TORONTO – Great pitchers are defined by their ability to make adjustments and now it’s on rookie Trey Yesavage to prove that he can do it.
The 22-year-old Yesavage will start for the Blue Jays on Sunday in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series as Toronto fights to remain alive within the post-season. Logan Gilbert gets the ball for the Seattle Mariners, who hold a 3-2 lead within the best-of-seven series.
“All of the work all season has led as much as this moment, not just for me, but for the team that has been doing it since March,” said Yesavage in a news conference during optional workouts on Saturday. “All the things has led us up to now, and we’re in a position to show the world who we’re, so it’s special.”
Yesavage began his season with the single-A Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida Complex League and moved his way through every level of Toronto’s full-season minor-league system, arriving in the large leagues as a September call-up.
He earned a win in his three regular-season starts for the Blue Jays, with 16 strikeouts over 14 innings and a 3.21 earned-run average. He was sensible in his post-season debut on Oct. 5, striking out 11 Yankees over 5 1/3 innings of no-hit baseball as Toronto went on to beat Latest York 13-7.
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But Seattle has given him a harder time within the ALCS.
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Yesavage gave up five runs over 4 innings as Toronto fell to the Mariners 10-3 in Game 2 of the ALCS on Monday. The Blue Jays took two of three games in Seattle to force Game 6.
The rookie said he took full advantage of those three games to watch how Toronto’s other starters prepared and work out the way to make adjustments when facing the identical team twice in per week.
“I learned that it’s not only one game because I actually have to return back out here and pitch Game 6,” said Yesavage. “So with the ability to move on from a start, whether good or bad, and go on the market and treat it like a brand new day.”
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that although Yesavage is young, he’s learned lots over his first season as knowledgeable baseball player, even when it was spread across five levels of the sport.
“I feel just what he’s done this whole yr, not only here with us in the large leagues, but over the course of his season,” said Schneider. “He’s pitched in a whole lot of big games. He’s pitched in big regular-season games, he’s pitched in big post-season games, and he’s handled himself well.
“I don’t wish to put all the pressure on Trey. He’s the starting pitcher. We’re going to have nine guys within the lineup that have gotten to do their job and guys that have gotten to do their job on defence, too.”
Gilbert said he was honoured to be able to begin for the Mariners and possibly lift them to the World Series for the primary time within the franchise’s 48-year history.
“It’s been such a protracted yr that simply to get up to now is amazing,” said Gilbert. “But to be the one to have the ball, you grow up dreaming of moments like this, and also you don’t know the way many you’ll recover from the course of your profession.
“Some guys never get this so it’s a very big deal and hopefully I just contribute to the team.”
Yesavage agreed.
“This chance doesn’t come up fairly often,” he said. “I used to be talking to (13-year MLB veteran Kevin) Gausman the opposite day, and I said, ‘What’s the furthest you’ve made it within the playoffs?’ And he said, ‘That is the furthest I’ve done,’ and he’s been playing this game for a very long time.
“I’m very blessed to be in this example, and I not only wish to win and keep playing for myself, but for the fellows which have not seen this a part of baseball before.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press