Trystan Vrieling Begins Professional Career At Double-A Level
Bridgewater, New Jersey – It’s not often that a pitching prospect makes their professional debut at the Double-A level. That’s not an exaggeration, many hours of research failed to yield a single Yankees pitcher that made their first career appearance in the upper levels. If it has happened, it is
Bridgewater, New Jersey – It’s not often that a pitching prospect makes their professional debut at the Double-A level. That’s not an exaggeration, many hours of research failed to yield a single Yankees pitcher that made their first career appearance in the upper levels. If it has happened, it is certainly rare to be certain. For Trystan Vrieling, that is exactly what he did last Sunday afternoon in the Patriots 8-0 series clinching victory over Richmond at TD Bank Ballpark.
#Yankees No. 24 Prospect Trystan Vrieling was LIGHTS OUT in his professional debut💪
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) April 7, 2024
5️⃣ IP | 0️⃣ R | 2️⃣ H | 6️⃣ K pic.twitter.com/6SQy8DJlNz
Vrieling was the Yankees third round draft selection out of Gonzaga in 2022 and is the highest drafted pitcher remaining from that class after second rounder Drew Thorpe was traded during the offseason. In a class that included highly touted names like Spencer Jones and Chase Hampton, expectations are certainly high for the organization’s 24th ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline after missing all of the 2023 campaign with elbow issues.
The Yankees have demonstrated strong faith in the right-hander by aggressively placing him in Somerset this season rather than opting for the slow-build route at the lower levels. That roster assignment speaks volumes about how the organization feels about his traits and his projected timeline. At just 23-years old, Vrieling is effectively on the clock.
“It’s just one of those deals where I feel like they have confidence,” admitted Vrieling. “I appreciate the confidence and I appreciate the support.”
Vrieling added, “I really didn’t treat it as a Double-A, High-A thing. I was just like; I am going to just go out and pitch and wherever I end up is where I end up. By the glory of God, they decided I was fit enough to be in Double-A. It wasn’t really up to me, but it was exciting to make my debut in Double-A, for sure.”
Early returns would indicate that the 6’4” Lewiston, Idaho-native is more than up to the task. In his first action with a Bombers affiliate, Vrieling tossed five innings of shutout ball against the Flying Squirrels on Sunday - allowing just two hits and two walks to go with six strikeouts on 79 pitches. Mike Ashmore of MyCentralJersey.com clocked his velocity sitting regularly at 90-92 MPH with reach back as high as 94 MPH.
“I was chomping at the bit, for sure,” Vrieling said. “Definitely an exciting moment when you get to run out onto the field and be able to just do what you worked so hard to do and be able to have those guys behind me and my teammates surrounding me is a pretty cool deal.”
“I thought that he [Vrieling] did a great job,” said catcher Agustin Ramirez through translation from Hitting Coach Kevin Martir. “In the beginning, I thought he was losing a little bit of confidence, so I boosted him up and gave him a little but of confidence and thought he felt more comfortable with the slider, and I just kept communicating with him throughout the game.”
Missing out on development time is the biggest detriment a prospect could face during their minor league journey. Having to endure that challenge from jump street allowed Vrieling to bolster the mental aspects that come with pitchability while his elbow was on the mend.
“It definitely was [frustrating], but it was an opportunity to keep on growing,” explained Vrieling. “I probably didn’t love the fact that I was hurt all year last year, but it gave me the opportunity to work with some pro guys in big league camp last year that were also hurt. I got to pick their brains and pick the minds of the pitching coaches, too. It was more of just saying, yeah, I’m going to focus on my mental game and then we’ll get to the physical part.”
After rigorous rehab, Vrieling was able to find himself in game action against live hitters late last season, tossing 10.2 innings over five appearances in the Arizona Fall League. He made it out of the desert with a clean bill of health that allowed him to go into this offseason with a new refined routine that he hopes will keep his arm healthy. The organization built him up gradually each week of spring training and after one strong outing at Double-A, Vrieling now officially has numbers to put on the back of the baseball card.
“It’s always good to have that breath of fresh air in your lungs again,” said Vrieling of getting the debut outing under his belt. “I know people have been waiting a long time, and I have been waiting a long time for this. It was exciting to finally be able to throw the ball.”
Matt Kardos | SomersetPatriots.com Senior Writer
Matt Kardos has covered the Yankees minor league system for over a decade and will spend his 12th season on the beat covering the Patriots for SomersetPatriots.com. Throughout his career, Matt has contributed to MLB.com, YES Network and Pinstriped Prospects. When he’s not at the ballpark, Matt enjoys traveling with his wife Kimberly, watching Jets football and collecting sports cards.