Former ECU Ace Trey Yesavage Shines in MLB Debut With Blue Jays
( Photo Credit: MLB)
Trey Yesavage’s first taste of Major League Baseball couldn’t have been scripted much better. The former East Carolina ace and 2024 first-round draft pick made his debut for the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night and immediately showed why the organization fast-tracked him through the minors. Pitching against the Tampa Bay Rays, Yesavage racked up nine strikeouts, setting a new franchise record for a Blue Jays debut, while working into the sixth inning of a no-decision effort.
Yesavage’s outing ended after he surrendered a leadoff single to Yandy Díaz to start the bottom of the sixth at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. As he walked off the mound, Toronto’s television broadcast caught his family clapping proudly, with his father even wiping away tears. The Jays trailed 1-0 at the time but rallied late to beat Tampa Bay in 11 innings, 2-1.
The numbers from his debut were eye-popping. Across 69 pitches, Yesavage generated a 52.8 percent whiff rate — the best in any MLB debut since pitch-tracking data began in 2009 and the highest single-game mark by any Toronto pitcher in that span.
From Greenville to the Big Leagues
It hasn’t been long since Pirate fans last saw Yesavage take the mound in purple and gold. Just over a year ago, he faced off against Chase Burns (now with the Cincinnati Reds) in the 2024 Greenville Regional. A month later, the Blue Jays selected him with the 20th overall pick in the MLB Draft. Because of his heavy college workload, Toronto shut him down the rest of that summer, but in 2025, he took off, rocketing through Low-A, High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A before reaching the majors.
The Pitching Breakdown
Yesavage’s stuff translated immediately. His fastball sat between 93-95 mph (averaging 94.6), paired with a sharp slider and a devastating splitter that stole the show. He threw 19 splitters and induced whiffs on nearly 80 percent of them. By comparison, he mixed in 32 fastballs and 18 sliders.
The debut wasn’t without a shaky start. After giving up a leadoff single to Chandler Simpson and an RBI double to Díaz, he found himself down 1-0 just two batters in. But Yesavage locked in from there, striking out Brandon Lowe for his first MLB punchout and later fanning five consecutive hitters between the third and fourth innings. He capped his night by striking out Simpson to end the fifth, picking up strikeout No. 9.
What’s Next for Yesavage?
With the Blue Jays leading the AL East by five games and holding the American League’s best record with two weeks to go, how they deploy their 22-year-old rookie moving forward will be worth watching. He’s already thrown a career-high 103 innings this year, and clubs are usually cautious with young starters late in the season. Toronto could continue to spot start him or even use him out of the bullpen if they look to add another weapon for a postseason push.
Either way, Yesavage has wasted no time making his mark, going from Greenville Regional starter to record-setting MLB debut in just over a year.