C’s Chat – 2024 Vancouver Canadians RHP #20 Chay Yeager – C's Plus Baseball

Entering this episode of C’s Chat from the bullpen is 2024 Vancouver Canadians pitcher Chay Yeager.

The righthander began playing ball in his birthplace of Fort Wayne, Indiana before heading to Fayetteville, Georgia. He won several awards in Perfect Game tournaments and starred at Starr’s Mill High School where he batted .380 as a sophomore before helping the Panthers win its first-ever 5A Georgia state title in 2021 with a seven-inning shutout in his senior year.

Before heading to college, Yeager joined the Mansfield Destroyers of the New York Collegiate League as an infielder and batted .406 with a 1.063 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 10 games.

The original college destination for Yeager was Division I Wofford in Spartanburg, South Carolina but he decided to attend Division II Pasco-Hernando in New Port Richie, Florida instead. He turned in a batting average of .347 with 17 extra-base hits, including six home runs, and drove in 53 runs in 2022. In summer ball, Yeager went to the Sanford River Rats of the Florida Collegiate League as a two-way player. His greater success came on the mound where he posted an ERA of 0.93 in 9-2/3 innings with a 14-9 K/BB total and one save.

The 2023 season saw Yeager bat .258 with seven homers among his 14 extra-base knocks and 32 runs batted in but much like his summer college stint the year before, it was on the mound where Yeager shone. He won nine of 12 decisions with a 3.76 earned run average and 102 strikeouts against 37 walks over 69-1/3 innings, including two complete games.

Georgia State University was to be the next stop for Yeager before the Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the 12th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He opted to turn pro as he agreed to a signing bonus of $150,000.

Signed by scout Brandon Bishoff, Yeager headed to Dunedin for his first exposure to professional baseball. His debut came on August 9 when he pitched 1-2/3 innings for the Florida Complex League Blue Jays against the FCL Yankees and struck out a batter. He was promoted to Low-A Dunedin and tossed one inning with two strikeouts in his Florida State League debut against St. Lucie on August 23. Yeager was not scored upon in four of his last five outings, including two shutout frames with three strikeouts against Jupiter on September 6. That gave him a 1.35 ERA over 6-2/3 innings with a 7-1 K/BB ratio with the D-Jays.

Yeager was named to the Vancouver Canadians 2024 Opening Day roster and made his Northwest League debut in Spokane on April 7. Five of his seven outings in April involved shutout ball, including his first hold in which he struck out a batter in one inning against Hillsboro on April 10. Yeager then picked up his first save against the Hops on April 13 thanks to two strikeouts in a perfect frame. His second hold came on May 24 at Hillsboro after logging two scoreless stanzas and two strikeouts.

C’s Plus Baseball caught up with the 21-year-old Yeager during the team’s homestand against Everett in May. This interview has been edited for clarity.

C’s Plus Baseball – How did you get started in baseball?

Chay Yeager – My backyard in Fort Wayne, Indiana. My Dad was the president of the Little League there. I started playing tee ball and then started playing travel ball when I was about six and I’ve played year-round pretty much since then.

CPB – Did you go to any Fort Wayne Tin Caps games?

CY – I did. I did when they were the Wizards. I’ve been to a Tin Caps game. I love it there.

CPB – Do you remember any players you got to see that went on to bigger and better things or did you have a favourite player back then?

CY – Kevin Kiermaier (who played for Bowling Green in the Midwest League in 2011). Actually, he’s from Fort Wayne. My Dad coached his brother in peewee football. He went to school with my sister and his younger brother is my older brother’s age.

CPB – Did you have a chance to connect with him?

CY – I saw him during spring training. I talked to him a little bit so that was pretty cool.

CPB – You eventually moved to Georgia. How did you wound up there?

CY – My dad’s a pilot, and so we moved for his work to Georgia, which is a big powerhouse for baseball. So that’s why I started travel ball when I was in first grade. I started playing summer ball and then fall ball and school ball. I’ve been playing year-round since then and it’s crazy. Playing 100-something games when you’re 10 years old in the summer, playing five games a day is kind of crazy.

CPB – Any memories that stand out during that time in Georgia?

CY – Yeah, when we were 12, we won 27 games straight and won the East Cobb World Series. We had to beat them twice to win the World Series there so it was pretty crazy.

CPB – Eventually you go to Florida and junior college at Pasco Hernando. How did you wind up there?

