Trey Yesavage’s Progress Takes On Added Importance For Blue Jays
Trey Yesavage arrived at the MLB Draft Combine last June believing a wild month was behind him.
On May 17, a dry-needle treatment inadvertently led to a partially collapsed lung that three days later forced his hospitalization. Yet 10 days after discharge, the East Carolina righthander was back on the mound dominating against Wake Forest in regionals.
“I knew the lung really wasn’t that big of a deal, at least in my mind,” Yesavage siad. “But at the Draft Combine, every single team asked me about it, so then I was like, ‘Is this a problem or not?’ “
Not for the Blue Jays, who selected the 21-year-old with the 20th overall pick, adding him to a system where he’s now one of the top pitching prospects.
Even though he’s yet to make his pro debut—the Blue Jays had him throw a few side sessions after he signed but then shut him down after 93.1 college innings—he just missed making the preseason Top 100 Prospects.
The only Blue Jays prospect to make the cut was lefthander Ricky Tiedemann, but he is expected to miss most—if not all—this season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
With six other pitching prospects—including 2022 first-rounder Brandon Barriera—also having their elbows rebuilt last year, Yesavage’s progress is all the more important for the club.
His mature repertoire and solid physical base give him a chance to move fast, but he’s smart enough to know not to skip steps.
“I see a process in this,” Yesavage said. “The coaching and support staff, they’re all professionals, as am I. They’ve done this longer than I have, so whatever they have in mind for me, I’ll trust them.”
