Toronto Blue Jays Pick East Carolina Pitcher Trey Yesavage in 1st Round of MLB Draft

Trey Yesavage is coming off a couple of massive seasons at East Carolina, ultimately climbing his way from inconsistent reliever to Toronto Blue Jays draft pick.

Apr 27, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A pair of Toronto Blue Jays hats and gloves in the dugout during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Blue Jays selected East Carolina right-handed pitcher Trey Yesavage with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft on Sunday.

Yesavage measures in at a 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, and he is two weeks away from turning 21 years old. MLB.com had him ranked as the No. 11 overall prospect in this year's draft pool, including No. 3 among primary pitchers.

After spending his first collegiate season as a reliever, Yesavage made the leap to the Pirates' starting rotation as a sophomore. Yesavage went 7-1 with a 2.61 ERA, 1.000 WHIP and 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 2023, then finished 2024 with an 11-1 record, 2.02 ERA, 0.868 WHIP and 14.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

Yesavage ranked fourth in the Division I in ERA, fifth in strikeouts and second in batting average against this season, helping him win American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year. He was also named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award.

The righty has a fastball that typically sits between 93 and 95 miles per hour, topping out at 98. He also utilizes a slider/cutter, spike curveball and splitter.

The Blue Jays have the 23rd-largest bonus pool in the league this season at roughly $8.99 million. The No. 20 pick alone boasts a $4.07 million slot value, although it remains to be seen how much Yesavage signs for.

East Carolina has now had three pitchers go in the first two rounds in three of the last four MLB Drafts. Gavin Williams went to the Cleveland Guardians in the first round in 2021, while Carson Whisenhunt went to the San Francisco Giants in the second round in 2022.

Toronto, meanwhile, has now used 26 of its last 40 first round picks on pitchers. The last time they took something other than a pitcher or shortstop in the opening round was back in 2014.

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