Former Yankees' Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez share thoughts on Blue Jays' Trey Yesavage ALDS performance
Photo credit: https://www.usmagazine.com/
Former New York Yankees now FOX baseball analysts Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez had a lot to say about facing Toronto Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage on Sunday night.
The 22-year-old right-hander pitched the Blue Jays to a Game 2 victory over the Yankees in the ALDS, helping his club claim a 2-0 series lead in the best-of-five.
Yesavage didn't just hold his own; he dominated. He struck out 11 over 5.1 innings of no-hit ball, setting the Blue Jays' franchise record for punchouts in a post-season start.
39 Savage 😤All 11 strikeouts from Trey Yesavage's #Postseason debut 🔥
Blue Jays' Trey Yesavage earned respect from a trio of baseball legends on Sunday
"It was an unbelievable job by him," Hall of Fame Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said post-game on Fox.
"I'm glad I'm not playing anymore. What is that, a split-change?... From that arm angle and he's got some velocity too, so as a hitter, you're saying 'get the ball up,' but then he throws the fastball and it's tough to catch up to."
Jeter knows a thing or two about post-season success, having won five World Series titles with New York while collecting 20 October home runs in 158 games.
He wasn't the only member of the Fox panel to give Yesavage his flowers, as Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz both heaped praise on the Blue Jays rookie.
"I would say what makes him tougher is coming out over the top, with great arm speed and it's hard to read, because his split-changeup kind of fades away from lefties," Ortiz said. "As a left-handed batter, that is hard to pick up. Plus, he can mix the fastball with the changeup and get you thinking more than usual."
All three of Rodriguez, Ortiz and Jeter praised Yesavage's splitter, and for good reason
Toronto's 2024 first-rounder has tormented big-league hitters with the offering since getting the call, and the Yankees could figure it out on Sunday.
Yesavage got New York batters to swing and miss on 11 of the 16 splitters they swung at on Sunday, returning a ridiculous 69 per cent whiff rate.
Yesavage completed an incredible climb to the majors this season, starting the year at low-A Dunedin before pitching at all four of Toronto's full-season affiliates before reaching the majors.
Once he was promoted, Yesavage made two starts against the Tampa Bay Rays and one against the Kansas City Royals, posting a 3.21 ERA over 14 innings while striking out 16 - putting himself in position to make the Blue Jays' playoff roster.
Now that he's officially on the radar, Yesavage will surely get the chance to grow an October legend of his own this post-season.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 6 | 455 ANSWERS Former Yankees' Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez share thoughts on Blue Jays' Trey Yesavage ALDS performance Do you think agree with Derek Jeter's assessment of Trey Yesavage? | ||
| Yes | 421 | 92.5 % |
| No | 34 | 7.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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