Making the case for this Blue Jay to be the Game 1 starter in the World Series

With the Toronto Blue Jays capturing the American League pennant and heading to their first World Series in 32 years, all eyes will be watching every single move that they make. Every decision will be important and every mistake will be heavily scrutinized.

With that in mind, deciding on who should be the Blue Jays Game 1 starter for the World Series could be vital to get off to a good start against the National League juggernauts, the Los Angeles Dodgers. So who should get the nod to lead the way for Toronto?

Making the case for this Blue Jays pitcher to be their Game 1 starter in the World Series

The sentimental favourite of course would be Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman. After all, he has come through for Toronto in the biggest games during his tenure with the club since 2022. However, if Toronto were to be wise and bold at the same time, they should dare themselves and hand the ball to Trey Yesavage.

The 22-year-old pitching phenom of the Blue Jays should get the call to lead things off for the team. Why? Well, first of all, Yesavage has had minimal exposure in the majors thus far, with only six big league starts under his belt. As a result, scouting reports on the young right-hander are likely scarce, making him a total mystery to the opposition, especially with the Dodgers having not previously faced him at all.

Secondly, Yesavage’s funky high release point could play a key role to the Blue Jays’ success. Not only can it throw off the hitters that face him in Game 1, the fact that they will do their best to adjust to such a delivery could ultimately throw them off for Game 2 as well.

In addition, both Shane Bieber and Kevin Gausman pitched on Monday in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners. Having either of them on Friday on three days’ rest might not be the best idea. Gausman actually tried pitching on two days rest back in 2019 during the regular season with the Atlanta Braves, and the result wasn’t good: five runs surrendered on seven hits with four walks and six strikeouts in just 4.1 innings of work.

He also showed some signs of struggle with his command when he pitched on two days rest in relief, walking three batters (one intentionally) in just one inning of work in Game 7 of the 2025 ALCS as well. As for Max Scherzer, he is best kept as a one-time, Game 4 starter to minimize exposure to the power-hitting Dodgers squad.

Finally, you also need the right mentality heading into one of the toughest matchups of the year. But with the poise and calmness consistently on full display by Yesavage, along with his oozing aura that he was “built for this”, he should be more than ready to get it done for the Blue Jays.

So after getting the intense, massive win for Toronto with their entire season on the line in Game 6 of the ALCS, let’s just say Game 1 of the World Series, in a non-elimination game should feel like a walk in the park in comparison for the blooming young stud pitcher.