Yesavage Named Blue Jays Minor League Player-Of-The-Year

DURHAM, N.C. – Heading into this season, the Blue Jays designed a plan for 22-year-old righthander Trey Yesavage that left open the possibility of September innings in the majors.

Yesavage seized on that possibility by meeting each benchmark as he climbed four levels of the minor leagues to reach Toronto on Sept. 15 to make an electric five-inning, nine-strikeout MLB debut.

The Blue Jays drafted Yesavage 20th overall out of East Carolina in 2024. His rapid five-level ascension required everything to go right in his development, which is exactly what happened, while putting an exclamation point on a rebound year for Toronto's minor league system.

"There's been a lot of belief in him for a while," Blue Jays farm director Joe Sclafani said, "and it's more the way he answered the bell on the messaging from the jump. He asked good questions. He was on top of his routines. He learned and picked up different things.

"This dude's not fazed by anything. And he's one of the best, if not the best, competitors we have on the bump."

The numbers demonstrate that. He completed 98 innings over 25 outings for Low-A Dunedin, High-A Vancouver, Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo. His 160 strikeouts rank seventh-most among minor league pitchers. He allowed 54 hits and 41 walks.

The effectiveness of Yesavage's imposing fastball/splitter/slider mix coming out of a uniquely high release point—plus his growth along the way—essentially made it impossible for the Blue Jays to not promote him.

"Being able to adapt to different situations and different hitters, being able to read swings," are areas in which Yesavage said he has made the biggest strides. "In college, I was having my pitching coach call most of my pitches for me, and now it's me and the catcher working together.

The careful management of Yesavage's workload means he arrived in the majors with no restrictions, offering a boost for a Blue Jays team pushing into the postseason.

Yesavage Named Blue Jays Minor League Player-Of-The-Year

Players Mentioned

Trey Yesavage

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