CY – I was at Wofford and things just didn’t really work out there. I then decided to go the JUCO route and (head coach) Lyndon Coleman gave me a shot, and went there. I didn’t get to pitch at all my first year. Just played third and hit for him. I had a good year hitting, and then he finally let me pitch the next year.

CPB – When did you take up pitching full-time?

CY – Last year, about this time, about a year ago. I got to go to a JUCO All-Star game. I played third base and I hit, and then one of the scouts was like, ‘Hey, you pitched in high school. Do you want to throw a bullpen? You’d be the last one to go.’ I waited about five hours and went up there in front of all these scouts, and the last person to throw was 95-96. The first time being off the mound in over a year, and then my coach started getting calls from some scouts and then he was like, ‘Well, I got to pitch you now’ And then I hurt a little piece of my left wrist. I ran into someone at first base and I couldn’t really swing it, so I started just pitching. I was a game one starter for us.

CPB – Did you feel maybe that was just life’s way of saying you belong on the mound all the time?

CY – Yeah, 100 percent. I mean, I love hitting. I had a good year hitting. I had a few home runs in 10 games and then hurt my wrist. I tried to swing it the rest of the year and had a few hits, no more home runs though, but it felt good. What these guys, these position players do here is kind of crazy. I don’t think I could pitch and do what they do. It’d be too much.

CPB – In the draft, the Blue Jays take you in the 12th round. Did you have any idea it was going to be the Blue Jays who would take you?

CY – When I was in my JUCO, I got to go throw in the PDC. They liked my numbers in their lab there and so I had an idea. I had a few workouts and definitely the Jays were probably one of my top choices and I’m really glad they picked me up.

CPB – What did you think about the PDC when you got there?

CY – It was crazy. Going from JUCO and little tin lockers and just crappy baseballs, just nothing good. And then just coming in and seeing this lab with all these cameras and big locker rooms. They were just giving me some gear to work out in and it was unreal.

CPB – You got all sorts of bells and whistles. You got the Edgertronic and the Rapsodo but is there anything maybe you learned about yourself or why your pitches work this way?

CY – Yeah, just seeing my spin rates, my velocities and stuff, because I was doing it pretty good then. Just seeing analytics. That was the first time I’ve ever seen any kind of numbers on anything besides velo. Our velo at our JUCO was not accurate at all. Seeing all the numbers, and they were for sure just locked down and it was pretty crazy to see that stuff for the first time ever.

CPB – Where were you when you found you got drafted?

CY – I just got an (advisor) and I kinda had an idea that I might go. I had my girlfriend there, my brother and my whole family. It was pretty cool because Day 2 was pretty stressful because there was a chance I might have gone (earlier). I was like, ‘You don’t know.’ It was just stressful with just people (being picked) that I know. It was just a really stressful time. I just had my whole family there in Peachtree City at my house and it was pretty crazy watching it on TV.

CPB – After you get drafted and signed. It’s such a whirlwind when you report to Dunedin? What was that whole process like once you got drafted?

CY – I just hung out with the family and had a good time. Saw some of my friends and three days later, I was heading down to Florida. I had to pack up all my stuff, just a little duffel bag of clothes. I just packed my truck and drove six hours south to the PDC.

CPB – You got a bit of time at the Florida Complex League and with Dunedin. What was that first pro experience like for you?

CY – It was crazy, like nothing I’ve ever been through. Just the emotions, how competitive everyone is and fighting for your job. You just got to go out there and get it done. I just love that mentality.

CPB – This is right now your full-time job. You don’t have school to deal with anymore. What’s that transition been like for you?

CY – It’s getting better. I’m not much of a pitcher mentally. I throw the ball hard but I got to know where to put it, what the hitters are going to do and how to get them out. I’ve been studying that a lot, trying to get better mentally and figure out what I need to do to get guys out.

CPB – Is it watching a lot of video or chatting with your catchers to prepare for coming into a game?

CY – Going over reports, writing important stuff down. I just got a notebook for it. Just writing important stuff down for every hitter. What will get them out. What they chase or whether they’re going to swing at the first pitch, just the whole nine yards.

CPB – Talk about what you are throwing right now. What are the pitches you do throw?

CY – I throw a four-seam fastball and then a slurve. It’s like sometimes a curve, sometimes a slider, just a hard breaking ball. I just started throwing the changeup again finally so that’s coming in pretty well. And then I throw a two-seamer. I haven’t done it this year yet but I have it.

CPB – Was there anyone who taught you the slurve or is this something you picked up on your own?

CY – Yeah. I mean, I used to throw a 12-6 (curveball) when I threw really slow and then I started throwing really hard. So it’s the same pitch, just 20 miles an hour harder.

