A glance at Trey Yesavage’s unprecedented 2025 Season

It’s Game 1 of the World Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers arrive in Toronto riding the wave of a clean sweep of Milwaukee and enter as strong favourites. Coming at them on the bump, never before seen by their lineup, is what can only be described as an anomaly.

22-year-old Trey Yesavage emerges from the dugout to a rowdy Rogers Centre crowd, he’s making history simply by being here. Yesavage is the second-youngest player to start a World Series game, yet the Blue Jays showed no hesitation in putting their guy out there after a stellar postseason run.

The result of such a bold move? A blowout win for Toronto, where an offensive explosion amounted to 11 runs. Yesavage battled through four strong innings, allowing just two runs while striking out five, giving the Blue Jays exactly what they needed to take the opener.

His World Series journey was far from over, though. Back on the mound for Game 5 at Dodger Stadium, facing a lineup that had already seen him once, he proceeded to twirl an absolute gem. That’s the kind of season it’s been for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2025 — a team riding improbable heroes and impossible moments. But how Yesavage got here might be even more remarkable.

A Glance at Trey Yesavage’s Unprecedented 2025 Season

His professional journey began in the Florida State League with Low-A Dunedin and the rise was meteoric. Over seven starts with Dunedin, Yesavage posted a 3–0 record with a 2.43 ERA and 55 strikeouts over 33.1 innings.

In May, he earned a promotion to High-A Vancouver, where he continued to dominate with a 1.56 ERA across four starts. That was all the Blue Jays needed to see. By early summer, he was on his way to Double-A New Hampshire, a crucial proving ground for Blue Jays pitchers who look to advance to the majors.

He stayed with the Fisher Cats until August 11, when the third call of his season came: he was being called up to Triple-A Buffalo. With Toronto making a surprise late-season push, Yesavage suddenly looked like a legitimate September call-up candidate ripe for the picking.

By this point in the season, the Blue Jays knew they had something special in their Minor League system. Yesavage's funky, over-the-top delivery and intense approach to the game made him stand out from other prospects, and even with just a month left in the season, there was a sense that his big-league debut wasn’t far off.

On September 14, Toronto gave him the call, officially making Yesavage a big leaguer. He pitched three games in the remainder of the regular season, wielding his simple yet effective arsenal of pitches for a very impressive stretch of starts. Toronto advanced to the postseason, no doubt feeling satisfied in their decision to call up Yesavage. 

Then came the moment. Toronto shocked everyone by naming Yesavage their Game 2 starter in the ALDS against the Yankees. Some were unsure about what his role would be on the team before the playoffs began, as a young pitcher who had been moved up to the Majors so quickly would need to be mentally prepared to take on the largest stage.

The rookie responded to such skepticism with 5.1 innings pitched, 11 strikeouts and no hits allowed. It was a performance that set the tone for his next few games as the Blue Jays advanced to their first Fall Classic in 32 years.

Unsurprisingly, he was named the Game 1 starter for Toronto, and in his World Series debut he was good enough for the Blue Jays to cruise to a comfortable 11-4 win. Though his stuff wasn’t as lights-out as it had been during his best starts of the postseason, Yesavage looked unbothered by the moment and provided an outing for Toronto’s offense to work with.

Finally, Game 5.

Toronto desperately needed a road win in Los Angeles to bring the series back to Toronto, with the bullpen running on fumes after an 18-inning marathon two nights earlier. The pressure couldn’t have been higher. How did the 22-year-old respond? Seven innings, one run, 12 strikeouts, and just two hits allowed — an absolutely dazzling performance from a player who had been pitching in Single-A eight months earlier.

Yesavage became the first pitcher in World Series history to record 12 or more strikeouts without issuing a walk, the first rookie since 1952 to win two World Series starts, and the first ever rookie to record 12 strikeouts in a World Series game.

When you’re breaking records set by names like Don Newcombe you know you’re doing something special. “It’s been a crazy year, but being surrounded by vets is a great thing,” Yesavage said after the game. “It’s a crazy world. Hollywood couldn’t have made it this good. So just being a part of this, I’m just very blessed.”

On a team full of anomalies — “uncommon men,” as Ernie Clement called them — Trey Yesavage might just be the most improbable of them all. The 22-year-old rookie did what no player in his position had ever done before. His dominant Game 5 start solidified his place in Toronto sports history.