TORONTO, ONTARIO – OCTOBER 05: Trey Yesavage #39 of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates after his tenth strikeout during the fourth inning in game two of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre on October 05, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
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One final off-day remains for the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers.
As the teams travel north of the border one final time, the goal was clear for the Blue Jays ahead of coming to Los Angeles. Win once, and you get to come back home.
The series began with Toronto flexing its offensive muscle in an 11-run, 14-hit performance.
Despite trailing 2-0, with the Dodgers’ postseason ace Blake Snell on the mound, the Blue Jays managed to tag five earned runs and eight hits to his line, putting the game out of reach after Addison Barger’s grand slam capped a nine-run 6th inning.
The Dodgers responded in Game Two the same way they have throughout the playoffs: effective starting pitching.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was more than just effective, however, throwing his second consecutive complete game in a 1-run, 4-hit effort.
Entering a decisive Game Three, the matchup of Max Scherzer for Toronto and Tyler Glasnow for Los Angeles seemed like both teams would have to rely on their bullpens.
Despite both starters going into the fifth inning, the result of an 18-inning marathon was every pitcher in the bullpen being used for both sides.
With 19 pitchers used in total, Freddie Freeman finally ended it in the 18th inning with his walk-off home run.
Losing a game that requires all of your resources to be burnt can lead to either a positive or negative response, depending on the makeup of the team.
The Blue Jays’ managing to win the next two games on the road is a testament to the fight this team has shown all year, as they are now one win away from their first World Series since 1993.
LOS ANGELES , CA – OCTOBER 29 – Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage (39) as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 in game five of the MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles . October 29, 2025. (Photo by Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
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And if the makeup of the team is one of resiliency, then that makeup rubbed off on rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage, who responded to a disappointing Game One start with his best of the postseason.
But if it were not for a growing trend with MLB pitchers, would the 22-year-old righty have had the chance to make history Wednesday night?
The Pottstown, Pennsylvania native joined the Blue Jays organization after being selected 20th overall in the 2024 Draft.
Yesavage finished his junior year at East Carolina University, then made his professional debut this season.
For the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays, Yesavage made his first pro start against the Jupiter Hammerheads, with officially 327 spectators in attendance.
Yesavage would only get seven total starts in Single-A before his rocket-like journey continued through the minor leagues.
Next would be his shortest stop, four starts in High-A, before eight outings in Double-A, and finally six appearances in Triple-A.
They experimented with Yesavage out of the bullpen in Double and Triple-A; however, when he officially got the call to the big leagues, he would only be utilized in the rotation by the end of the year.
In total, Yesavage posted a 3.12 ERA in 25 games in all levels of the minors before posting a 3.21 ERA in his three starts with the big league club.
This was enough to put him on the postseason roster, ahead of names like Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt.
This decision would pay off in the ALDS, as Yesavage did not allow a hit through 5.1 innings to the Yankees, fanning 11 on the way.
His efforts would help the Blue Jays advance to the ALCS, where he recorded a losing and then winning effort in Games Two and Six.
By the time the World Series came around, Yesavage was not only in uncharted waters regarding his jump from High-A to the World Series. He was also at several innings pitched that he had never experienced.
This was the synopsis most had after his Game One performance, where he only allowed two earned runs, but he did not have his typical velocity or the feel for his splitter.
When he was called again in Game Five, however, Yesavage found another level in what could be the last of his rookie year.
Yesavage held the Dodgers to one earned run in seven innings, striking out 12 in the process.
Yesavage became the first pitcher since Bob Gibson in 1968 to strike out 12 in the World Series and record the win.
While there is still a possibility of Yesavage being used in relief in the final two games of the season, what a debut it was for someone who could be a senior in college.
The belief in Yesavage is a testament to the Blue Jays’ player development and scouting, with an emphasis from the analytics department that believed in his abilities due to his league-leading release point.
Due to his release point being so high, it makes both the fastball seem faster than it is, but also makes his offspeed have significantly more vertical break.
But all of these aspects may not have gotten Yesavage to the big leagues if it were not for the enhanced development of high-velocity pitchers.
With the trend of arm injuries occurring in young pitchers directly correlating with the steady increase of their average velocity, every team has been trying to figure out how to best navigate the problem.
Regardless of inning limits and high-speed cameras breaking down every detail of a pitcher’s mechanics, the game’s top arms are still finding themselves missing full seasons due to Tommy John surgeries.
Until there are better advancements in this injury’s prevention, teams have started elevating their prospects at a higher rate, willing to take the risk of struggling at the Major League level instead of injuries occurring while they continue to develop.
PITTSBURGH, PA – AUGUST 07: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on August 7, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
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Yesavage followed the pathway of Paul Skenes, who much more publicly rose through the minors in one calendar year.
The Skenes mania ahead of his debut and throughout his Rookie of the Year campaign was reminiscent of Stephen Strasburg, who was the pioneer of this movement.
While it is still a small sample size, the one key distinction of Yesavage is that he was not a first overall pick like Skenes and Strasburg.
While teams have always valued college pitchers and the mileage on their arms when advancing them through the minors, Yesavage earning his way to the big leagues while not being as invested in as a first overall pick would show the net widening for other candidates.
In 2026, watch for other cases of Yesavage, where teams in a competitive position may want to utilize their prospects to win now.
It takes execution at every level, which Yesavage was able to do. But if Skenes and Strasburg did not lay the path ahead of him, where might the Blue Jays be today?