CPB – Your changeup. Is it a circle change or a split change?

CY – A circle change.

CPB – Was that more comfortable for you than trying to throw a splitter?

CY – Yeah. My hands aren’t big enough to do the splitters. I’ve tried it and I’ll throw one good one out of every 20. I throw it too hard a little bit. I can’t really slow it down. So, yeah, I think the changeup was just the best move, especially with my fastball being a riding fastball with the sink. It just really goes along with it.

CPB – Who would you say has helped you develop as a pitcher?

CY – All my pitching coaches (before turning pro) used to say I would never be a pitcher. I was a thrower, not a pitcher. Getting into pro ball, Cory (Cory Riordan) with Dunedin has been really helping me out. (C’s bullpen coach) Carson (Carson Phillips) and (C’s pitching coach) ABD (Austin Bibens-Dirkx) are really taking me under their wing and helping me understand what to do.

CPB – I’m sure they’ve given you lots of advice but would you say there is maybe one or two good pieces of advice they’ve given you when you do go out on the mound?

CY – Just attack guys and just trust your stuff. Know what they’re not going to hit and just do what you do.

CPB – And you certainly have been dialing it up on the radar gun. We’ve seen high 90s. I think it might actually flashed 100 once. Is that something maybe you do kind of take a look at the radar gun every once in a while and say, ‘Okay, where am I at here?’

CY – Not really during the game but I’ll come in the dugout and maybe ask. If I get a chance to turn around, I don’t know, like picking someone off, I’ll definitely take a look but I usually try not to. But it happens. I definitely like to know what I’m feeling like. I came out, threw pretty good, went out back out, and I wanted to see if my velo’s still there, if my stuff’s still working good.

CPB – And as you mentioned, you feel like you do have a fresh arm in a way. You’re just starting out as a pitcher and really getting kind of your first full-time experience. Do you feel like you still got a lot in the tank?

CY – Oh, yeah. I’m getting there. I mean, I’ve already put on (weight). I was drafted at 170 pounds and I’m about 210 pounds now. So I’m putting on weight and just getting used to that weight. When I was skinny, I was more whippy and now I gained a lot of weight. And getting better with that weight. So, trying to get back to that. And I think I’ll hopefully get 100 and 101 (miles per hour) soon.

CPB – How would you say things have been for you in the Northwest League? Is it a big difference from the Florida State League?

CY – Yeah, I think so. Just the hitters are calm. They know what they’re looking for. If I throw something down, they’re probably going to spit on it. I got to hit my zones, show them that I can throw it as a strike before they even swing at it. Down there in Dunedin, I mean, it was just fastballs and they take big swings and not a lot of contact. But here, they definitely make a good amount of contact and they know what they’re looking for. I think they’re just more educated hitters.

CPB – As far as pitching here at Nat Bailey Stadium, how does that compare to where you’ve pitched before?

CY – Yeah. The only game I’ve ever pitched was my state championship game where here were 3,000 people there in Truist Park, the (Atlanta) Stadium. But in JUCO, maybe you have 20 people. I mean, it’s insane having all these people come in here to watch me pitch and see the team play

CPB – Is this the first time you’ve been in Canada?

CY – Yes, it is.

CPB – How how have you enjoyed life here in Vancouver so far?

CY – It’s nice. Me and my girlfriend came the first day so we got to explore a little bit, go check out the beach, go downtown shopping and all that. It’s really cool.

CPB – Growing up, did you have a favorite major league team or player?

CY – I really liked the Braves. I got to throw my state championship game there and that was unreal right when it was built in 2020, and I threw there in 2021. (The stadium) was about a year old, but yeah, I really enjoyed the Braves. I was a little bit of a Giants fan. I liked Barry Bonds a lot.

CPB – Final question. The Canadians have five different uniforms—blue, red, black. gray and white. Do You have a favourite of the bunch?

CY – Yeah, I like the black a lot, but the whites are just unbeatable. I think it’s just clean.

Chay Yeager File

Born – September 11, 2002 in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Height/Weight – 5-foot-11, 180 pounds
Bats/Throws – Both/Right
Uniform Numbers – Wore number 6 with Pasco-Hernandez Junior College in 2023. Wore number 54 with the Florida Complex League Blue Jays and number 10 with the Dunedin Blue Jays in 2023.
Mound Music – “Gravity Clean” by NBA Youngboy.
Instagram – @chayyeager
Twitter – @yeager_chay