The Blue Jays Have Added Yet Another Amazing Arm to the Mix

Trey Yesavage’s Dazzling Debut Shows Blue Jays the Future Is Now

Ironically, Yesavage’s debut wasn’t even in a major league ballpark. When he took the mound at George M. Steinbrenner Field, however, he showed major league stuff.

The 2024 first-round pick gave up back-to-back hits to the Tampa Bay Rays to begin his MLB career. After the Rays scored their lone run against him, the youngster settled right in and showed the AL East rivals exactly what he can do with a baseball.

He ended up going five innings, striking out a Blue Jays debut record of nine. He allowed a pair of walks and just one more hit, a Yandy Díaz single that drove him from the game in the sixth. It was a spectacular debut. That’s before even mentioning that home plate umpire Laz Diaz robbed Yesavage of an immaculate inning in the fourth.

At 6-foot-4, Yesavage’s extreme over-the-top delivery makes it nearly impossible for hitters to determine what they’re seeing until it’s too late. Is it his four-seam fastball that averages 95 mph or his disgusting 84 mph splitter?

He generated 19 whiffs on just 69 pitches on Monday. 11(!) of those came on 14 swings against the splitter. And don’t forget about his 88 mph slider that generated four whiffs on nine swings. It’s no wonder he ran a 41.1% strikeout rate with 160 punchouts in 98 minor-league innings.

Obviously, in baseball nothing is guaranteed. Even the best top prospects can struggle when the league begins to adjust. Yet Yesavage and the Blue Jays couldn’t have asked for a better start to his career less than two weeks out from the postseason.

Toronto’s ace Kevin Gausman, who features one of the best splitters in the game, sees Yesavage’s potential at such a young age, according to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson.

“I was nowhere near that when I was 22. Don’t even compare me to him,” Gausman told Matheson. That’s heady praise from someone who has been around a while.

Trey Yesavage Can Help Blue Jays’ Pitching Staff in More Ways Than One

Yesavage’s addition to Toronto’s pitching staff will only help a predominantly veteran group leading up to and in the playoffs. If he sticks in the rotation for the remainder of the regular season — and you have to assume he’ll get another start — his young arm will help take some load off the older, creakier arms.

Gausman is rolling right now, but some of the other veterans on the starting staff have had some shaky moments recently.

José Berríos has been going through it lately, with a 6.14 ERA over his last five starts. Future Hall-of-Famer Max Scherzer has a 6.52 ERA over his last four outings and has been dealing with some “minor” back tightness. Chris Bassitt, despite a 1.69 September ERA, removed himself after 75 pitches from his most recent start after not “feeling great.”

Even if Yesavage moves to the bullpen, which could very well be his playoff home, his stuff is so nasty that he can be an effective bulk-relief weapon for Blue Jays manager John Schneider.

“That’s a boost. It’s a boost,” Schneider said after Yesavage’s stellar debut, per Matheson. “I don’t want to say it’s a ‘risky’ thing bringing him up because we talked about it a lot. We thought he could help us win, which he did tonight. With that being a little unorthodox at this time of year, a young kid making his debut and where we’re at in the season and the standings, it’s good for everyone else here to see what he can do.”

The Blue Jays’ bullpen had a strong first half, posting an eighth-best 3.57 ERA. However, they’ve experienced some struggles in the second half. Their 4.79 ERA since the All-Star break ranks 24th overall.

Adding Yesavage to the postseason bullpen mix seems like a no-brainer at this point. Very few opposing hitters will have seen him, making his delivery and stuff even more baffling. Barring a complete meltdown by the newest pitching sensation before October arrives, there’s no reason the Blue Jays shouldn’t include him in their playoff plans.