32 Walks and 4 HBPs: Trey Yesavage’s Highly-Anticipated Debut Was Historically Weird

[Simon Li]

What was supposed to be just a first-round pick's minor league debut became something much, much more than that.

It is 6:30 pm, in Jupiter, Florida. Trey Yesavage will pitch in his first minor league start against the Miami Marlins Low-A affiliate. The temperature is cool for South Florida at 21 degrees Celsius, with winds of 7 mph. Things are about to get out of control.

Top of the First
Outfielder J.R. Freethy comes up to the plate to lead off the game against Jupiter's starter Juan De La Cruz, he stays patient and gets on base. Walk #1.

Canadian Sam Shaw gets to the plate, 7 pitches later, Walk #2.

After a double steal attempt from Freethy and Shaw in which Freethy gets picked off, Yeuni Munoz strikes out.

Seems like Yesavage will get up to pitch sooner rather than later.

Brock Tibbits gives the Jays the lead with a single to score Shaw, giving Yesavage a small cushion before his first pitch.

Catcher Edward Duran, facing his old organization, comes in and takes four straight balls. Walk #3.

Switch-Hitting third baseman Tucker Toman grounds out to second and the top of the inning ends. The first-rounder will pitch the bottom of the inning.

Bottom of the First
Yesavage comes in and faces Marlins' #2 prospect Starlyn Caba and walks him.

Yesavage also walks Andres Valor.

Former Padres top prospect Dillon Head, acquired in the Tanner Scott trade, pops out.

Carter Johnson pops out.

Julio Henriquez walks.

Staryln Cabra and Valor score after first baseman Brock Tibbitts commits an error, giving the Hammerheads the lead. This will be their only lead of the ballgame. Edward Duran picks off Ian Lewis trying to steal third.

Top of the Second
Manuel Beltre grounds out.

Yhoangel Aponte comes up to the plate and takes a 6 pitch walk. Walk #4.

De La Cruz walks the next batter, Braden Berry. On MiLB Gameday, three of the four balls are so far outside the strike zone that you can barely even see them. Walk #5.

J.R. Freethy gives the Dunedin Jays the lead with a double. Juan De La Cruz's day come to an end, as Riskiel Tineo comes in the game. This will be one of many pitching changes for Jupiter.

Immediately, Tineo throws two balls, then a wild pitch that moves Freethy over to third. Sam Shaw walks. Walk # 6.

Yeuni Munoz doubles to break the game open. 5-2 Dunedin. Tibbitts and Duran then both fly out.

Bottom of the Second
 Yesavage makes quick work of the bottom of the Hammerheads lineup with a perfect inning. He will not get up to pitch for a while.

Top of the Third
Tucker Toman reaches on an error from the pitcher. He makes it all the way to third.

Tineo then throws another wild pitch, allowing Toman to score. Another walk is issued, this time to Manuel Beltre. Walk #7.

Yhoangel Aponte doubles to left field, then Braden Berry is called out on strikes.

J.R. Freethy comes up for his second plate appearance of the night and is immediately walked on four pitches. Bases loaded. Walk #8.

Sam Shaw back up to the dish with the bases loaded, and Tineo has to throw strikes to him to get out of the jam. Walk #9.

The Jupiter Manager Nelson Prada has had enough and takes Tineo out, bringing in reliever Elian Serrata to replace him.

Serrata gets the count to 2-2, showing some semblance of ability to throw strikes. Pitch number 5 does not come, as he does not get set in time. Automatic ball due to pitch timer violation is awarded. Serrata winds up and throws a fastball right at the bottom of the zone, and the ump calls a strike. Yeuni Munoz then taps his head. Strike overturned. Ball 4. Walk #10.

Brock Tibbitts strikes out swinging. Then Edward Duran comes to the plate and gets plunked. 9-2 Dunedin.

The second time up this inning, Tucker Toman then triples to clear the bases. 12-2 Dunedin. Beltre comes up again and flies out, finally ending the inning for Jupiter.

Bottom of the Third
Yesavage walks Caba a second time and allows a single to Andres Valor, but he strikes out Dillon head and induces a double play immediately after. Back to Jupiter.

Top of the Fourth
Serrata stays in the game and immediately strikes out Aponte. He allows a single to Braden Barry.

J.R. Freethy is up for the third time now and again draws four straight balls. Walk #11. 

Shaw is back up and gets rung up. One more out can get Serrata out of the inning. Plunk. He hits Munoz.

