust everyone in the field behind me and do what I can do.

CPB -Talk about your pitch mix. I’ve heard three pitches, but what is it that you are throwing?

GS – Yeah, I throw a four-seam fastball, a splitter and a slider.

CPB – Kevin Gausman is famous for the splitter. Was there anything imparted, maybe not directly from him, but I guess from the pitching coaches there?

GS – Yeah. I mean, I was always trying to develop a change-up growing up. It was kind of tough for me. I always threw it a little too hard or it just wasn’t great. So the splitter ended up kind of sticking and ended up this spring finding it a little bit better where some of the shapes ended up replicating Gausman’s splitter. So it was kind of cool to see that. I’m still trying to develop it and get comfortable with it, but it could definitely be a good third pitch for me.

CPB – The slider, is it more of a sweeper or a gyro slider? How would you describe it?

GS – I would say last year it was definitely more gyro. This year it’s more, I would say more curveball-shaped. It’s got a lot more depth and it’s harder. So it’s definitely an outlier, but it’s helped me a lot.

CPB – And the fastball, you say, is a four-seamer. Have you tried any other variations or are you just sticking with a four?

GS – I always threw a two-seam growing up. I actually swapped to a four-seam fastball last season, right before Dunedin. So I’ve only been throwing the four-seam for so long, but I threw a two-seam and it ended up carrying more than running. So we ended up just swapping to a four-seam.

CPB – How would you grade or maybe rank your pitches? What’s your out pitch and what do you think you still need to kind of maybe work on?

GS – I would definitely say my out pitch right now is my slider. My fastball’s up there with it, but the splitter’s here and there. I think it’s still a good pitch, but more for weak contact. I think as I develop it better, it will turn into a put-away pitch.

CPB – Your fastball. It looks like it’s ticked up a little bit. Was that through what you did down at the Player Development Complex? What was the big key in maybe finding a couple of ticks in your fastball?

GS – It was actually around the All-Star break last year, working with (pitching coach) Cory Riordan in Dunedin. We started to use the Connection Ball with the glove side. That ended up cleaning up my mechanics and my upper-half and everything. I actually saw the velo jump about three miles an hour towards the back half of the season last year. And then moving into the off-season, I was continuing working on the movement patterns and everything I worked on in-season and getting more comfortable with all of that. Working into spring training and just continuing to hammer all that has helped out a lot.

CPB – How would you describe yourself as a pitcher? If you had to give a scouting report on yourself, what would you say you bring to the table when you’re on the mound?

GS – I would just say very aggressive and fast-paced and just a competitor.

CPB – I wanted to ask you about partnering with Trey Yesavage in Dunedin and in Vancouver. What was that like? You were piggybacking with him and now you’re starting.

GS – It was a lot of fun. I always knew coming in after him, it was going to be a fun spot to come out of. He would always start out the game dominant, and I would be able to follow that and just compete from where he left off. I think just being able to see him set the tone early, and I can set the tone late and shut the game down. But now moving into the starting role, obviously keep the same mindset, but just from inning one instead of five or six.

CPB – I wanted to ask you about that one game, that Saturday afternoon game, Trey Yesavage’s lone start here at The Nat and you followed up afterwards with Bo Bonds in between. What do you remember about your debut effort where you got the save?

GS – The biggest thing was just, this is probably the biggest atmosphere I’ve pitched in front of in my life. It was a lot of fun just being able to come in and shut the game down, but do it in front of a crowd and show what I could do.

CPB – What was the key to your success that game? It seemed like you were establishing the fastball. I remember seeing a lot of 95s (on the radar gun) at first and then you eventually went to the breaking stuff. Is that what you remember from that?

GS – Yeah, I mean, I think the biggest thing was just getting in the zone early and being able to branch off of that and put guys away was huge. Just trusting my off-speed late and even trusting the heater late helped out a lot.

CPB – Now you’re in the starting rotation. How does that affect your preparation, making the transition now with Trey Yesavage gone up to New Hampshire?

