CJ Van Eyk

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #29 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Van Eyk was first drafted by the Mets in the 19th round of the 2017 draft. He honored his commitment to Florida State, where he was a standout for the Seminoles over three years and made the jump to the rotation full-time in 2019. He made four starts prior to the pandemic shutdown his junior season and allowed just three earned runs with 25 strikeouts over 20.2 innings of work. He was selected in the second round of the 2020 draft by the Blue Jays and signed for $1,797,500. He made his debut the following spring with High-A Vancouver and made 19 starts, where he compiled a 4-6 record, with a 5.83 ERA and 100 strikeouts to 39 walks over 80.1 innings. Following the 2021 season Van Eyk underwent Tommy John surgery.
  
  Scouting Report: Van Eyk has never lacked stuff dating back to his days at Florida State--what has plagued Van Eyk is his consistency. From start to start his fastball velocity and quality will waiver and he synchronizes his timing with his arm often late at foot plant. On his best days Van Eyk showed a four-seam fastball at 93-95 mph that touched 97 with an efficient spin axis that translated to ride and late bore. His primary secondary is a low-80s curveball with plus depth that generates swings and misses when he has command of it. He'll mix in a mid-80 slider with tight, classic slider shape and a low-80s changeup he'll execute with arm speed. It's a deep arsenal of pitches, but what pitcher awaits on the other side of Tommy John is anyone's guess.
  
  The Future: Van Eyk has back-of-the-rotation upside if he can iron out his command. One year removed from TJ, he is likely to return to the mound early in the 2023 season.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 55. Slider: 45. Changeup: 55. Control: 40.
• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #16 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Van Eyk signed with the Blue Jays for $1,797,500 out of Florida State as the 42nd overall pick in the 2020 draft. He got off to a rough start in his pro debut though, posting a 5.83 ERA as he struggled to throw strikes in 2021.
  
  Scouting Report: Van Eyk pitches off a fastball that sits at 91-94 mph with the ability to reach back for 97. He throws a hard curveball that is his go-to offspeed pitch and is solid-average at times, but he had trouble landing it in the zone. He doesn’t throw his changeup as often, but it’s at least an average pitch that can miss bats with good separation off his fastball. Van Eyk also uses fringe-average cutter in the mid-to-upper 80s. Van Eyk drew praise for his delivery coming out of Florida State, but he battled his mechanics throughout 2021, leading to erratic control.
  
  The Future: Van Eyk should head to Double-A New Hampshire in 2022, an important year for him to rebound and improve his command.
  
• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #11 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Van Eyk won a gold medal with USA Baseball's 18U national team in high school and entered his senior year as one of the top prospects in the 2017 draft. A forearm injury hurt his draft stock, and he instead went to Florida State. The move worked out, as Van Eyk became the 42nd overall pick in the 2020 draft and signed for $1,797,500. He went to the team's rookie camp at instructional league in the fall and pitched in one game.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Van Eyk pitches off a fastball that sits in the low 90s and touches 95 mph. He throws an above-average curveball with good depth that can miss bats, along with an average changeup that has good sink and separation off his fastball. Van Eyk has a feel to spin a slider, but it doesn't generate the same swing-and-miss rate as his curveball. He throws strikes with easy, fluid arm action and simple, low-maintenance mechanics.
  
