From the Warriors dugout to the Blue Jays draft room

“Share Faculty of Health alum Jesse Levine’s path to MLB scouting Toronto Blue Jays rookie phenom Trey Yesavage has an unexpected connection to the University of Waterloo. When the Blue Jays selected him in the 2024 Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Draft, it was Jesse Levine (BA ’23), the team’s senior coordinator of amateur scouting, who entered Yesavage’s name into the MLB draft system. Levine started working with the Jays in 2023 after a baseball journey that took him across Ontario and into the United States in a quest to earn a spot in professional baseball. Since joining the organization, Levine has quickly become an important contributor to the club’s amateur scouting operation. Long before last year’s draft day, the seeds of Levine’s career were planted at Waterloo, on its campus, inside its classrooms and especially around its baseball program. There are baseball fans, and then there is Levine. From childhood, he was laser focused on becoming a scout. He consumed scouting books, watched historic broadcasts and emailed anyone in baseball who would respond. That drive eventually led him to Waterloo’s Recreation and Sport Business program in the Faculty of Health, which he credits for giving him a well-rounded academic and professional base. “For me, the people at Waterloo were huge,” Levine says. Professors like Dr. Troy Glover (PhD ’00), Dr. Luke Potwarka (BA ’02, PhD ’11) and Dr. Katie Misener stood out early. So did classmates he still keeps up with, many of whom now work at places like Apple, Tesla, major airlines and pro sports. “Being surrounded by people like that is inspiring. It motivates you to be the best you can be.” His most important Waterloo connection began even earlier. Ben Norris (BSc ’12), head coach of Waterloo Warriors baseball, recruited Levine before he had even set foot on campus, recognizing his passion and giving him real responsibility from day one. With the Warriors, Levine threw himself into recruiting, advance scouting, player development, game preparation and whatever was asked of him. He treated the varsity program as his personal proving ground. Those experiences, he says, were pivotal, not just for developing baseball knowledge, but for showing him what it meant to be relied upon inside a sports organization. “Working with Waterloo baseball was huge,” Levine says. “I developed a ton there and was empowered and given opportunity I might not have experienced elsewhere.” By the time Levine approached graduation, he had built a resumé far beyond his years. Still, earning a coveted MLB scouting internship is rare; thousands apply every year. In December of his final semester, the call came and he’d earned an internship. He packed up, moved to Toronto and started work in early January. The role put him directly in the flow of the Jays’ draft operations. He supported meetings, prepared scouting materials, traveled to showcases, coordinated technology and data collection and learned from scouting veterans. “I was not just happy to be there. The job wasn’t done. Every small mistake kept me up at night,” he laughs. “But I loved it.” By the season’s end, his internship became a full‑time position. 24-year-old Levine also credits his family for their support. His dad’s passion for baseball inspired his own. His mom and siblings (he’s a triplet) encouraged him along the way. His grandmother celebrated his hiring so enthusiastically that her reaction is one of his favourite memories. He also credits three important professional baseball mentors that continue to support him. Chris Kemlo hired a then 16-year-old Levine to work at Prep Baseball Report. Kemlo is now a scout with the San Diego Padres. Jay Lapp, one of the Jays’ Canadian scouts and one of his earliest contacts, and Kory Lafreniere, the team’s assistant director of amateur scouting and now his boss. Today, Levine helps steer the Jays’ amateur scouting pipeline. He travels to games across the U.S., supports the club’s network of scouts and contributes to the evaluation process that feeds Toronto’s draft board. And yes, he still enters the picks. That includes players like Yesavage (2024) but also prospects whose value shaped major league trades: the Jays dealt 2024 second‑round pick Khal Stephen for Cy Young winner Shane Bieber, 2023 third-round pick Juaron Watts‑Brown for reliever Seranthony Domínguez and 2024 fourth-round pick Nick Mitchell for Andrés Giménez. Levine follows all of them closely. “One of the coolest parts of amateur scouting is seeing players from the very beginning,” he says. “You feel invested.” Despite the long hours, the travel and the pressure of draft season, Levine still finds himself pausing sometimes as he walks through the Rogers Centre concourse. “I’ll see the field, stop, take a second look and I remember being eight years old, trying to peek through the stadium windows. Just wishing I could be inside. Now I work here.” “It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I don’t take any of it for granted.” And along that journey, from a baseball‑obsessed kid to a young MLB front‑office staffer entering names on draft day, Waterloo became part of his baseball story too. Propelling the Blue Jays to success The Waterloo alum helping power the Blue Jays Revolutionizing baseball training with AI-simulated pitchers Health Community Talent Share

Summary generated from the RSS feed of University of Waterloo News. All article rights belong to the original publisher. Click through to read the full piece on uwaterloo.ca/news.