Blue Jays calling up top pitching prospect Trey Yesavage for MLB debut, will start Monday vs. Rays

The Toronto Blue Jays are promoting their top prospect, right-handed pitcher Trey Yesavage, to the major leagues to start on Monday against the Rays, the team announced. The 6-foot-4 Yesavage has experienced a rapid rise to the majors, as he was the Blue Jays' first-round pick (20th overall) out of East Carolina in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Reliever Ryan Borucki was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Yesavage, 22, started the season with Class-A Dunedin, making seven starts there. He then made four starts with High-A Vancouver before eight starts with Double-A New Hampshire and six starts for Triple-A Buffalo. In all, he's 5-1 with a 3.12 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 160 strikeouts against 41 walks in 98 innings. 

CBS Sports prospect guru R.J. Anderson ranked Yesavage as the Jays' best prospect heading into the season. As for his game, Anderson said, "His game is built on verticality: beginning with his steep release point and extending to an arsenal that includes, among other pitches, a rising fastball, a hammer curve, and a split-change."

More from Anderson, this time just 10 days ago: 

Yesavage's delivery features some unusual aesthetics. He has a short stride that leaves him upright at release, as well as a high arm slot that allows him to loosen the ball more than seven feet from the ground. Understandably, his arsenal is built around north-and-south movement rather than east-and-west. You're not going to catch him throwing a sweeper away from a right-handed hitter or busting a lefty in with a well-placed cutter.  All three of his pitches -- fastball, slider, splitter -- average arm-side movement. 

That dynamic hasn't prevented Yesavage from carving up minor-league lineups. It's to be seen if he gets the opportunity to take on big-league foes before the year is out, or if the Blue Jays will hold him in reserve as a means of having more control over his workload. (He's essentially matched his career-high in innings pitched.) Whatever the case, whenever Yesavage debuts he's going to immediately become one of the most interesting young pitchers in the majors.

Yesavage, at least for now, will join a rotation of Shane Bieber, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer and Kevin Gausman. It's to be seen if he sticks in that role or transitions into the bullpen for the playoffs.

The Blue Jays currently sit in first place in the AL East at 86-62, which is good for a three-game lead over the second-place Yankees.