LOS ANGELES – Before Game 5 of the World Series, as Trey Yesavage warmed up in the visitors’ bullpen at Dodger Stadium, the Toronto Blue Jays rookie was surrounded by hostile fans. The 22-year-old right-hander endured a barrage of insults from the stands before turning to pitching coach Pete Walker.
“This is fun,” Yesavage said. “I love this.”
Of all the improbable elements in the Blue Jays’ pursuit of their first championship in over 30 years, none is more remarkable than the emergence of Yesavage. He began his season in April pitching for Single-A Dunedin in front of 327 fans. On Wednesday night, he delivered a seven-inning, 12-strikeout masterpiece with no walks, leading the Blue Jays to a 6-1 victory and sending them back to Toronto one win away from a World Series title. It was a historic performance that silenced the 52,175 in attendance, delivered in just his eighth major league game.
Facing a lineup featuring three future Hall of Famers, Yesavage dismantled the Dodgers with a devastating mix of his disappearing splitter, darting slider, and high-velocity fastball. Los Angeles batters swung and missed 23 times, managing only feeble contact when they did connect. A solo home run by Kiké Hernández was their only run. The dominant outing has positioned the Blue Jays to potentially clinch the championship on Halloween, their first since 1993.
Yesavage’s meteoric rise—from Single-A through the minors to the majors in a single season—is a testament not only to his overpowering pitches but also to his demeanor. Those around him describe a calm confidence, free of arrogance, that allows him to conquer the biggest stages.
Following the Game 5 win, which was sparked by early home runs from Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., veteran pitchers Chris Bassitt and Shane Bieber marveled at their young teammate. With a combined 359 major league starts between them, they’ve been most impressed by his unshakable composure.
“How he was able to make Game 5 of the World Series, mentally, look like any other day,” Bassitt said. “It could’ve been May. You couldn’t tell. He’s just calm, and he’s got wholehearted belief in himself.”
Bieber added, “It would be easy to say it’s an ignorance-is-bliss thing, but I don’t think it is. It’s full conviction in himself and his game plan and his stuff. When he’s got it, he’s got it. Look in his eyes. And he had it.”
After struggling with his splitter in Game 1, Yesavage rediscovered his grip during a bullpen session this week and entered Wednesday’s start with renewed faith in the pitch. His pre-game routine was deceptively casual: he woke up at 8:30 a.m., ate breakfast with his family, and relaxed on his hotel patio before heading to the ballpark. He later admitted that what looked like intense focus was just him “doomscrolling on TikTok and Instagram reels.”
“I just keep it as chill as possible,” Yesavage said. “I’m also just here to go to work.”
That approach allowed him to outduel two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell and set a record for the most strikeouts by a rookie in a World Series start. After striking out the side in the second inning, he felt his performance shift from good to great, hunting strikeouts with a ferocity that impressed another veteran teammate, Max Scherzer.
“When they pulled him after 78 pitches in that Yankee start, I was like, ‘Hey, would you have gone back out there and just navigated that?'” Scherzer recalled. “And he said, ‘No, I’m trying to strike everybody out.'”
Scherzer, who has 3,489 career strikeouts, smiled. “I know exactly what he’s talking about. You start smelling it. You start smelling, this is how I’m going to get you.”
On Wednesday, Yesavage struck out every Dodgers starter, including Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith twice each. While his girlfriend sent him pictures of her crying tears of joy and Scherzer celebrated wildly in the dugout, Yesavage remained the picture of cool.
That unflappable nature was on full display during his pre-game warmup. Dodgers fans in right field are notorious for their relentless taunts, but Yesavage welcomed the challenge.
“If I were a Dodgers fan, I would try to rattle him, too,” Bassitt said. “Given the fact that he is 22. Given the fact that this is the World Series. But the reality is, I don’t think many people realize it doesn’t faze him. He’s like, just wait until I get on the mound. I’ll show you.”
Over 104 pitches, with the hopes of a nation on his shoulders, Yesavage did exactly that. He turned pressure into performance, proving that for him, the biggest moment of his life was, indeed, fun.
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