Most kids from Montgomery County don’t receive a $5,000,000 check just before their 21st birthday. But then again, most local kids aren’t pumping 98 mph fastballs and winning NCAA All-American awards.
Trey Yesavage was born in Pottstown and spent his childhood growing up on a farm in Boyertown. He never thought he’d be a baseball player, let alone a top pick in the draft, but following the MLB Draft Combine in late June, many outlets are projecting Yesavage to be selected with one of the first picks, during which college and high school students are offered millions of dollars to pursue their dream.
Trey Yesavage is the type of guy that can carry a team to Omaha. Straight filth. pic.twitter.com/ntz38JR7pL
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) April 27, 2024
Looking back, Yesavage probably wouldn’t have told you this was his calling at age 14. The Boyertown local loved football and spent his days playing on his family’s property, riding ATVs, hunting, fishing and running around the woods with his cousins and brothers.
Humble Beginnings
Slowly but surely, Yesavage turned to the sport that would become his calling. He was never the biggest kid in his year, and he didn’t throw the fastest or hit the ball the furthest. Like most kids, he was a role player. In fact, he wasn’t an everyday player until high school, and freshmen at Boyertown High weren’t even allowed to play varsity.
As Yesavage grew into his body though, his high school coaches began to take notice. One day, on what he believed was a whim, Yesavage was called up from JV practice as a sophomore to pinch hit in a varsity game.
“I ran from the field and got to the varsity field and threw on my helmet and my batting gloves. I just went up there and hit like it was any other at bat. There was nothing special to it,” Yesavage remembers. “I didn’t even know he was throwing a no-hitter, to be honest.”
It’s that mentality, that unchecked confidence with a disregard for pressure, which has propelled Yesavage throughout his amateur career. The Boyertown manager wanted to give their opponent a different look and, in that at-bat, Yesavage broke up the no-hitter and saved his school from the most embarrassing of defeats. From that point on, Yesavage was rarely neglected by his coaches.
East Carolina University and Self-Confidence
Following high school, Yesavage committed to East Carolina University for college as a pitcher, despite his triumphs at the plate. Yet in his freshman year, he faltered in his role as a reliever. A lofty walk rate and a bevy of wild pitches in limited innings diminished the viability of Yesavage’s raw talent. It could have been a discouraging period for the young player, who spent significant time working with ECU pitching coach Austin Knight to entirely rework his breaking pitches after high school.
“I was the guy they put up there whenever the starter got into a jam. I’d usually have to go out there and get an out or two, go punch two guys out with the bases loaded in the third inning or something like that,” he says.
Yesavage’s role was not glamorous. He had his moments in the spotlight for sure, but there was work to be done, not only on his physical prowess but on the mental side of the game, too. So instead of going home for the summer, he went to the Valley Collegiate League in Charlottesville, VA, and continued to pitch, this time as a starter.
“It definitely took some work,” Yesavage admits. “One thing I took from that is collecting myself [and] just going out there when I start the game. [It’s about closing] down the first inning, going to sitting down in between innings [and] telling myself I’m just going to get three outs here. Whenever I run out of gas or run out of pitches, it’s my time to go, but I should go out there and execute my role and close out the inning that I started.”
Friday Starter
Finally, with a 2.50 ERA for Charlottesville and improved command, it looked like Yesavage would be ready to start for ECU in spring 2023.
When he got his chance, he didn’t shrink from the spotlight and pitched one of the best seasons in ECU program history, improving his secondary pitches (his cutter, considered a slider by most scouts, and splitter), walking fewer batters in more innings and striking out the best his competition had to offer.
Trey Yesavage’s splitter grip. Said he’s played with 2 other orientations over the past year. @ECUBaseball
Averages a 6.8’ release, holds slot for splitter, steep approach on everything.
Just interviewed him with @jimcallisMLB on @MLBNetwork’s Draft Combine coverage! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bD4XqyYhGv
— Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBroz) June 18, 2024
The following year, Yesavage improved even further, sweeping most award selections and putting up some of the best numbers of any collegiate baseball player. He was unanimously selected as first-team All-American and AAC Pitcher of the Year, among dozens of other accolades.
Leading Into the Draft
Just over two weeks ahead of the MLB Draft, Yesavage is considered one of the two or three best college pitchers in his class, behind only Chase Burns of Wake Forest and perhaps Hagen Smith of Arkansas.
Yesavage will get a major payday when he’s selected in the first round, and his future team will expect him to be pitching in the Majors within two to three years. It’s a high expectation to live up to, but one that he’s equipped to handle after persevering through the ups and downs of his career thus far.
Trey Yesavage is locked in after his fifth-straight start with double-digit K’s 🔒
See where he lands in our NEW mock draft: https://t.co/3g73us3Vzs
(🎥: @ECUBaseball)
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 4, 2024
A bad start or a rough day won’t derail his career. Yesavage has had an uncanny ability to bounce back from bad outings in his college run. Notably, his worst performances have always been followed by some of his best.
“I had one real bad outing this year against [University of Texas San Antonio], and it was definitely a rough game for me. But as soon as I got off the field, I was cheering on my teammates and pulling for them the best I could. That’s all I could do to impact the rest of that game,” Yesavage shares. “[Later,] I got back to the hotel [and] showered off all the emotions. The next day I got back to work and put my nose down as I was preparing for my next start. I really don’t let things dwell on me too much.”
In his ensuing three starts, Yesavage pitched 19.1 innings, surrendered only two runs and racked up 32 strikeouts in the process.
Big League Dreams
The work ethic Yesavage has built over the past few years doesn’t allow him to dwell on the defeats. He knows that those moments will tear you apart inside if you’re not prepared to handle a bad day with grace and fortitude.
Whatever his new organization expects of him, he will be there to deliver. All he wants to do is be the best version of himself, however that may manifest.
“I definitely want a team that is going to develop me to be the best player I can be,” he shares. “Obviously, I also want a team that moves me through the ranks as they see fit and gives me the best opportunity to be the best player.”
Related: WNBA Star Maddy Siegrist Still Finds Time in Her Busy Schedule for Villanova
