Blue Jays' top prospect could be a late-season weapon for the bullpen

Trey Yesavage, the Toronto Blue Jays' number two prospect, has been on a tear for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in Double-A lately, a continuation of his dominance from his stints in the lower minor levels at the beginning of the season. Across 18 starts at three different levels, Yesavage has posted a 5-1 record with a 2.97 ERA and 125 strikeouts. He's turned into appointment viewing in the minor leagues, and maybe that viewing could convert on a bigger stage.

MLB rosters expand from 26 players to 28 on September 1. Usually, that'll come with some minor-league call-ups to help teams with that final push for a postseason birth. As for Double-A, their regular season wraps up September 14 with the postseason starting two days later. At the time of this writing, the Fisher Cats are 16-20 in the second half of the season and out of a playoff spot.

Barring a strong turnaround for a playoff push, it could mean there's an open door in Toronto for Yesavage.

Trey Yesavage could be added to the Blue Jays' pitching staff next month

Back on August 2, per The Athletic's Mitch Bannon, Blue Jays manager John Schneider stated two minor league players may become options for the team at some point: left-hander Adam Macko and Yesavage.

Between the two names, Schneider admitted he's watched more of Yesavage's game and stated, "it's pretty good. It's pretty good stuff." If that didn't turn heads for Blue Jays fans, then Thursday's outing in New Hampshire definitely will.

Yesavage made his first relief appearance as a professional in the third inning and threw five strong innings. He struck out nine batters with no walks on 89 pitches.

Let's present the hypothetical scenario of a September call-up for Yesavage. Without a doubt, the young right-hander won't see any time in the starting rotation, especially with Shane Bieber ready to join the fray. That leaves Yesavage to go to the bullpen, and extra weapons won't hurt.

At the trade deadline, the Blue Jays added Seranthony Dominguez and Louis Varland, two high-end relievers that'll support those mid-to-late innings. Yesavage would add depth for the middle innings to help set up those more critical arms. Considering he went five innings in relief, Yesavage could also emerge as a long relief option along with Yariel Rodriguez. If Yimi Garcia continues to spend time on the injured list, then Yesavage may be a good replacement.

The thought of Yesavage getting an express ticket to the Majors is intriguing. If he can continue his hot 2025 in Double-A, then he can't be ignored for much longer.