The shaky control continues as Tibbitts joins in the fun and gets walked. Walk #12.

Prada has to come up for the third time in four innings to make another pitching change. Out comes Serrata, in comes Jose Fernandez (no relation to the late prodigy).

The first batter he faces is former Marlin Edward Duran. And after five pitches, the count is 4-1, and Duran heads to first. Walk #13. 

Toman comes up to the plate. 4 pitches later, he too walks to first. Walk #14. 

That brings up Beltre who Walk #15.

Finally, Fernandez finds the zone and strikes out Aponte. The score is 16-2 in Dunedin's favour.

Bottom of the Fourth

Yesavage gets another two quick outs, but then he walks the next two batters. Gil Kim replaces him with Christian Mracna, who strikes out Carlos Sanchez.

Top of the Fifth
This time, a new pitcher starts off the inning instead of arriving via a mid-inning pitching change. Julio Mendez replaces Fernandez.

Walk #16.

Walk #17.

As a reprieve, we bring you a wild pitch and Sam Shaw getting beaned. Back to our regularly scheduled walking.

Walk #18.

Brock Tibbitts hits a sac fly and Duran strikes out.

New pitcher has arrived: Jean Reyes comes in for Mendez

Walk #19. One more would break the Florida State League record for most walks given up in a game.

Beltre flies out to center field.

Bottom of the Fifth
Gil Kim turns to power pitcher Gage Stanifer, who catches the giving-up walks bug and lets Caba go to first for free.

Stanifer then strikes out the next three batters swinging.

Top of the Sixth
Mendez stays in the game and gets three quick groundouts.

Bottom of the Sixth
Stanifer also gets two quick groundouts, striking out Ian Lewis swinging in between. It is the first inning of the whole game with no runners on base and no walks.

Top of the Seventh
Walk #20. The Florida State League record has been broken. The Florida State League has been around for 106 years.

Munoz flies out.

Walk #21.

Duran flies out.

Walk #22. This time the record is not just the Florida State League record but the Minor League Baseball record (in the stat keeping era).

Beltre strikes out swinging.

Bottom of the Seventh
Stanifer continues his dominance, but Staryln Caba somehow finds his way to a walk in between.

Top of the Eighth
Juan Reynoso replaces Jean Reyes and immediately throws four straight balls to Yhoangel Aponte.

Walk #23

Aponte had called time before ball four. The ump gives it to him. Reynoso makes another pitch. Strike one. Reynoso throws another. Strike two. Reynoso throws a third. Strike three. Aponte just struck out after taking four straight balls in an at-bat. The Dunedin announcers are incredulous.

The baseball gods have considered that a farce. No other walks will be issued by the Hammerheads for the rest of the game. The historic pitching underperformance will come to a close.

Braden Berry singles, but Freethy grounds into a double play, ending the inning.

Bottom of the Eighth
Stanifer ends with three more quick outs, including a strikeout.

Top of the Ninth
Reynoso stays in the game, and despite giving up a homer to Munoz and a double to Duran, he does not walk a batter. The pitching line for the Hammerheads, as such: 9.0 IP, 9 H, 19 R, 14 ER, 22 (23*) BB, 11 K, 1 HR, 3 HBP, 3 WP

Bottom of the Ninth
Recently acquired Edinson Batista, from the Robertson deal, makes his Jays organization debut. He strikes out a batter, but then a drone flies over the field. The umps pause the game for a drone delay. After the game resumes, Batista gives up a double to Abrahan Ramirez. He catches the walk bug and walks Carlos Sanchez. Caba walks for the fifth time on the night, more than any Dunedin Blue Jay. Valor gets hit by a pitch. Dillon hits a sac fly. Batista gives up a double. Gil Kim has seen enough and replaces him with Eminen Flores. Flores strikes out Julio Henriquez. Ball game.

It is now 10:15 pm EDT. This 3-hour, 39-minute game had a plethora of ups and downs, lefts and rights. It also had a few walks.

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[Laika]

holy moly 

Yesavage gets a mulligan. The walks must have been contagious and sitting around for that long, in that weather, was probably horrendous. 

[Governator]

Wow I didn't realize it was that bad. I saw the headline of Yesavage walked 6 in debut but never thought it was a game like this.

[Brock Beauchamp]

40 minutes ago, Governator said:

Wow I didn't realize it was that bad. I saw the headline of Yesavage walked 6 in debut but never thought it was a game like this.

Six walks earns you player of the game in this one.