Trey Yesavage has accomplished a lot this season. But on Friday night, the top Toronto Blue Jays pitching prospect experienced another first in his pro career.
Yesavage threw five innings and 89 pitches — 58 strikes — out of the bullpen for the double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats against the Reading Fightin' Phils.
It marked the first time that Toronto's 2024 first-round pick has thrown in relief since being drafted, as Yesavage entered in the third inning behind opener Chay Yeager.
Ultimately, the 22-year-old right-hander struck out nine and generated 21 swings and misses while walking none in what ended as a 5-3 loss to Reading.
Yesavage did allow four hits and two runs in the appearance, including a solo blast by Reading centre-fielder Dylan Campbell.
With the nine punchouts, Yesavage moved into a tie for third among all affiliated minor leaguers with 134. His 15.0 strikeouts per nine is the best mark in the minors of all pitchers to throw at least 80 innings, according to MLB Pipeline.
As Sportsnet's Shi Davidi reported Thursday, Yesavage has been working back into his routine and schedule after appearing at the MLB All-Star Futures Game in mid-July, adding that "his workload was mapped out to take him wire-to-wire in the minor-league season, with the capacity for some innings at the big-league level, should the Blue Jays have a need and deem him ready."
After Friday's outing, the East Carolina University product is expected to work up to six innings and 90 to 95 pitches during his next appearance.
Since making his pro debut earlier this season at single-A Dunedin, Yesavage has climbed three levels, arriving at double-A New Hampshire after four starts at high-A Vancouver, earning him praise as one of MLB's top prospects.
In a recent mid-season update, MLB Pipeline ranked Yesavage as the No. 49 prospect in all of baseball and the No. 6 right-handed pitcher.
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