Cubs Draft Prospect Target: Trey Yesavage |
And then there were two, as in just two weeks until the 2024 MLB Draft. Depending on how you view the MLB draft regarding the Major professional sports drafts, you could make a case that the Baseball draft is the most crucial draft as it sets your team up for the long-term future.
When it comes to the Cubs and their 2024 options, they are stuck at a crossroads right now as this season hasn't gone according to plans. Should things stay the way they are, you can almost bet that this team will be selling and will put this team back further than they expected after the progress they made. If they find a way to turn things around in the next month, this team could stand pat, but at this point, there aren't many scenarios where they will be buyers this season. Knowing that, it is time for this organization to continue to focus on their future which is what they are planning to do at No.14. After hearing tons of bats being linked to the Cubs in the latest Mock Drafts, the most recent one has a change of pace as East Carolina RHP Trey Yesavage is mentioned as a possible option for the Cubs at No. 14. At 6-4 and 220 pounds, Yesavage has a solid build for a starting pitcher, but based on his overall arsenal, you wouldn't guess he was that big. Listed as the No. 11 prospect on the big board, there is a great chance he could fall to the Cubs, which is why more and more Mock drafts have him going to them. Regarded as one of the best college starting pitchers in this year's class, Yesavage has a unique high arm angle that helps him generate a ton of downward action. His fastball averages 95 MPH and he can tough 98 while the splitter could be his best overall offering. There is also a slider mixed in to give him a three-pitch mix, and that alone is something the Cubs would love to work with. Like many college pitchers, Yesavage had to earn his spot in the rotation and was a relief pitcher his freshman season before getting an opportunity to start. Once that opportunity game, all Yesavage did was go 18-2 as a starter in his final two seasons while posting a 2.34 ERA. That included a dominating 2024 campaign where he made 15 starts, going 11-1 with a 2.01 ERA in 93 1/3 innings. He walked 32 and struck out 145, which comes out to be 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Talk about a power arm that the Cubs could use for the foreseeable future. Yesavage has everything the Cubs are looking for and more. He is an experienced college pitcher with a big arm and is someone who isn't afraid to put the work in to get better. The American Athletic Conference pitcher of the season lives off a four-pitch mix that has helped him get the success he has had. His slider/splitter combo does a great job of off-setting a hitter's timing, while the fastball can easily put hitters away. Yesavage does have an 83 MPH spike curveball in his back pocket that he doesn't use as much, but when right, that curveball can have the same velocity as his splitter and will often miss a ton of bats. For a rotation that not only lacks velocity, but doesn't have a guy that has what you would call swing and miss stuff, Yesavage is the perfect fit and would pair nicely with Ben Brown and Cade Horton in the future. One of the concerns when you watch him on film is his delivery, as he puts more effort into it than he should. While that doesn't prevent him from throwing strikes, it does set up the chance that he could have some back problems down the road if he isn't able to tweak it a bit. Another thing to keep an eye on is fastball location as he has a tendency to get pounded if he leaves it up in the zone. Yesavage did a much better job of keeping the ball down this season, but in his lone loss, the ball was up in the zone, and the hitters did a great job squaring him up. As things sit right now, Yesavage is the perfect back end of the rotation starter. However, with the front-of-the-rotation stuff, look for him to be, at worst, a No. 3 starter before too long and be an anchor to the middle of any rotation.
