From a fan perspective Ryan Yarbrough was an afterthought, a secondary prospect received in the Drew Smyly trade with the Seattle Mariners.
Yarbrough grew up with the Tampa Bay Rays as his local club, being born in Lakeland and going to high school at All Saints Academy in Winter Haven. Despite a limited history the Rays have had some of the most electric left handed pitchers in all of baseball from Scott Kazmir, David Price, Matt Moore, to the present version in Blake Snell. Yarbrough has little in common with them.
Nevertheless, Yarbrough has gone from unheralded minor leaguer to a player throwing important innings for one of the best teams in baseball.