Trey Yesavage Is Soaring Through the Minors

Trey Yesavage has earned a call-up to Double-A New Hampshire, as first reported by Shi Davidi from Sportsnet. Yesavage was just recently promoted from Single-A Dunedin to High-A Vancouver on May 20, which meant that it only took four starts for the Jays to promote him once again. This is for good reason. At the time Yesavage was drafted, many expected him to be a quick mover through the farm system, as an advanced pitching prospect coming out of college. His dominant professional performance so far cannot be denied.

Yesavage was already electric in Single A, pitching to a 2.43 ERA while striking out 43.3% of the batters he faced, but he took that to another level in High A, striking out 47.8% of the batters he faced and pitching to a 1.56 ERA. He has been so dominant in the first part of the season that he has the highest strikeout total in the minors, the highest strikeout rate in the minors (excluding the Dominican Summer League, which just started), and the highest K-BB% in the minors. The walks were a little elevated after he moved to Vancouver, but it hardly made a difference in his effectiveness. Hitters could not touch his pitches, and when they did get on, he stranded them. The Jays felt like he had nothing left to prove in A-ball, and his results and utter domination of A-ball hitters lead me to believe that they were right. In fact, his minor league K% is higher than his K% in his final year in college. 

Yesavage is able to be this effective with a very unique way of pitching. Pitching analyst Lance Brozdowski calls him "far and away one of the weirdest pitchers in the minors," and for a good reason! Yesavage pitches from a unique over-the-top arm angle, which leads to a 7.1-foot release height, which Brozdowski notes would be the highest release height in MLB. Because of the way Yesavage releases the ball, it results in a ton of carry, with him averaging 21 inches of induced vertical break that he locates mostly at the top of the zone. The weirdness of his arsenal does not stop with his release height and arm angle. Yesavage also has a very unique pitch plot (graphic via TJ Stats). His full arsenal all breaks to the arm side. This gives hitters a completely different look than they're used to and explains some of the early dominance in Yesavage's pro career. 

Yesavage's promotion has implications for more than just himself. The infamous Yesavage-Gage Stanifer piggyback has been terrorizing minor league hitters for 11 starts; after they faced the strikeout king of the minors, they had to face another live arm with a near 40% K rate. It seems like this separation will give minor league hitters relief, but it also allows for Stanifer to potentially start games of his own instead of being used exclusively as a bulk relief arm.

Yesavage will also join Juaron Watts-Brown and Grant Rogers, who both earned promotions themselves to New Hampshire from Vancouver, and will headline a three-headed monster of a pitching staff for the Fisher Cats. Ryan Watson, Rafael Sanchez, and Devereaux Harrison round out the starting rotation for the Fisher Cats, and Eastern League hitters will not enjoy facing that staff week after week. 

Lastly, Yesavage's quick promotion could lead to something even more interesting: a stint in the major leagues as the Blue Jays compete for a playoff spot. The Jays are firmly in the playoff race, and the offense and bullpen have both been excellent for them, helping them hold a Wild Card spot for now. However, the starting pitching performances have not been ideal, as Bowden Francis' struggles have been well documented, and Max Scherzer remains on the IL with an injured thumb. There are some potential replacements with Adam Macko returning to Buffalo, Spencer Turnbull being called up and Adam Kloffenstein also working his way back, but if Yesavage continues to dominate minor league hitters, he may force the Jays' hand. It's not likely, but the chances are better than zero that Jays fans could see this stud pitcher throwing meaningful innings for a contending team in 2025. 

Interested in learning more about the Toronto Blue Jays' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!