Like most siblings, Brandon Kaye looks up to his older brother.

So Wednesday was a big day for the 22-year-old North 91原创 resident as he accepted a free agent offer from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Kaye鈥檚 older brother, Scott Richmond, is already in the Jays鈥� organization, currently pitching at the AAA level with the Las Vegas 51s. The 31-year-old Richmond has also played for Toronto at the Major League Baseball level in his career, going 9-15 with a 5.26 earned run average in 34 appearances.

鈥淚t is a pretty surreal feeling,鈥� Kaye said.

鈥淛ust the fact that if I take advantage of this opportunity and play well, I may have an opportunity to play with Scott.

鈥淚t is a dream come true.鈥�

Kaye spoke with Richmond after accepting his free agent deal.

鈥淗e said he couldn鈥檛 be happier,鈥� Kaye said. 鈥淭he stereotypical stuff, but it means a lot coming from him because he is someone I look up to.鈥�

鈥淗e is somebody who has given me the drive to do what I want to do.鈥�

Kaye, a six-foot-four, 205-pound right-handed pitcher, has been on the Jays鈥� radar since 2009 when they drafted him in the 45th round of MLB鈥檚 50-round draft.

But Kaye, a Walnut Grove graduate who pitched in the B.C. Premier League with the North Shore Twins, chose to stay in school.

He pitched for Douglas College in 2009 and then spent the past two seasons with the UBC Thunderbirds.

鈥淲hen I came to UBC, I obviously had high expectations after getting drafted,鈥� Kaye said.

Part of his reason for staying at the collegiate level was to change from being just a 鈥渢hrower鈥� to becoming 鈥渕ore of a pitcher, and smarter on the mound.鈥�

Last year he went 7-3 in 13 appearances, with a 3.42 earned run average and 51 strikeouts. Opponents hit .228 against Kaye who was second on the team in innings pitched at 73.2.

鈥淚 thought I had a great year, and made some improvements,鈥� he said.

But he struggled in 2011, going 4-5 in 13 games, with a 5.09 ERA. His strikeouts were down to 31 and opponents had a batting average of .283. His innings were also down to 58.1.

鈥淚 had my ups and downs, struggling with my command and mechanics, but I tried to stay positive and kept working at it,鈥� Kaye said.

鈥淚t didn鈥檛 work out for me like I wanted it to, but it all worked out for me in the end and I got the opportunity I want.鈥�

鈥淚 really wasn鈥檛 expecting much from the draft or to get drafted at all,鈥� he added.

鈥淛ust to get an opportunity from the Blue Jays, I feel great, I feel ecstatic.

鈥淚t is almost like that same feeling back in 鈥�09 when I got drafted.鈥�

Kaye could very well begin his professional career close to home with the Single A (short season) Vancouver Canadians.

While it is a ways down the road, and no guarantee that it may even happen, Kaye is thrilled for the chance to potentially be teammates with his brother.

鈥淛ust the fact that if I take advantage of this opportunity and play well, I may have an opportunity to play with Scott, it is a dream come true,鈥� Kaye said.

His parents are also thrilled.

鈥淭hey are happy they can say they have a second son who is a Blue Jay.鈥