Blue Jays Rookie Trey Yesavage's Dominance Highlighted by One Ridiculous Stat
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The Toronto Blue Jays are on the cusp of locking up their first American League East title in a decade, as they head into the weekend with a three-game lead.
As they prepare to for the playoffs, they do so after getting a massive boost to their pitching staff in the form of their top prospect who they called up this week for his MLB debut. 22-year-old Trey Yesavage got his first taste of big league action on Monday night following what has been a stellar season in all levels of the minor leagues, and he did not disappoint.
The right-hander had a historic first outing, but it wasn't just impressive for a rookie, it was impressive for a seasoned veteran. Yesavage allowed three hits and one run in five innings, striking out an absurd nine Tampa Bay Rays hitters. It was put into perspective after the fact just how ridiculous that stat line is.
Yesavage's Debut For Blue Jays Compared To Tarik Skubal
While recapping the first showcase and the minor league resume for Yesavage, Darragh McDonald of the MLB Trade Rumors podcast compared the strikeout rate for the youngster this year to that of soon-to-be repeat American League Cy Young Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers.
"I don't wanna get too carried away, but for qualified [starters], the top strikeout rate in the Majors this year is Tarik Skubal at 32.1 percent," McDonald relayed. "Trey Yesavage struck out 41.1 percent of hitters in the minors this year, and it's just one, but in one Major League start, he struck out 45 percent of the Rays he faced."
This kind of praise does not just get thrown around willy nilly, and it feels like the rest of the baseball world is about to receive a huge introduction to Yesavage on the biggest stage in the sport this October.
Yesavage Had Absolutely Absurd Minor League Season For Toronto
Yesavage began the season with Single-A Dunedin, but it became apparent that he was ahead of the competition there. Over seven starts, he had a 2.43 ERA and 0.810 WHIP with an absurd 55 strikeouts in 33.1 innings pitched. It was what he did with High-A Vancouver that demonstrated he may have a real chance to reach the majors this season, though.
In four starts there, not only did he have a 1.56 ERA, he struck out 33 in 17.1 innings pitched, good for a laughable 17.1 strikeouts per nine innings. The strikeout binge continued even as he kept climbing the ladder, and when the team moved Yesavage to Triple-A, it was clear they had plans of a potential big league promotion.
With the playoffs around the corner for the Blue Jays, the advantage of adding someone like Yesavage this late in the game is enormous. The American League is wide open for the taking, and Toronto now has someone who can either start games or come out of the bullpen with the knowledge that he has the stuff to make bats swing and miss.
No matter what role they stick him in, the moment does not look too big for the youngster. Time will tell if he can keep it up, but it certainly appears as if the Blue Jays have themselves a special future ace in Yesavage.
Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.