With only 12 games left in the season, the Toronto Blue Jays' lead in the AL East is now back up to five games following their 2-1 win on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday. The Blue Jays will take every win they can get especially as each one gets them closer to the AL East crown, but one would think that they cannot be happier following the performance of top prospect Trey Yesavage, who struck out nine and allowed just one run on three hits and two walks in his MLB debut.
On Mondauy, it did not look like Yesavage was pitching in MLB for the first time in his career. He was amazingly in control for the entirety of his five-inning start, and he gave Rays hitters little chance to mount much of anything, paving the way for the Blue Jays bullpen to shut them out the rest of the way.
Yesavage, who ranks 25th in MLB.com's top 100 prospects list, looked the part of a future star for the Blue Jays, and he could not have imagined a better start to his big-league career than the one he had on Monday.
“It was as special as I thought. It was almost like there was some sort of trance put over me with a feeling of peace out there. I enjoyed every moment,” Yesavage said, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.
In the middle of a division race, Yesavage was able to come in and put up a quality start that resulted in an all-important win for the Blue Jays. And considering how well he pitched in his MLB debut, that is simply the first of many victories he'll be earning for the ballclub that drafted him last year.
Trey Yesavage lights it up in his debut for the Blue Jays
Yesavage is certainly a fast-riser through the Blue Jays system, as he made it all the way to the major-league level in his first full season as a professional. On the year, he recorded an ERA of 3.12 in 25 games (22 starts) across four minor-league levels, and he's clearly been deemed ready by the Blue Jays and for good reason.
It's not quite clear if Yesavage will be brought along by the Blue Jays for their postseason roster. But the upside he possesses makes him a worthwhile addition in any case despite his youth and inexperience. He certainly proved on Monday that he belongs in MLB for good.
