Major League Baseball
fromJays Journal
18 hours agoTrey Yesavage's splitter is special
Trey Yesavage debuted with a dominant splitter and 52.8% whiff rate, striking out nine and setting a franchise debut strikeout record.
Monday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa saw t he long-anticipated debut of Trey Yesavage, and "exceeding expectations" doesn't begin to describe his performance against the Rays. Yesavage went five innings on the mound, allowing three hits, an earned run, and walked three batters on 69 pitches. However, it was his nine strikeouts (five came consecutively) that were not only impressive but also set a Blue Jays record for most strikeouts by a pitcher in their debut.
The 22-year old has climbed four levels of minor league ball just this season after being drafted 20th overall a year ago. Bowden says, "Yesavage is a beast on the mound with a bulldog mentality. The Jays' 2024 first-round pick profiles as a mid-rotation starter who misses bats at a high level. He uses a short arm action to challenge hitters with a mid-90s fastball, a wipeout split-finger fastball and a solid, but inconsistent slider."