Let’s take a look at the former Valley Leaguers who made their MLB debut in the 2025 season.

First, though, this is kind of why the league does what it does- to have an alumnus make the game’s highest level is a kind of validation that isn’t always forthcoming in the land of player development and summer baseball. (It’s also something that is discussed all the time during the summer season. Who has a chance? Who’s going to be drafted? Coaches have hunches and locks (which are more often incorrect than correct), and love to discuss who’s the guy.)

Maybe there’s a book in there- or at least a post- about who was considered a lock but didn’t make it in the long run.

Anyway, here’s the list of MLB debuts in 2025 (Name, debut date, and VBL team and year):

JC EscarraMarch 29Staunton 2014
Michael Darrell-HicksApril 11Winchester 2021
Drew AvansMay 27Strasburg 2015-16
Hayden HarrisSeptember 2Front Royal 2018
Mitch FarrisSeptember 2Harrisonburg 2022
Trey YesavageSeptember 15Charlottesville 2022

I love it so much that six different VBL teams are represented here.

More context: six debuts in one season is more or less in line with what usually happens. Seven debuted in 2024 and 2023; five in 2022; four in 2021, and two in the 2020 Covid season.

So let’s take a look at each individual player:

  1. Wild that JC Escarra played for Staunton eleven years ago, in 2014. He hit .283/.298/.444 in 105 plate appearances for Staunton back then, with seven doubles and three home runs. He was drafted by the Orioles in the 15th round in 2017, and reached Triple-A Norfolk in 2021. He spent 2022 and 2023 playing in the Independent Leagues, before being signed by the Yankees in January, 2024. Given this second chance, Escarra made the most of it, hitting .302/.403/.527 in Triple-A in ’24, and then making the major league team out of Spring Training this March at the ripe “old” age of 29. In 40 major league games in 2025, he hit .202/.296/.333 with five doubles and two home runs.
  2. Michael Darrell-Hicks is the first former VBL with a hyphenated last name to make the majors (you want esoteric knowledge, you’ve come to the right place). Darrell-Hicks went 1-2, 1.65 for the Royals in 2021, with 26 K’s in 16 1/3 innings pitched. The Angels signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2022, and he started his climb through the minors. He made his debut with the Angels, appearing in six games before he was placed on waivers. The Pittsburgh Pirates snapped him up, and he appeared in one game for them. Overall, he went 1-0, 7.45 in seven MLB games, with eight K’s in 9 2/3 innings pitched.
  3. Drew Avans is someone I’ve kept an eye on for a long time, as he showed power and speed in the high minors for four seasons in a row before 2025. He was drafted by the Dodgers in the 33rd round in 2018, and spent six seasons (without 2020 in there) in the LA system. He elected free agency after the ’24 season, and signed with the “homeless” A’s. He got called up and appeared in seven games, going 2-15, before he was designated for assignment and Milwaukee scooped him up. He appeared in one more game in MLB for them, going 0-2.
  4. Hayden Harris is a 6-foot lefty who misses many, many bats. He went 2-1, 4.67 for the Cardinals in 2018, with 23 K’s in 17 1/3 innings. Signed as a free agent by Atlanta in 2022, he blasted through the minors, going a combined 15-8, 3.06 in 130 games, with 245 strikeouts in 158 2/3 innings pitched. He appeared in three games in Atlanta, and completed 2 2/3 innings while giving up one run.
  5. Mitch Farris went 4-1, 1.98 for the Turks back in 2022. Picked in the 14th round by Atlanta the next summer, Farris spent two seasons with Atlanta until he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in December of 2024. Assigned to Double-A in the spring of ’25, Farris went 3-8, 4.27 in 23 games (22 starts), with 142 K’s in 116 innings pitched. He started five games in the majors for the Angels, and went 1-3, 6.66 in 24 1/3 innings with 24 K’s.
  6. If you haven’t heard of this guy yet, get out from under that rock and pay attention. Trey Yesavage, from Boyertown, PA (close to where I grew up), pitched in five games for Charlottesville in 2022, striking out 25 batters in 18 innings pitched. He was drafted 20th overall in 2024 by the Toronto Blue Jays out of East Carolina after a ridiculous season in which he went 11-1, 2.03 in 15 starts, with 145 K’s in 93 1/3 innings. He made his pro debut this year, and crushed four different levels of the minor leagues- overall, he went 5-1, 3.12 in 98 innings, with 160 (!) strikeouts. He then made three starts down the stretch for the Blue Jays, going 1-0, 3.21, with 16 K’s in 14 innings. The story was only beginning, though- he’s made four starts so far in the postseason as well. He dominated the Yankees on October 5th in the Divisional Series round, throwing 5 1/3 no-hit, one-walk innings while striking out 11… and the legend that is Trey Yesavage was officially born. He also started twice against the Mariners in League Championship series, and started game one (the second youngest game one starter in history) of the World Series. He’s struck out 27 batters in 19 post season innings. Here are a few articles to read more about Trey if you wish, dear reader.