Yesavage's pro debut: 0 runs, 3 K's, sheer dominance

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Trey Yesavage knows how to make a first impression, even if he has had to wait a while.

Pitching in his first pro game since being drafted in the first round last July, Yesavage ¨C the Blue Jays¡¯ No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline ¨C used his first inning Saturday to settle in and his second to stomp on the gas. The big right-hander struck out the side with a cutter, a fastball and a changeup, completely overwhelming the young Twins¡¯ hitters in Toronto's 10-0 victory at TD Ballpark.

This is exactly what these Spring Breakout games are supposed to be: a grand introduction. Toronto¡¯s system needs some upside, some hope, something to be excited about.

¡°It¡¯s definitely been long, slow and methodical,¡± Yesavage said. ¡°Every detail has been accounted for. It¡¯s amazing to finally be out there pitching in a Blue Jays uniform.¡±

Yesavage has had nearly eight months since the Draft. That¡¯s a lot of time spent at the Blue Jays¡¯ complex across town in Dunedin, where he has focused on making his delivery more fluid.

¡°When I got out there, my heart was beating like crazy,¡± Yesavage said. ¡°It¡¯s my first professional baseball outing, so I kind of expected it, but I was able to settle myself down in the dugout and focus on what I needed to do.¡±

Every organization in baseball history has said something along the lines of, ¡°We were thrilled this player was available at our pick,¡± but the Blue Jays were ecstatic to see Yesavage still available at the 20th pick last July. Toronto turned over some of its pitching development staff this offseason after a difficult 2024 marred by injuries to top prospects, so Yesavage is this staff¡¯s most exciting new project.

¡°Trey¡¯s just a special dude. He¡¯s got a blue-collar mentality that we love,¡± said Joe Sclafani, the Blue Jays¡¯ director of player development. ¡°He goes about his business really well.

¡°We were super excited to get him in the Draft, and he¡¯s done nothing but impress us, not only when he¡¯s throwing bullpens and preparing for this year, but even last year when we shut him down. He has a good way about him. He has a slow heartbeat, but he¡¯s two different guys between the lines and off the field. When he¡¯s between the lines, that competitor comes out.¡±

It¡¯s the perfect mix when a pitcher can truly pull it off. Yesavage bounced between questions with a smile and his easy demeanor after his two innings of shutout ball Saturday, but on the mound, he¡¯s a fierce competitor going back to his NCAA days at East Carolina.

Yesavage could spend a little more time in Dunedin, where he has been plugging away for nearly a year now, but talent like his doesn¡¯t stick around for long.

Yesavage at a glance
You¡¯ll often hear that Yesavage¡¯s fastball ¡°comes from the sky,¡± referring to his high, over-the-top release point. His fastball lived more in the 93-95 mph range out of the Draft, but Yesavage¡¯s first pitch Saturday touched 97, and there was plenty of 95-96 in there, which is a great sign early on.

Yesavage also leaned on a hard, tight slider, trying to attack a string of right-handed hitters on the Twins. The depth of Yesavage¡¯s arsenal, paired with his build at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, give him a bit of a throwback feel, and workload should be no issue in 2025 after he threw 93 1/3 NCAA innings last season.

The plan for Yesavage
This is all about setting up Yesavage for 2026, which feels like his ¡°jump¡± year. That likely includes a few starts in Dunedin to open the season, where the Blue Jays can ease Yesavage in against Single-A hitters before shipping him up to High-A Vancouver once the weather improves.

If all goes well, there¡¯s a very realistic chance that Yesavage could touch Double-A New Hampshire by the end of 2025. Everything about his profile suggests Yesavage could move quickly, and while the development of pitching prospects may be the most difficult thing to predict and project in pro sports, this is a great starting point.

Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer are both free agents after this season. Kevin Gausman is a free agent after 2026, and Jos¨¦ Berr¨ªos has an opt-out that will look awfully attractive if he keeps pitching like this. The Blue Jays don¡¯t just need one prospect to pop, they need a whole wave, and Yesavage is their best bet to lead it.