Miguel Angel Yajure (born May 1, 1998) is a Venezuelan professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

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for the

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles The , often shortened as the , are a baseball team based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It has played in Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League since the team's formation in November 2004. The team is owned by the Internet shopping ...

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB). He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

and

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

, and in NPB for the

Tokyo Yakult Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams in Tokyo, the other being the Yomiuri G ...

. Yajure signed with the Yankees as an international

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

in 2015, and made his MLB debut with them in 2020, becoming the first major-league player to wear number 89, MLB's last unused

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Career

New York Yankees

Yajure signed with the

as an international

in March 2015, receiving $30,000. He made his professional debut that season at 17 years of age with the Dominican Summer League Yankees, and was 0–2 with a 1.42 ERA with an 0.926

WHIP A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...

in 57 innings in 14 starts. He played in 2016 with the

Gulf Coast Yankees The Florida Complex League Yankees are a Rookie-level affiliate of the New York Yankees, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball ...

, and was 1–2 with a 2.87

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA) in innings over nine games (six starts). Yajure missed 2017 after undergoing

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's body, ...

. Yajure returned in 2018 and pitched with the Single–A

Charleston RiverDogs The Charleston RiverDogs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League. They are located in Charleston, South Carolina, and are the Single-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The RiverDogs' home stadium is Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park. Char ...

, for whom he was 4-3 with a 3.90 ERA in innings over 14 starts. Yajure started 2019 with the Single–A

Tampa Tarpons The Tampa Tarpons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Tampa, Florida. The Tarpons play their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, which is a ...

before being promoted for two starts to the Double–A

Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the D ...

. Between the two teams, he was 9–6 with a 2.14 ERA (leading all of minor league baseball, minimum 125 innings) in innings covering 24 games (20 starts), in which he had 133 strikeouts (2nd among Yankee minor league pitchers). He was 2nd in the

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

with 122 strikeouts, 8th in wins, and walked 2.0 batters per 9 innings. After the 2019 season, he was named a 2019 Florida State League Postseason All-Star. After the season, ''Baseball America'' ranked him 11th among Yankees minor leaguers, and as having the best control among all Yankee minor league pitchers. On November 20, 2019, the Yankees added Yajure to their

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

to protect him from the

Rule 5 draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...

. Yajure made his major league debut in relief on August 31, 2020, against the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

. He pitched three shutout innings, with two strikeouts and three walks. He wore number 89, MLB's last unused

. In three relief appearances with New York in 2020, Yajure compiled a 1.29 ERA while striking out eight batters in seven innings, limited Major League batters to a .130 average.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On January 24, 2021, the Yankees traded Yajure, Roansy Contreras, Maikol Escotto, and Canaan Smith-Njigba to the

for pitcher Jameson Taillon. On June 24, Yajure was placed on the 60-day injured list with right forearm/elbow soreness. He made four appearances (three starts) for the Pirates during 2021, pitching to an 8.40 ERA and striking out 11 batters in 15 innings. He also appeared in nine games for the Triple-A

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory ...

, compiling a 3.09 ERA and 2–3 record in innings over nine starts. On September 14, 2022, Yajure recorded his first career save. Pitching in relief against the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

, he surrendered two earned runs on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in three innings of work. During the 2022 season, Yajure split time between Indianapolis, pitching primarily as a starter and going 4-4 with a 6.09 ERA in innings over 16 games (14 starts), and Pittsburgh, pitching primarily as a reliever and going 1-1 with an 8.88 ERA in innings over 12 games (one start). In the minors leagues through 2022 he averaged 8.2 hits, 0.5 home runs, 2.4 walks, and 7.9 strikeouts per 9 innings.

San Francisco Giants

On December 2, 2022, Yajure was claimed off waivers by the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

. On December 13, Yajure was removed from the

and sent outright to the Triple–A

Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland ...

. He spent the 2023 season split between the Single–A

San Jose Giants The San Jose Giants are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Located in San Jose, California, the Giants play their home games at Excite Ballpark. Games San Jose Giants g ...

, High–A

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, and Triple–A

. In 22 combined appearances (19 starts), Yajure struggled to a 2–6 record and 6.07 ERA with 80 strikeouts across innings of work. He elected free agency following the season on November 6, 2023.

Tokyo Yakult Swallows

On December 6, 2023, Yajure signed with the

. In 23 appearances for the team in 2024, he compiled a 5–10 record and 3.34 ERA with 84 strikeouts across innings pitched. On November 5, 2024, the Swallows announced that they would not bring Yajure back for the 2025 season, making him a free agent.

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

On December 6, 2024, Yajure signed with the

Pitching style

He is noted for his control. He has four pitches which include a

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch (baseball), pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. Its distinctive feature is its high speed. "Power pitchers," such as former major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, relied on the ...

that occasionally reached 97 mph by 2020, a

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

, a cutter, and a good

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball, but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced spee ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yajure, Miguel 1998 births Living people Charleston RiverDogs players Dominican Summer League Yankees players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Gulf Coast Yankees players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Venezuela 21st-century Venezuelan sportsmen New York Yankees players Pittsburgh Pirates players Baseball players from Cabimas Tampa Tarpons players Trenton Thunder players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States Indianapolis Indians players Bradenton Marauders players category:Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers category:Tokyo Yakult Swallows players category:Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles players