Ryan Yarbrough

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Not to be confused with Ryan Yarborough.
Ryan Yarbrough
Ryan Yarbrough (cropped).jpg
Yarbrough with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018
Tampa Bay Rays – No. 48
Pitcher
Born: (1991-12-31) December 31, 1991 (age 29)
Austin, Texas
Bats: Right
Throws: Left
MLB debut
March 31, 2018, for the Tampa Bay Rays
MLB statistics
(through 2021 season)
Win–loss record37–23
Earned run average4.30
Strikeouts406
Teams

Ryan Christian Yarbrough (born December 31, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Seattle Mariners selected Yarbrough in the fourth round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft. He made his MLB debut in 2018.

Amateur career[]

After graduating from All Saints' Academy in Winter Haven, Florida,[1] Yarbrough played college baseball at Santa Fe College in 2011 before transferring to Old Dominion University. He pitched for the Old Dominion Monarchs in 2013 and 2014. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 20th round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft, but did not sign.[2] In 2014, his senior season, he went 6–7 with a 4.50 ERA in 18 games (14 starts).[3]

Professional career[]

Seattle Mariners[]

The Seattle Mariners selected Yarbrough in the fourth round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft.[4] Yarbrough made his professional debut with the Pulaski Mariners. After two games, he was promoted to the Everett AquaSox.[5] Overall, he pitched in 14 games (10 starts) and had a 1.27 earned run average (ERA) with 58 strikeouts in 42+2⁄3 innings in 2014.

In 2015, he played for the AZL Mariners, Clinton LumberKings, and Bakersfield Blaze where he compiled a combined 4–8 record and 4.10 ERA in 22 starts. In 2016, he pitched for the Jackson Generals where he was 12–4 with a 2.95 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 25 games started.

Tampa Bay Rays[]

On January 11, 2017, the Mariners traded Yarbrough, Mallex Smith, and Carlos Vargas to the Tampa Bay Rays for Drew Smyly.[6] He spent the season with the Durham Bulls where he pitched to a 13–6 record and 3.43 ERA in 26 starts.[7] The Rays added him to their 40-man roster after the season.[8]

Yarbrough made the Rays' Opening Day roster in 2018.[9] He made his debut against the Boston Red Sox, pitching four innings, allowing one run and recording three strikeouts. Yarbrough finished the season with 16 wins, the most for a rookie in franchise history, the most for a rookie in the 2018 season, and the second-most on the team.[10] Yarbrough finished his rookie season posting an earned run average of 3.91 over 141+1⁄3 innings despite working predominantly out of the bullpen. Yarbrough was mainly utilized as the "bulk guy" behind the Rays' new opener strategy.

On April 24, 2019, he was optioned to AAA after registering an ERA of 8.10 in 5 appearances.[11] Yarbrough eventually was called back up and won his 8th game and being added into the starting rotation, lowering his ERA to 3.93 by the end of July. On July 14, 2019 against the Baltimore Orioles, after Ryne Stanek opened with two perfect innings, Yarbrough then pitched six perfect innings of his own, losing the combined perfect game bid to a leadoff single in the ninth inning.[12] His run of success continued in the season's second half, as he improved his ERA to 3.51 and his WHIP to 0.88 by September 10, which would have been second-best in MLB among starting pitchers if Yarbrough pitched enough innings to qualify.[13] He struggled in his last few starts and finished the season 11–6 with a 4.13 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 117 strikeouts over 141+2⁄3 innings.[14]

Due to many injuries to their pitching staff to begin the 2020 season, Yarbrough was used exclusively in the rotation before suffering a groin injury and placed on the disabled list on August 29, 2020.

In 2020 he was 1-4 with a 3.56 ERA.[15] He led the AL in hit batsmen, with seven.[16]

On June 3, 2021, Yarbrough threw a complete game 9–2 victory against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, which was the first Rays complete game since Matt Andriese threw one in May 2016. The five-year drought was the longest in the league. It was also Yarbrough's first win as a starter since he pitched into the ninth inning against the Mariners at Safeco Field in 2019, as well as his first career complete game.[17]

Personal[]

Yarbrough and his wife, Nicole, married in 2019 and announced in 2021 they were expecting their first child.[18]

Yarbrough grew up a Rays fan.[19]

References[]

  1. ^ "2010 Alumnus | Ryan Yarbrough". All Saints Academy. 2017-03-27. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  2. ^ "MLB Draft: Yarbrough's Pitch to Get Better Pays Off". TheLedger.com. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  3. ^ "Mariners select eight college players in draft | Sportspress Northwest". Sportspressnw.com. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  4. ^ "Mariners dip into pitcher ranks in fourth round". Seattle Mariners. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  5. ^ "Minor League Notebook: Yarbrough, Curcio Move Up to Next Level". TheLedger.com. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  6. ^ Chastain, Bill (January 11, 2017). "Rays trade Smyly for Smith, 2 Minor Leaguers". MLB.com. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  7. ^ "Ryan Yarbrough Stats, Highlights, Bio – MiLB.com Stats – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  8. ^ Chastain, Bill (January 20, 2016). "Brent Honeywell, Jake Bauers on Rays' roster | MLB.com". M.mlb.com. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
  9. ^ "Rays to drop Hudson, Jennings; put Chirinos, Kittredge and Yarbrough on team". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  10. ^ "2018 Tampa Bay Rays Statistics | Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-10-04.
  11. ^ RotoWire Staff (2019-04-24). "Rays' Ryan Yarbrough: Sent to minors Wednesday". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  12. ^ "Rays lose combined perfect game bid in ninth inning, fall short of MLB history vs. Orioles". CBSSports.com.
  13. ^ "Sortable Player Stats | MLB.com". Mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  14. ^ "Ryan Yarbrough Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  15. ^ "Ryan Yarbrough Stats | Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.
  16. ^ "2020 American League Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com.
  17. ^ Berry, Adam. "Meadows, Yarbs ablaze; TB pounds Yanks". MLB.com. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  18. ^ @RaysBaseball (12 April 2021). "Congrats to Nicole & Ryan Yarbrough for expecting their first child!