  THE FUTURE: Van Eyk is a relatively safe bet to stick as a starter between his repertoire, delivery and pitchability. He should make his pro debut at one of the Class A levels in 2021.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #46 prospect in 2020 draft
  Van Eyk established himself as one of the more polished prep pitchers in the 2017 draft class. He ranked No. 109 on the BA 500 that year and would have been solidly in the top 100 of the class if it weren’t for health questions that stemmed from a forearm injury. Perhaps because of that, Van Eyk made his way to Florida State, where he has been extremely consistent. After starting just five games as a freshman, Van Eyk made a successful transition to a starting role in 2019, when he posted a 3.81 ERA over 99.1 innings and 18 starts, with more than 11 strikeouts per nine innings. He was off to another successful season in 2020, posting a 1.31 ERA over four starts and 20.2 innings with 25 strikeouts and 12 walks. Van Eyk gets things done with a solid three-pitch mix, including a fastball in the 90-95 mph range, a sharp, 78-80 mph downer curveball and an 81-84 mph changeup with sinking action that fools hitters on both sides. All three of those pitches are solid-average or better. Van Eyk can also spin a slider, but the pitch has less depth and less swing-and-miss potential than his curve. Van Eyk’s operation is clean, with a loose, fluid arm that comes from a deliberate windup with very little coil or torque in his lower half, some hooking action in the back and an easy, balanced finish. Everything about the operation screams starter, but Van Eyk’s stuff isn’t quite as explosive as the top-end pitchers in the class, which could make him more of a late first- or second-round pick.
• Ranked #109 prospect in 2017 draft
  Firmly in the Top 100 earlier in the season, Van Eyk has fallen a bit because of injury concerns after he left a start this spring due to a forearm injury. The medical situation obviously clouds his draft stock, but he began throwing again and the specifics of his health will factor heavily into where he is drafted. Before his injury, Van Eyk was one of the more polished prep pitchers in the class, throwing strikes with a fastball that gets into the mid 90s as well as a sharp curveball that scouts grade as an above-average or plus pitch. His stuff and current pitchability give Van Eyk a fairly high ceiling, and he was one of the top prep pitchers in a Florida state that is loaded at the demographic. He struck out 55 batters in 38 innings this season, issuing just nine walks.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Van Eyk was first drafted by the Mets in the 19th round of the 2017 draft. He honored his commitment to Florida State, where he was a standout for the Seminoles over three years and made the jump to the rotation full-time in 2019. He made four starts prior to the pandemic shutdown his junior season and allowed just three earned runs with 25 strikeouts over 20.2 innings of work. He was selected in the second round of the 2020 draft by the Blue Jays and signed for $1,797,500. He made his debut the following spring with High-A Vancouver and made 19 starts, where he compiled a 4-6 record, with a 5.83 ERA and 100 strikeouts to 39 walks over 80.1 innings. Following the 2021 season Van Eyk underwent Tommy John surgery.
  
  Scouting Report: Van Eyk has never lacked stuff dating back to his days at Florida State--what has plagued Van Eyk is his consistency. From start to start his fastball velocity and quality will waiver and he synchronizes his timing with his arm often late at foot plant. On his best days Van Eyk showed a four-seam fastball at 93-95 mph that touched 97 with an efficient spin axis that translated to ride and late bore. His primary secondary is a low-80s curveball with plus depth that generates swings and misses when he has command of it. He'll mix in a mid-80 slider with tight, classic slider shape and a low-80s changeup he'll execute with arm speed. It's a deep arsenal of pitches, but what pitcher awaits on the other side of Tommy John is anyone's guess.
  
  The Future: Van Eyk has back-of-the-rotation upside if he can iron out his command. One year removed from TJ, he is likely to return to the mound early in the 2023 season.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 55. Slider: 45. Changeup: 55. Control: 40.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Van Eyk was first drafted by the Mets in the 19th round of the 2017 draft. He honored his commitment to Florida State, where he was a standout for the Seminoles over three years and made the jump to the rotation full-time in 2019. He made four starts prior to the pandemic shutdown his junior season and allowed just three earned runs with 25 strikeouts over 20.2 innings of work. He was selected in the second round of the 2020 draft by the Blue Jays and signed for $1,797,500. He made his debut the following spring with High-A Vancouver and made 19 starts, where he compiled a 4-6 record, with a 5.83 ERA and 100 strikeouts to 39 walks over 80.1 innings. Following the 2021 season Van Eyk underwent Tommy John surgery.
  
  Scouting Report: Van Eyk has never lacked stuff dating back to his days at Florida State--what has plagued Van Eyk is his consistency. From start to start his fastball velocity and quality will waiver and he synchronizes his timing with his arm often late at foot plant. On his best days Van Eyk showed a four-seam fastball at 93-95 mph that touched 97 with an efficient spin axis that translated to ride and late bore. His primary secondary is a low-80s curveball with plus depth that generates swings and misses when he has command of it. He'll mix in a mid-80 slider with tight, classic slider shape and a low-80s changeup he'll execute with arm speed. It's a deep arsenal of pitches, but what pitcher awaits on the other side of Tommy John is anyone's guess.
  
  The Future: Van Eyk has back-of-the-rotation upside if he can iron out his command. One year removed from TJ, he is likely to return to the mound early in the 2023 season.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 55. Slider: 45. Changeup: 55. Control: 40.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Van Eyk signed with the Blue Jays for $1,797,500 out of Florida State as the 42nd overall pick in the 2020 draft. He got off to a rough start in his pro debut though, posting a 5.83 ERA as he struggled to throw strikes in 2021.
  
