The Blue Jays had a late first-round pick Sunday night in the annual major-league draft, but they still managed to come away with a pitcher who a lot of prospect experts have called the most polished starter of his class.
East Carolina University right-hander Trey Yesavage was projected to go early or in the middle of the first round, but was still available when it was the Jays’ turn to pick at No. 20. They made sure he didn’t drop any lower.
The 20-year-old’s fastball tops out at 98 m.p.h. and sits around 93 to 95. His top secondary pitch is an elite mid-80s splitter with some late run that almost makes it look like a slider. The native of Pennsylvania also throws a curve that needs a bit of work to become an effective big-league offering.
Yesavage was dubbed a ”” by Baseball America’s Ben Badler, who expressed his “love” for the Jays selection. The consensus second-team all-American was ranked the ²¹²Ô»åÌý.
“Not surprised, I don’t think that’s the word I would use, but we were certainly prepared,” Jays director of amateur scouting Shane Farrell said when asked about Yesavage still being available at No. 20, which comes with a recommended slot bonus of $4.03 million (U.S.).
“Trey is somebody we have liked for a couple years now, dating back to his sophomore year when we got to see him pitch quite a bit as an underclassman. As our pick was getting closer and he remained on the board, it was a decision we were really happy to make.”
Trey Yesavage #20 to the Blue Jays!
— Prospect Dugout (@prospectdugout)
Yesavage’s stock might have dropped slightly because of a recent injury. He missed a couple of starts in late May with a collapsed lung, but returned to make one appearance for East Carolina in the regional playoffs.
Most reports suggest he has the makings of a mid-rotation starter. He finished fourth in NCAA Division I in ERA (2.02), fifth in strikeouts (145) ²¹²Ô»åÌý was second in opponents’ batting average (.154) while earning American Athletic Conference pitcher of the year honours.
As an experienced collegiate arm, Yesavage should be in position to move through the Jays minor-league system relatively fast. He’s only a year younger than current top º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøprospect Ricky Tiedemann and will look to follow a path similar to 2019 top pick Alek Manoah, who made his debut less than two years after being drafted.
“He’s a big physical starter with three above-average pitches,” Farrell said of Yesavage, listed at six-foot-four and 225 pounds. “He has proven to be durable and held good workloads through his time at East Carolina. The secondary pitches and fastball quality are really strong and we’re thrilled to be able to add him.”
The Jays will have to hope their latest pick turns out better than previous selections. Since general manager Ross Atkins took over prior to 2016, his club’s track record in the draft — especially the first round — has been noticeably poor.
Manoah is the only top pick of his tenure to post a positive wins above replacement: 2016 first-rounder T.J. Zeuch registered a 4.59 ERA across 49 innings before he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for cash; 2017 pick Logan Warmoth is 28 and has yet to make his big-league debut; 2018 first-rounder Jordan Groshans, who hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since 2022, was traded to the Marlins for Zach Pop and Anthony Bass; Austin Martin, the No. 5 pick from the 2020 draft, didn’t develop as expected before he was included in a trade for José BerrÃos; 2021 top pick Gunnar Hoglund was used to acquire Matt Chapman from Oakland.
The Jays still have their previous two first-rounders. Lefty Brandon Barriera is out for the season following Tommy John surgery and has tossed just 21 2/3 innings since he was drafted in 2022. Last year’s top pick, shortstop Arjun Nimmala, has recovered from a slow start to his first full season and is batting .208 with a .723 OPS at Class-A Dunedin.
“I think it’s continuing to build those workloads and totals, getting him introduced over time to pitching on a five-day rotation, which is always an adjustment coming from a college program,” Farrell said when asked about Yesavage’s trajectory. “It’s less about changing, and (more about) keeping him on his path.”
It often takes upwards of five years before teams know whether picks have panned out. The Jays likely won’t need to wait nearly that long on Yesavage, who was considered one of the most big-league-ready arms available.
The Jays sure like him, and the prospects experts do, too. Jays fans will find out soon enough whether they feel the same.
More pitching
The Jays used their second pick on Mississippi State right-hander Khal Stephen at No. 59. Stephen was ranked the No. 88 prospect by MLB Pipeline and wasn’t included in Law’s top 100. The 21-year-old began his college career as a reliever before transitioning to the rotation as a sophomore. He sits 92 to 94 m.p.h. with his fastball, and his best secondary pitch is a changeup. Reports suggest he has the upside of a No. 4 or 5 starter with the downside of big-league reliever. The No. 59 pick comes with a recommended slot value of $1.489 million.
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