GS – The prep actually all stayed the same. Even when I was piggybacking, I was able to do the same starter routine, just four innings in advance. So I’m still doing the same prep, same routine, all in the same timeline, just now throwing from inning one instead of later in the game.

CPB – There was one start here, I believe it was your second start, you were wearing glasses. Does it matter to you what you use?

GS -Yeah, I mean, right now it’s just kind of seeing what’s more comfortable and what I like more. Right now, I don’t really have a preference, both feel good and I like both, yeah.

CPB – I wanted to ask you about your glove. Where did you get that? I don’t see a lot of purple gloves. Have you always had that?

GS – Purple is kind of my favourite colour. I like to just kind of have a glove that stands out. It’s really the only thing a pitcher can have that’s like their main equipment. So I think that’s just kind of the biggest thing. I like to have fun with gloves. I have probably 25 gloves that I just like to have fun with.

CPB – I wanted to ask about when you first found out that you were coming to Vancouver from Dunedin. I heard there was a bit of a story with that, because you, Khal Stephen and Trey Yesavage were called up at the same time. And I believe you were the last to find out. What do you remember about that? From what Khal Stephen told me, it was a bit of a long meeting before they broke the news to you.

GS – Yeah, it was definitely cool hearing Gil (Dunedin manager Gil Kim) go through everything, starting out with Trey and going into Khal and then just kind of branching into me. It was definitely a good experience just to hear all of us coming up here together and continue what we did in Dunedin here and just kind of keep us rolling and keep the group tight. It was fun, it was very cool how Gil went about it.

CPB – Did you have any idea that (the call-up) was coming? Did you have an inkling, or were you taken by surprise?

GS – Honestly, I kind of assumed those two (Yesavage and Stephens) would leave and I would kind of start for a few games and then come up here eventually. But it kind of caught me off guard at the end. I figured it would just be those two to start out and then I ended up hearing my name as well.

CPB – What’s the big difference you noticed from pitching in Dunedin to here?

GS – I think the biggest thing is probably just the competitive at-bats later in counts. When you’re in hitters’ counts, you’ve got to be a little more precise in the zone. And if you leave good pitches late, they’re going to damage it. But if you can stay away from that, you’re going to be alright.

CPB – Final couple of questions, did you have a favourite major league player or pitcher growing up?

GS – I did like watching Marcus Stroman and Joe Kelly. He’s a competitor and a different guy.

CPB – Did you have a favourite major league team growing up?

GS – I always kind of followed the Cubs and Reds just because they’re close. But that’s probably it, yeah.

CPB – Final question, the Canadians have lots of different uniforms—red, black, white, blue, gray. Do you have a favourite?

GS – You can’t go wrong with all-white and all-gray. I think all-gray is probably going to be my favourite jersey combo no matter where I am.

Gage Stanifer File

Born – November 18, 2003, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Height/Weight – 6-foot-3, 201 pounds
Bats/Throws – Right/Right
Uniform Numbers – Wore number 39 with the Florida Complex League Blue Jays in 2023, wore number 35 with the Dunedin Blue Jays in 2024 and number 6 with Dunedin in 2025.
Professional Debut – June 8, 2023, FCL Blue Jays vs FCL Tigers.
First Professional Strikeout – June 8, 2023, vs FCL Tigers. Struck out José Briceño.
First Professional Win – August 5, 2023, FCL Blue Jays at FCL Phillies. Pitched 5 shutout innings and struck out five.
First Professional Save – May 7, 2025, Dunedin Blue Jays at Clearwather Threshers. Pitched four shutout innings and struck out seven.
C’s Debut – May 20, 2025, at Eugene Emeralds.
First C’s Save – May 31, 2025, versus Hillsboro Hops. Pitched four shutout frames with seven punchouts.
First C’s Win – July 2, 2025, versus Everett AquaSox. Tossed 5⅓ shutout innings with nine Ks.
Mound Music – “Blow” by Kesha.
Twitter – @GageStanifer
Instagram – @gagestanifer
Now You Know – The last pitcher named Gage to appear for Vancouver was fellow righthander Gage Burland in 2019.