“Don’t be sorry, you’re a proud dad. Tears of joy from Dad,” Nick Krupke of KPTV said on July 28 to Kenyon Yovan’s dad Jake, who was beginning to choke up when discussing his son’s professional baseball debut.
It was “tears of joy” indeed as Yovan suited up for the Tri-City Dust Devils at Ron Tonkin Field in Hillsboro, only a few miles away from his alma mater Westview High School. Just months after an incredible season with the Oregon Ducks came to a heartbreaking end, Yovan was one of five players on this year’s Oregon squad to make an impact in minor league baseball.
The Ducks were one of the biggest surprises of the 2021 season. Entering the year unranked, they came in second in the Pac-12 and hosted their first postseason regional since 2013. With College World Series aspirations on their mind, they won the first two games of the Eugene Regional before falling in the next two, facing a sudden and devastating elimination.
Yovan and Gabe Matthews left PK Park for what most people assumed would be the last time ever.
Then, the July MLB draft came around. Aaron Zavala, perhaps the Ducks’ biggest breakout star and a contender for the Dick Howser Trophy, was taken even higher than expected, going 38th overall in the second round by the Texas Rangers.
Three other Ducks were also selected in the 20-round draft: Robert Ahlstrom in the seventh round by the New York Yankees, Cullen Kafka in the ninth round by the Colorado Rockies and Hunter Breault in the 20th round by the Oakland Athletics. Yovan and Matthews went undrafted, but each signed a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Angels.
Yovan was the first of the bunch to make his professional debut, earning a quick assignment to the High-A Tri-City Dust Devils, a roster which included fellow former Duck Kyle Kasser. He singled in his first career at-bat in front of his parents. His mom Kerry kept the ball afterward.
“It’s just a little victory lap right now,” Yovan told KPTV. “I’m just enjoying it, taking it every minute and loving it. Loving every second.”
The following week, Yovan had another special homecoming: He coincidentally returned to PK Park, where the Dust Devils faced the Eugene Emeralds. He doubled in the second game of the series after the Emeralds jokingly made him the “Beer Batter” — if the batter strikes out, fans get a discount on beer.
Yovan spent the rest of the minor league season with the Dust Devils, hitting five home runs and six doubles while dealing with some strikeout issues as a mainstay in the Tri-City lineup.
Matthews was the second member of the 2021 Ducks to make his minor league debut. He began with the Angels’ Low-A team the Inland Empire 66ers, a level below Yovan. Matthews got off to a hot start, collecting a hit in his first six professional games. He cooled off down the stretch, but still posted a strong .893 OPS in 25 games with Inland Empire.
On Sept. 9, Matthews received a surprising promotion. He was bumped all the way up to the Angels’ Triple-A team, the Salt Lake Bees — just one level below the major leagues. He expectedly struggled against the significantly tougher competition, going 1-for-24. But the hit was an RBI single, and he drew four walks.
Twentieth-round pick Breault joined the fun on Aug. 16, making his professional debut with the Rookie-level ACL Athletics. He pitched in two games with them before earning a promotion to the Low-A Stockton Ports, with whom he posted a 2.08 ERA in 13 innings.
Zavala made his much-anticipated debut on Aug. 21, after he signed with the Rangers right at the deadline and took a signing bonus well below slot value. He began with the ACL Rangers, going hitless in his first three games before going 6-for-13 in his next four.
He earned a quick promotion to Low-A, where he became a Duck again, but not an Oregon Duck: a Down East Wood Duck. He thrived there, hitting .314/.429/.451 in 14 games.
The final 2021 Duck to make his minor league debut was Cullen Kafka on Aug. 26 with the ACL Rockies. He pitched five scoreless innings in four games with them, allowing three hits and no walks.
Nico Tellache also made his professional debut, but not for an affiliated baseball organization. He pitched in 14 games for the independent Ogden Raptors, posting a 4.96 ERA and striking out 80 in 78 innings. Shortly after completing his first professional season, he celebrated a great year by getting married on Sept. 18.
Ahlstrom was the only Duck to sign a professional contract but not make his minor league debut in 2021, despite being the first of the bunch to sign.
With the impressive and eye-opening season that the Ducks had in 2021, it’s only natural that some of their best talent began to find their footing at the next level. More than that, they got to see their childhood dreams become reality — perhaps with some “tears of joy” in the process.
