Trey Yesavage dominating the Yankees was the Blue Jays' marquee performance in 2025

In a year full of highlights and amazing moments, the one on the first Sunday of October needs to be highly ranked. The Toronto Blue Jays were hosting playoff games for the first time in three seasons and the Rogers Centre was packed.

A young starting pitcher etched himself into franchise history with a dominating performance that afternoon. Trey Yesavage officially introduced himself to a wider baseball audience with a masterful performance against the rival New York Yankees in the 2025 ALDS.

Trey Yesavage dominating the Yankees was the Blue Jays' marquee performance in 2025

Facing a lineup with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger, Yesavage struck out 11 Yankee batters over 5.1 dominant innings. His splitter was absolutely cooking on this day and the crowd was hanging on every pitch. The eleven strikeouts set a record by a Blue Jays pitcher in the postseason. All of this after making three starts down the stretch in September!

"I was sitting in there thinking about the comment I made the other day, where I said, 'I'm built for this,' Yesavage said in the post-game news conference. "And I was like, 'Well, I'd better back that up."

Indeed, Yesavage backed it up. He posted three strikeouts in the first inning sandwiched around a Judge walk. Then came the third and fourth innings during which he struck out six batters in a row. By the time the Yankees took their swings in the fifth inning, the Blue Jays were already leading 11-0 thanks to a monstrous Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grand slam.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. finally reached base via a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. fielding error, but the Yankees could do no further damage. In fact, the native of Pennsylvania was throwing a no-hitter when manager John Schneider pulled Yesavage from the game after recording the first out of the sixth inning. The crowd let out an audible groan because they knew how special this pitching performance really was.

Justin Bruihl relieved Yesavage and proceeded to immediately give up a two-run home run to Bellinger, but the score was still 12-2 in favor of Toronto. The Blue Jays had punished Max Fried to the tune of seven runs earlier in the afternoon. While the final 13-7 score became a little too close for comfort in the later innings, the Blue Jays felt like they had secured a crucial victory in the best of five series.

Yesavage continued pitching well in the postseason as the Blue Jays ultimately advanced to Game 7 of the World Series. He struggled somewhat in Game 1 of the ALCS, but steadied the ship in Game 6. He pitched well in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, including a Game 5 performance that was very reminiscent of his start against the Yankees.

It's difficult to know what Yesavage can do for an encore next season. After all, he literally has more postseason starts on his resume than regular season games started. He's got a great personality and could be a leader of this pitching staff with more experience.

Yesavage's career can go in a number of directions, but Toronto fans will fondly remember his stifling pitching performance against the Yankees for generations to come. For a Blue Jays franchise that has been blessed with elite pitchers, this performance will be remembered for years to come.