Kaua‘i High School graduate and current Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Tyler Yates recently signed a one-year extension contract worth $800,000. The Braves also agreed to terms with first baseman Mark Texeira, left-handed pitcher Mike Gonzalez and infielder Omar Infante to
Kaua‘i High School graduate and current Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Tyler Yates recently signed a one-year extension contract worth $800,000.
The Braves also agreed to terms with first baseman Mark Texeira, left-handed pitcher Mike Gonzalez and infielder Omar Infante to one-year extension deals.
He is entering his first year of arbitration-eligible season and, according to a Braves release, is “projected to play a significant bullpen role this upcoming season.”
Yates, who splits his time between his homes in Koloa and Atlanta, finished last year 2-3 in a career-high 75 appearances with 69 strike-outs and an ERA of 5.18.
He also made an appearance at his first local baseball clinic last month with fellow major league players Shane Victorino of the Philadelphia Phillies, Jeff Bailey of the Boston Red Sox and Nick Trezniak of the Detroit Tigers.
Yates made his major league debut in 2004 after playing baseball at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. His first gig was with the Mets before being acquired by the Braves.
“Eventually, within the next year or so, I’m thinking about starting a clinic, whether it be a pitching or a full clinic,” Yates told the TGI in an earlier interview. “I just have to figure out exactly what I want.”
The Braves released their spring training schedule earlier this month. The 33-game slate begins with an exhibition game against the University of Georgia on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at the Champion Stadium at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
The Braves will open the regular portion of their spring season at Vero Beach against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Feb. 28, and their first home game will be against the Dodgers on Friday, Feb. 29.
Braves’ pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to camp on Thursday, Feb. 14, with the first workout set for the following day.
The rest of the Braves’ players are scheduled to report on Tuesday, Feb. 19, with the first full-squad workout slated for Feb. 20.
This spring marks the 11th year the Braves will train at the Disney complex, recently ranked as the one of the best spring training facilities in the country by Baseball America.
Yates graduated from Kaua‘i High School in 1995 where he played baseball and football.
Yates was the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation Baseball Player of the Year his senior year and was also honorable mention All-State in football as an offensive and defensive lineman.
He played in the Baseball Area Code Games in 1994 as one of the top junior high school players in the country. The tournament took place at Long Beach State in California.
In the offseason, he paddles through waves and surfs to strengthen his arm.
Yates posted a blog about growing up in Hawai‘i and playing in the major leagues. To view it, visit www.mlb.com.
