Trey Yesavizi, pitcher for the reigning American League champion Toronto Blue Jays, has certainly had an unexpected start to his career. Before making the playoff roster last year, he pitched in only three major league games played in the final two weeks of the regular season. After that, he started five playoff games and reached the biggest stage: overtime in Game 7 of the World Series. We’ll discuss what the Blue Jays rookie has accomplished during his short career and explain why he’s so good despite his quirky pitching mechanics.
rapid rise
Yesavage, the 20th overall draft pick out of East Carolina, began his minor league career with Class A Dunelin. After seven starts and a 3-0 record, he was promoted to A+ Vancouver where he continued to excel. After brief spells with AA New Hampshire and AAA Buffalo, the Blue Jays decided it was time to call him up to the big leagues, and they did so in mid-September. Organizations these days prioritize player development and tend to be cautious about promoting players too quickly, especially pitchers. Therefore, it is very unusual for a player to advance from Grade A to the Major League in one season. But the Blue Jays seem to have decided that the young right-hander’s moment has come to excel.