Baseball player from Arva officially secures his first professional contract with the Yankees
Blake Gillespie, a promising right-handed pitcher hailing from the London area, has embarked on a new chapter in his career after being selected by the New York Yankees in the ninth round of the 2025 MLB Draft. Gillespie, who shone during his breakout season with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, is eager to follow in the footsteps of other local players who have made it to the big leagues.
In his final collegiate year, Gillespie showcased impressive statistics, including 15 games started, 100.1 innings pitched, 131 strikeouts (the fourth-most in Charlotte history), a 2.42 ERA, and a 0.87 WHIP. Highlights of his season include a second no-hitter in the program's history and two 13-strikeout games, including an American Athletic Conference Championships game. These exceptional performances earned him a unanimous First Team All-Conference selection.
Gillespie's development plan with the Yankees revolves around refining his secondary pitches, particularly his slider, which he threw more than any other Division I pitcher in 2025. While there is speculation about his ultimate role, whether as a back-end starter or high-leverage reliever, the Yankees' development staff will focus on increasing his velocity, sharpening his command, and building stamina to withstand a professional workload.
Gillespie arrived in Tampa on Tuesday night and is expected to start his professional routine on Thursday. His immediate assignment will likely be to a lower minor league affiliate, possibly Single-A Tampa or High-A Hudson Valley. His progression will depend on his ability to adapt to professional hitters, continue developing his secondary pitches, and maintain the control he demonstrated in college.
Gillespie's strengths include his strikeout ability, competitiveness, and proven performance in high-pressure college games. Areas for growth include improving his raw "stuff" (velocity, movement), developing a reliable third pitch, and transitioning to a longer professional season. If Gillespie can make incremental improvements under the Yankees' development system, he has the potential to rise through the minors as a reliable rotation option or high-leverage reliever.
Blake Gillespie's professional career is just beginning, but his collegiate resume and the Yankees' development resources set a strong foundation for his progression in pro baseball. Gillespie expressed gratitude for landing with the Yankees, stating it's the "dream" to be from the London area and join the long list of big league players produced there. Despite not having a favourite baseball team growing up, Gillespie may have been a fan of the Toronto Blue Jays due to being Canadian. The London area has produced more than a dozen big league players, and Gillespie hopes to be the next.
In the ACC Championship, Gillespie struck out 13 batters, tying the conference tournament record for most strikeouts by a pitcher in a game. Gillespie does not have a set-in-stone plan for pitching this year, but he is likely to focus on getting bigger and stronger. With his talent, work ethic, and the Yankees' resources, Gillespie's dream of making it to the big leagues is well within reach.
In his exciting new journey with the New York Yankees, Blake Gillespie aims to follow the footsteps of other local players who made it to the MLB, perhaps even breaking the record for the most big league players produced from the London area. As a promising right-handed pitcher with impressive college statistics, Gillespie's potential career highlights could expand to include MLB sports news, potential success in big league baseball, and coverage of his progression through the Yankees' minor league affiliates.
