Mike Yastrzemski’s Improbable Rise to Stardom
Carl Yastrzemski isn’t just a Hall of Fame outfielder, he’s a Red Sox legend. He played with the team for his entire 23-season career and hit 452 homers wearing their uniform. He replaced Ted Williams in Boston’s lineup in his rookie 1961 season, and despite having to fill those Splendid Splinter-sized shoes, he quickly became a fan favorite. It was a foregone conclusion that he was bound for the Hall of Fame, and after his election there in 1989, the name Yastrzemski evoked fond memories of baseball days past for more than 36 years.
36 years, one month and 17 days, to be exact. That’s how much time passed between Carl’s last home run in Fenway Park, and his grandson Mike’s first.
Mike Yastrzemski had an irregular route to the big leagues, and like his grandfather before him, he had big shoes to fill. The challenge facing Mike was different, though – he had to live up to the family name. The Red Sox actually selected him in the 36th round of the 2009 draft, but he instead committed himself to Vanderbilt University, where he played until being selected by the Orioles in the 14th round of the 2013 draft, 429th overall. He spent six seasons toiling away for the Orioles’ minor league affiliates, never getting the call despite making several All-Star teams in his seasons there. Even though there was plenty of room for him in Baltimore’s outfield, the Orioles just never seemed to see enough in him to give him a real chance.
As a 28-year-old who had never received a callup, he was in danger of being a career minor leaguer – the same fate that befell his father, Carl Jr., who played minor league ball from 1984 to 1988 but never appeared in the majors. As it happened, all Mike needed was a home with a team willing to give him an opportunity to realize his potential. The Orioles traded him to the Giants on March 22nd, 2019, and after raking to the tune of a .316/.414/.676 line in 136 at-bats with the AAA River Cats, he was finally promoted on May 25th.
An unheralded prospect, the promotion was certainly a long time coming but may have never come if not for his last name. Any pessimists who viewed his promotion as a promotional stunt were quickly silenced when he started swinging the bat, though. From the get-go, Mike played like he belonged, quickly establishing himself as a cornerstone for the Giants’ future plans. In his “homecoming” to Boston, the area where he grew up, he hit the 20th homer of his rookie season shortly after having a pregame photo-op with Papa Yaz. Carl was not in the stands to see it in person, though, because he was too nervous and had to watch on TV instead. You might say it was the most nervous Carl Yastrzemski had ever been about a baseball game.
At the end of 2019, Mike had slashed .272/.334/.518 with 21 homers in 107 games. While he did not factor into Rookie of the Year voting, he was handicapped by having started the year in the minors, and still ended up tying for eighth among rookie hitters in WAR (2.2). For a rookie as old as him, it was an outstanding effort, but sophomore slumps happen all the time – even to those with much more advanced prospect pedigrees. Yaz, however, decided it would be a better idea to improve upon his good year instead. His sophomore effort in 2020 yielded a fantastic .297/.400/.568 line that earned him some down-ballot MVP votes. He also produced 2.7 WAR in just 54 games, more WAR than his rookie season in just half as many games. Even in a shortened season, it’s hard to look at his production and not infer that he’s unequivocally the real deal.
Many in the industry may have been surprised by his sudden rise to stardom, but two individuals saw it coming all along. One of them was his newest teammate, Curt Casali, who played alongside him way back in their time at Vanderbilt. The two are great friends – they were groomsmen in each other’s weddings and shared a rental home together back in Spring Training. Said Casali of Mike’s success, “I don’t think there’s a word to describe how happy or proud I am, just because of all the crap he had to deal with in the early stages of his career… He was with (Double-A) Norfolk and I was in (Triple-A) Durham. He was always a good player then. I couldn’t ever believe why Baltimore would keep him hidden away.”
His other proponent? His grandfather, of course. Carl started helping to coach Mike during his freshman year of high school, and when Mike was just 18 in 2009 Carl said: “I think he’s got a chance (to reach the big leagues). He can hit. He’s a good outfielder, he runs well, and he’s got a strong arm. He’s come along way.”
Mike Yastrzemski sure has come a long way, indeed. If Carl finds himself getting bored in retirement, it seems like he might have a promising future as a talent evaluator. He’ll have to search far and wide to find another diamond in the rough like his grandson, though. Not everyone can be like Mike.
