How New Guardians Reliever Craig Yoho Thrived After a Position Change in College

It's not every day that a player decides to completely change positions, especially after making the jump to college ball.

But that's a part of newly acquired right-handed reliever Craig Yoho's journey to becoming a Major League Baseball player.

On Sunday, August 2, the Cleveland Guardians officially activated Yoho to join the major league roster, just a day after the organization traded for him from the Milwaukee Brewers. Yoho, who had been a reliable bullpen arm for the Brewers before being moved, is expected to play a big part in helping revitalize a struggling Guardians group.

Before the Guardians' series finale on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Progressive Field, Yoho reflected on the winding, bumpy and ultimately interesting path that brought him to where he is today.

Cleveland Guardians, Craig Yoh — Sep 7, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Craig Yoho (48) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I mean, I switched from a position player to a pitcher my fifth year at college in '23," Yoho said. "And so a lot of it just kind of came throw into a net during rehab and stuff, and so, you know, just visually looking at the ball flight with my eyes and tinkering with grips to try and make the ball move, and it was decent in college my first year throwing, and then kind of as I got more comfortable and more comfortable on the mound, I was able to manipulate the ball more and progress."

Before becoming a pitcher, Yoho had put together 16 total at-bats at the college level, all of which came at the University of Houston. He went 3-for-16 with eight strikeouts.

Then, in 2023, after transferring to the University of Indiana, he transitioned to a pitcher.

In his first year of action on the bump, he was electric, striking out 63 batters and posting a 3.41 ERA across 37 innings pitched. He never started a game, but ate up batters out of the bullpen, pitching in 18 contests and recording one save.

Fortunately, his efforts in locking down contests led to results as the Hoosiers would go 4-1 while he was pitching.

The fact that he went from a position player to a pitcher within a year, then went on to get drafted by the Brewers in the eighth round of the 2023 MLB Draft shows just how hard he worked to fine-tune his craft.

"Honestly, every step of the way is just a learning process," he continued. "A lot of my firsts on the pitching side have happened in the big leagues. It's been a learning process, and I feel like I'm still getting better each and every day, which is exciting that I'm here and I'm still getting better..."

"It's been a lot of a learning process, and I feel like I'm still getting better each and every day."

New #Guardians pitcher Craig Yoho, who switched from being an infielder to pitching at Indiana in 2023, on his development on the mound since then#GuardsBall @WEWS pic.twitter.com/NEbyEJcXY0
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) August 2, 2026

And now, he will have a chance to continue growing in a system that is known for developing pitchers.

While his name may not have stood out to many when the trade was announced on Saturday, it likely won't take long for him to show Cleveland fans just how impactful he can be on the mound.

Across two seasons in the majors, Yoho owns a 2-0 record with a 4.40 ERA and a 1.186 WHIP. In four minor league seasons, he went 10-3 with a 1.10 ERA and a 0.931 WHIP.

With plenty of room to continue developing, the Guardians will hope to get him acclimated quickly as they look to make a push for the top spot in the American League Central.

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