  Scouting Report: Van Eyk pitches off a fastball that sits at 91-94 mph with the ability to reach back for 97. He throws a hard curveball that is his go-to offspeed pitch and is solid-average at times, but he had trouble landing it in the zone. He doesn&#39t throw his changeup as often, but it&#39s at least an average pitch that can miss bats with good separation off his fastball. Van Eyk also uses fringe-average cutter in the mid-to-upper 80s. Van Eyk drew praise for his delivery coming out of Florida State, but he battled his mechanics throughout 2021, leading to erratic control.
  
  The Future: Van Eyk should head to Double-A New Hampshire in 2022, an important year for him to rebound and improve his command.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Van Eyk signed with the Blue Jays for $1,797,500 out of Florida State as the 42nd overall pick in the 2020 draft. He got off to a rough start in his pro debut though, posting a 5.83 ERA as he struggled to throw strikes in 2021.
  
  Scouting Report: Van Eyk pitches off a fastball that sits at 91-94 mph with the ability to reach back for 97. He throws a hard curveball that is his go-to offspeed pitch and is solid-average at times, but he had trouble landing it in the zone. He doesn’t throw his changeup as often, but it’s at least an average pitch that can miss bats with good separation off his fastball. Van Eyk also uses fringe-average cutter in the mid-to-upper 80s. Van Eyk drew praise for his delivery coming out of Florida State, but he battled his mechanics throughout 2021, leading to erratic control.
  
  The Future: Van Eyk should head to Double-A New Hampshire in 2022, an important year for him to rebound and improve his command.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Van Eyk won a gold medal with USA Baseball's 18U national team in high school and entered his senior year as one of the top prospects in the 2017 draft. A forearm injury hurt his draft stock, and he instead went to Florida State. The move worked out, as Van Eyk became the 42nd overall pick in the 2020 draft and signed for $1,797,500. He went to the team's rookie camp at instructional league in the fall and pitched in one game.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Van Eyk pitches off a fastball that sits in the low 90s and touches 95 mph. He throws an above-average curveball with good depth that can miss bats, along with an average changeup that has good sink and separation off his fastball. Van Eyk has a feel to spin a slider, but it doesn't generate the same swing-and-miss rate as his curveball. He throws strikes with easy, fluid arm action and simple, low-maintenance mechanics.
  
  THE FUTURE: Van Eyk is a relatively safe bet to stick as a starter between his repertoire, delivery and pitchability. He should make his pro debut at one of the Class A levels in 2021.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Van Eyk won a gold medal with USA Baseball's 18U national team in high school and entered his senior year as one of the top prospects in the 2017 draft. A forearm injury hurt his draft stock, and he instead went to Florida State. The move worked out, as Van Eyk became the 42nd overall pick in the 2020 draft and signed for $1,797,500. He went to the team's rookie camp at instructional league in the fall and pitched in one game.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Van Eyk pitches off a fastball that sits in the low 90s and touches 95 mph. He throws an above-average curveball with good depth that can miss bats, along with an average changeup that has good sink and separation off his fastball. Van Eyk has a feel to spin a slider, but it doesn't generate the same swing-and-miss rate as his curveball. He throws strikes with easy, fluid arm action and simple, low-maintenance mechanics.
  
  THE FUTURE: Van Eyk is a relatively safe bet to stick as a starter between his repertoire, delivery and pitchability. He should make his pro debut at one of the Class A levels in 2021.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Van Eyk won a gold medal with USA Baseball's 18U national team in high school and entered his senior year as one of the top prospects in the 2017 draft. A forearm injury hurt his draft stock, and he instead went to Florida State. The move worked out, as Van Eyk became the 42nd overall pick in the 2020 draft and signed for $1,797,500. He went to the team's rookie camp at instructional league in the fall and pitched in one game.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Van Eyk pitches off a fastball that sits in the low 90s and touches 95 mph. He throws an above-average curveball with good depth that can miss bats, along with an average changeup that has good sink and separation off his fastball. Van Eyk has a feel to spin a slider, but it doesn't generate the same swing-and-miss rate as his curveball. He throws strikes with easy, fluid arm action and simple, low-maintenance mechanics.
  
  THE FUTURE: Van Eyk is a relatively safe bet to stick as a starter between his repertoire, delivery and pitchability. He should make his pro debut at one of the Class A levels in 2021.