From Draft Day to the MLB Postseason in 14 Months

On May 20th, I sat at PK Park in Eugene, Oregon with a few hundred other fans to watch Trey Yesavage make his High-A debut. Just four months later, he started on the mound for the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 of the ALDS. At 22 years old, his rise through the ranks has been nothing short of remarkable. Drafted 20th overall out of East Carolina University in 2024, Yesavage entered the season as the Blue Jays' number two prospect—but no one expected him to become this successful, this quickly.

Trey Yesavage on September 27th in-game versus the Rays. Courtesy of Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP. Obtained from The Washington Post

Trey Yesavage grew up in Pennsylvania before moving to North Carolina to attend ECU. He began his tenure there as a reliever in 2022 before becoming a starter in 2023 and 2024. His college career really took off in 2024 when he went 11-1 with a 2.03 ERA, establishing himself as one of the top arms in the country right before the draft. Yesavage padded his resume by unanimously winning the 2024 AAC pitcher of the year, which cemented his place among the top first-round talent. On July 14th, 2024, Toronto used its top pick to draft Yesavage 20th overall, and just a few weeks later, he officially signed with the team on August 1st.

After signing, Trey wasted no time making an impression. Following a 3-0 start with the Low-A Dunedin Blue Jays, he earned a quick promotion to High-A with the Vancouver Canadians. He made his debut for them against the Eugene Emeralds on May 20th and had 10 strikeouts in just 4 innings. Trey appeared in 4 games with the Canadians before being promoted on June 9th to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats. On August 11th, he capped his rapid rise through the minors by being called up to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. A mighty feat in its own right, but his rookie journey didn't end there. Trey Yesavage made his major league debut on September 15th against the Tampa Bay Rays, a team that the Blue Jays had struggled with all season. Yesavage delivered 5 dominant innings for Toronto, striking out 9 and allowing just one run.

Trey Yesavage playing for the Vancouver Canadians. Courtesy of Vancouver Canadians via Instagram

His three regular-season starts impressed the Blue Jays and earned him a spot on the ALDS roster. Yesavage was given the nod to start game 2, where his undeniable talent was highlighted on the sport's biggest stage. In a game where most rookies would crumble under the pressure, Yesavage met the challenge head-on, saying, "I'm built for this." Even Yankees fans were in awe as the 22-year-old threw 5.1 hitless innings, giving up just 1 walk. He combined this with 11 strikeouts—a new franchise record for strikeouts in the postseason. Yesavage's command and dominant performance fueled the team to a massive win, giving the Blue Jays a 2-0 series lead and ultimately the series victory. When manager John Schneider pulled Yesavage from the game, the crowd met him with a rousing standing ovation.

Trey's parents and one of his brothers were in attendance for his stunning postseason debut, and during the game, they did an emotional interview from the stands. Speaking to Sportsnet, his father Dave said, "When he was making his first debut as an MLB player in the big leagues, we were pretty teary-eyed. We were pretty teary with this. We knew Trey could do it. He knew he could do it as well. My voice is a little rough. I’m cheering so much.” After the game, Trey responded to this heartfelt message with one of his own. Holding back tears, he said, “They’re my people. They’re the reason I’m here right now. I couldn’t love them more. Mom, Dad, Cole, Chase -- you’re at college -- I love you guys.”

The moment was a culmination of all the work, sacrifice, and unwavering support from the people who believed in him from the very beginning. Trey will carry his family's love and encouragement with him as he takes the mound again—this time in the ALCS.

Trey Yesavage post-game interview after ALDS Game 2. Obtained from MLB/YouTube

When asked why they couldn't hit off of Yesavage, the Yankees had one common answer: his splitter. Postgame, Aaron Boone said, "That was nasty stuff. I mean that split is, you know, unlike much you ever run into." So what makes his splitter so unique? Yesavage's pitching style is distinguished by a uniquely high release angle, sitting around 63 degrees, with his splitter coming from an even higher arm slot of 65 degrees. Reporter for the Blue Jays, Keegan Matheson, wrote that coaches have often described his pitching as "from the sky", since "everything is already plummeting downhill on the hitters, who are left—often hopelessly—to decide whether it’s going to be a 95 mph fastball or tumble down and out of the zone as a splitter".

Yesavage relies on three pitches: a four-seam fastball (45.2%), a slider (28.5%), and a split-finger fastball, more commonly known as a splitter (26.4%). Beyond the angle of his release point, his pitching is further distinguished by a slider that breaks to his arm side, which makes it a "wrong-sided" splitter as the ball moves from left to right. Additionally, Yesavage's slider has more arm-side movement than any other pitcher in the MLB this year, averaging 3.4 inches. This unique combination of pitches leaves hitters with no margin for error, making Trey one of the toughest young pitchers to face.

Graph of his release point. Courtesy of David Adler/MLB

In many ways, Yesavage's quick path to success echoes that of Paul Skenes. Skenes made his Single-A debut with the Bradenton Marauders on August 15th, 2023 before moving up to the Double-A Altoona Curve just 6 days later on August 21st. He was then placed on the Development List on September 5th after throwing a total of 6.2 innings through 5 outings. Skenes began the 2024 season with the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, where he pitched 27.1 innings across 7 starts. He recorded 45 strikeouts with a 0.99 ERA, which quickly earned him a promotion to the big club—making his MLB debut on May 11th, 2024. Much like Skenes, Trey Yesavage proved that elite college pitching can quickly transition to the pros. Just 14 months after hearing his name on draft day, he silenced some of the biggest names in baseball under the October lights.

Trey Yesavage and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. following ALDS Game 2. Courtesy of Natan Denette/The Canadian Press. Obtained by HNGnews

Trey Yesavage's rapid journey from the draft to the minors to postseason major league baseball is a testament to his talent and poise on the mound. Now officially named to the ALCS roster, he'll look to carry that same drive into the next chapter of Toronto's postseason run. Alongside his elite pitching, the young star will bring the love and belief of the family that's been behind him from the very start. Whether you're a lifelong Blue Jays fan or simply a lover of the game, be sure to tune in as Trey Yesavage takes the mound in game two of the ALCS.

Edited by: Kelly Cassette