Mike Yastrzemski didn’t expect to be back at Fenway Park this season. His San Francisco Giants made the trip east to New England last year, and this June they hosted the Red Sox at Oracle Park. Barring an improbable World Series matchup, Yastrzemski wouldn’t play at Fenway again until sometime in 2026.
But then last Thursday the grandson of Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski was traded to the Kansas City Royals, who just so happened to have a road trip to Boston coming up in a matter of days.
Less than a week after leaving the only home he’d ever known in professional baseball, Yastrzemski is back at his hometown ballpark for this week’s three-game series between the Red Sox and Royals. The 34-year-old Andover native got the start at right field in Monday’s opener, going 2 for 4 with two doubles.
“I’m fired up to be back,” Yastrzemski told the Herald pregame on Monday. “It’s always fun to play here, didn’t expect to be able to get here this year. Just to be back in New England, it’s always a fun time for me.”
Now in his seventh year as a big leaguer, Yastrzemski was traded minutes before Thursday’s trade deadline in exchange for minor league right-hander Yunior Marte. Yastrzemski is due to become a free agent for the first time in his MLB career this offseason, but in the meantime he’ll look to fortify a Royals team that is currently hovering around .500 on the periphery of the AL Wild Card race.
Yastrzemski said the trade caught him off guard, but he’s also excited for the opportunity he’s been given in Kansas City.
“It was a little shocking, but at the same time really exciting because I felt like this was an organization that really wanted me here,” Yastrzemski said. “To have that feeling is really gratifying, because they’re seeing there’s something in me that they wanted on this team, so I’m happy to be here and try to contribute.”
Prior to the trade Yastrzemski was batting .231 with eight home runs, 28 RBI and a .685 OPS with the Giants, the organization with whom he debuted at age 28 back in 2019 after grinding for eight years in the minor leagues. Since then he has established himself as a reliable MLB starter and will finish the season with more than $28 million in career earnings.
Even though his time in San Francisco is over, Yastrzemski said he’ll “forever be grateful” for his experience with the Giants.
“It was incredible, it altered the course of my life,” Yastrzemski said. “I wasn’t necessarily heading on the path for a six-plus year big league career at that point. It was a group full of incredible people that truly cared and tried to get the best out of me every single day.”
