Tri-Cities pitcher earns ‘dream job’ with the New York Yankees
Trystan Vrieling took the summer off after his Gonzaga University baseball team finished its season in May.
Normally, a college baseball player will play summer college ball somewhere — like Vrieling had done in previous summers in the West Coast League, or the highly touted Cape Cod League.
But Vrieling, a Kamiakin High School graduate, knew he’d be drafted by a Major League Baseball team. So he wanted to rest up.
And it happened on July 18, with the New York Yankees selecting the right-handed pitcher in the third round — the 100th overall pick.
“I’ve dreamed of this for a long time,” said Vrieling, a starting pitcher for Gonzaga University. “My entire life. It’s pretty exciting.”
You might think, growing up in the Tri-Cities, Vrieling would follow the Seattle Mariners.
“I’m not a die-hard Mariners fan,” he admits. “My favorite baseball team has always been the San Francisco Giants, because my dad and my brother are Dodgers fans.”
But now, he’s with the Yankees.
This week, Vrieling flew down to Tampa, Fla., to the Yankees’ minor league complex. He took not one, but two physicals, passed them both, then signed his contract.
According to MLB Pipeline Twitter — Vrieling’s draft status slots into a signing that earns him $611,400
So what’s next?
“The plan is to throw in the bullpen for a few weeks before being assigned to the Tampa Tarpons (of the Class A Florida State League),” said Vrieling. “Then I’ll train all winter.”
Whatever he does the rest of this summer, he won’t be throwing any significant innings.
The Yankees are known as an organization that does a great job of taking care of their pitchers’ arms.
“The Yankees are very invested in their arms,” Vrieling said. “It’s exciting for me. I’m a guy who puts his nose to the grindstone.”
Vrieling says the difference between when he came to GU and this junior season “is like night and day.”
“When I first came to Gonzaga I had just a fastball and a curveball. I thought I could throw my fastball by any batter, and I had a little success,” he said.
His fastball hit somewhere between 89 and 92 mph that first year.
His sophomore season, he still had just the fastball and curve. But his fastball velocity got up to 94 mph, and hit 97 mph at some points.
“This year, I decided to be a power pitcher. I added a cutter (a pitch that moves sideways) and a changeup,” said Vrieling. “I throw the cutter a good amount. The change up is few and far between. But the cutter, I picked up quickly in the fall of 2021.”
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound righty finished this spring with a 4.91 earned run average in 15 starts. He had a 4-4 win-loss record, and in 80.2 innings pitched, Vrieling had 107 strikeouts.
Vrieling wasn’t the only one with success at Gonzaga this past spring.
GU pitching coach Brandon Harmon earned some notice for having three of his pitchers — Gabe Hughes went 10th overall to the Rockies, Will Kempner went 106th overall to the Giants — picked in the first 106 selections. And of course Vrieling.
GU pitcher Brody Jessee went in the 10th round (303rd overall) to the Cincinnati Reds.
“It’s pretty crazy,” said Vrieling. “Harmon helps you just slow everything down. He helps you with the odds and ends. He’s just here to help you out. He does a great job of not stressing you out. It’s been nice not having an extreme stress load. He makes us do things right.”
It’s been a great ride so far for Vrieling.
“If you asked me two years ago about this, I would be thinking I might not even be drafted,” he said. “But It’s been a blessing.”
Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Herald.
