How Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage took meteoric rise from Single-A to World Series starter originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Trey Yesavage wasn’t the first young, inexperienced pitcher to start a World Series game, or even a World Series Game 1, but his rise to the big stage might be more remarkable than any other starter who fits that description
When spring training started in February, Yesavage had never even set foot on a professional mound. By October, he was taking on Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees in the postseason without fear.
The months in between saw Yesavage rise from level to level, passing every test on his way to becoming a critical part of the Blue Jays’ championship hopes.
Here’s what you need to know about Yesavage’s journey from Single-A to the World Series in less than seven months.
Inside Trey Yesavage’s 2025 season
The Blue Jays selected Yesavage out of East Carolina with the No. 20 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, taking a flier on a small-school pitcher who consistently improved with each season at the collegiate level.
As is the case with many prized pitchers in this era, Yesavage was held out of competitive baseball for the remainder of the year after being drafted. The Blue Jays set their sights on Yesavage making his professional debut in 2025, and that debut sparked a rapid rise to the major leagues.
Single-A Dunedin
|
Starts |
IP |
ERA |
K |
BB |
WHIP |
| 7 | 33.1 | 2.43 | 55 | 8 | 0.81 |
Yesavage made his professional debut for Single-A Dunedin on April 8 in front of a crowd of 327.
The right-hander impressed over seven starts with Dunedin, posting a 2.43 ERA with 55 strikeouts to eight walks. Yesavage’s 0.81 WHIP stood as proof of what would make him such a quick riser: he knew how to miss bats and still had impressive control, even though those two don’t always go hand-in-hand for young pitchers.
Noticeable in the clip above is Yesavage wearing an “Oat Milkers” jersey, which was part of a partnership between the Dunedin Blue Jays and Swedish oatmilk company Malmo. In a sense, that means Yesavage went from the “Oat Milkers” to the World Series in six short months.
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Advanced-A Vancouver
|
Starts |
IP |
ERA |
K |
BB |
WHIP |
| 4 | 17.1 | 1.56 | 33 | 11 | 0.92 |
Yesavage was promoted to Advanced-A Vancouver on May 20, marking the next step for the rising prospect.
It was a short stay.
While Yesavage’s control wasn’t quite as dominant, he put up a 1.56 ERA in four starts, striking out 17.1 batters per nine innings and allowing an unbelievable 2.6 hits per nine. The Blue Jays quickly realized Yesavage needed to face tougher competition.
Double-A New Hampshire
|
Starts |
IP |
ERA |
K |
BB |
WHIP |
| 7 | 30.0 | 4.50 | 46 | 11 | 1.07 |
Toronto promoted Yesavage to Double-A New Hampshire on June 12 for what would be his longest regular-season stint at any level in 2025.
Yesavage was hit around a bit more, posting a 4.50 ERA over 30 innings. His control actually bounced back, as he matched his Advanced-A walk total in nearly 13 more innings of work, but he was hit harder than he was at lower levels.
After striking out nine over five innings in his final appearance with New Hampshire, Yesavage was on his way to the last minor league stop.
Triple-A Buffalo
|
Starts |
IP |
ERA |
K |
BB |
WHIP |
| 4 | 17.1 | 3.63 | 26 | 11 | 1.15 |
The Blue Jays promoted Yesavage to Triple-A Buffalo on Aug. 11, signaling that they might consider him late in the season or in the postseason. The clearest indication of those plans came when Yesavage pitched out of the bullpen in two of his six Triple-A appearances, potentially setting up for a multi-inning role in October.
Yesavage dealt with some control issues over 17.1 innings, but he continued to miss bats with 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings and didn’t allow a home run with Buffalo.
Blue Jays call up
|
Setting |
Starts |
IP |
ERA |
K |
BB |
WHIP |
| Regular season | 3 | 14.0 | 3.21 | 16 | 7 | 1.43 |
| Postseason | 3 | 15.0 | 4.20 | 22 | 7 | 1.13 |
Yesavage made his MLB debut against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 15, allowing three hits and one run over five innings while striking out nine.
The 22-year-old got hit harder against the Kansas City Royals in his second start, but he helped the Blue Jays maintain their AL East lead with five shutout innings against the Rays on Sept. 27.
As it turned out, that was an audition for Toronto’s postseason rotation. With Jose Berrios injured and both Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt pitching their way out of the mix, Yesavage started Game 2 of the ALDS and put together a performance for the ages with 11 strikeouts over 5.1 hitless innings against the Yankees.
Yesavage struggled in Game 2 of the ALCS, allowing five earned runs in four innings against the Seattle Mariners, but he bounced back against Seattle in Game 6 just as he did in his second start against Tampa Bay. With the help of his steady start, the Blue Jays kept their season alive before winning the pennant in Game 7.
How old is Trey Yesavage?
Yesavage is 22 years old. He won’t turn 23 until July of 2026 and will still be eligible for the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2026.
Trey Yesavage salary
Yesavage is set to make $820,000 in 2026, but because he only debuted in mid-September, his 2025 major league earnings were only $57,204, according to Spotrac.
That’s a far cry from his Game 1 counterpart, Los Angeles Dodgers starter Blake Snell, who makes an average of $36.4 million per year — or more than $1 million per start — on the deal he signed last November.
Yesavage did receive a large signing bonus after being drafted by the Blue Jays in 2024, landing $4.175 million upon signing his deal with the organization.
