Travel around the Blue Jays minor league system without ever leaving your house! Around the Nest, a bi-weekly look at the top stories among the Blue Jays affiliates, is back for another season hosted by Tyler Zickel, play-by-play man for the Vancouver Canadians of the Northwest League.

Batting leadoff is the voice of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats of the Eastern League, Chris Jared. Chris talks about the slow start the Cats - along with much of the league - have had in the face of a cold northeastern spring. But the pitching in New Hampshire has been incredible, with the performance of Ryan Watson standing out. Chris discusses the bad luck CJ Van Eyk has encountered, and the command issues Ryan Jennings has experienced. Shortstop Jay Harry, just up from Vancouver, has solidified the New Hampshire defence, according to Chris, as has the return of Cade Doughty from the injured list.

Next in the lineup is Buffalo play-by-play announcer Pat Malacaro. With the Bisons off to a slow start thanks to the weather as well, Pat details the work of Paxton Schultz, who had a memorable debut with the Blue Jays. Jonatan Clase, Orelvis Martinez, and Andrew Bash come up for discussion as well.

While the north has been chilly, the newest addition to the Around the Nest batting order, Dunedin broadcaster Eli Fishman, has been basking in the warm Florida State League weather, made even hotter by the D-Jays league-leading offence. But that’s not the only heat on the Gulf Coast, according to Eli: pitchers Trey Yesavage, Khal Stephen, and Gage Stanifer have been lighting up the radar gun while melting FSL hitters at the same time. 

And our Closer this week is Vancouver Canadians broadcaster Chris Georges, who locks our first episode down with his conversation with former big league player and manager, and current Blue Jays VP of Baseball Operations and Assistant General Manager David Bell.

It’s all the news about the Blue Jays farm system that’s fit to print and download to your device.

Please welcome D.M. Fox, the author of the Future Blue Jays newsletter and Severn Sound: A Big Leaguer Comes to Port McNicoll as the Chief Collaborator on Around The Nest!

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