Yesavage's epic ascent from prospect to World Series hero in 15 months
Trey Yesavage put the baseball world on notice with a breakout performance in Game 5 of the World Series.
In just the eighth start of his MLB career Wednesday, Yesavage diced up the Los Angeles Dodgers for 12 strikeouts and zero walks, giving the Toronto Blue Jays a 3-2 series lead.
For any pitcher in the major leagues, this kind of performance would be impressive. But for a 22-year-old who was playing in college 16 months ago? Almost unheard of - and, frankly, hard to fathom.
Here's a timeline of Yesavage's epic ascent from highly touted draft selection to World Series hero.
June 1, 2024: Yesavage makes the final start of his college career for East Carolina. He allows one run on one hit and four walks while striking out six over 7 1/3 innings against Wake Forest. Yesavage takes the no-decision but East Carolina ekes out a win. The start happens to come against Chase Burns as well as slugger Nick Kurtz, the presumptive AL Rookie of the Year in 2025. Yesavage finishes the campaign with a 2.03 ERA and 0.87 WHIP over 93 1/3 innings.
July 14, 2024: The Blue Jays select Yesavage 20th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. Burns goes No. 2 to the Cincinnati Reds. Kurtz has his name called by the Athletics at fourth.
Jan. 24, 2025: MLB's preseason top 100 prospect list comes out. Yesavage debuts at No. 86. He will ascend to 26th before making his MLB debut.
Feb. 13, 2025: Pitchers and catchers report to spring training. Yesavage is not among the Blue Jays' non-roster invitees to big-league camp. Righty Braydon Fisher and left-hander Mason Fluharty are as the club prioritizes its bullpen situation.
March 15, 2025: Yesavage is selected to take part in the Jays' spring breakout game against the Minnesota Twins along with Arjun Nimmala and a number of other prospects.
April 8, 2025: Yesavage makes his first professional appearance. It's a decent debut, going 3 2/3 innings as a starter for Single-A Dunedin in Jupiter, Florida against the Miami Marlins' affiliate. He allows two runs - both unearned - on one hit and six walks while striking out four. Yesavage doesn't get the decision but Dunedin shells the Jupiter Hammerheads 19-5.
May 1, 2025: Yesavage's first decision is a win. It's his fifth professional start and he goes six shutout innings against the Philadelphia Phillies' Single-A affiliate. After allowing six walks in his debut, he's given up two total in the following 19 2/3 frames. Including his debut, he's rocking a 2.31 ERA with a 36-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
May 20, 2025: The right-hander is promoted to High-A Vancouver following a particularly dominant outing of 12 strikeouts and zero walks - sound familiar?
June 12, 2025: Four starts and less than one month later and Yesavage is promoted again - this time to Double-A New Hampshire. He flummoxed High-A hitters to a 1.56 ERA while striking out 33 and walking 11 over 17 1/3 innings.
June 18, 2025: Yesavage takes his first professional loss. The New York Yankees' Double-A affiliate in Somerset solves Yesavage for four earned runs on three hits and three walks over 2 2/3 innings. He hasn't always been dominant in the minors but he's never looked this shaky. His first adversity as a pro.
July 1, 2025: After bouncing back with an elite showing against the Colorado Rockies' affiliate, Yesavage is once again beat up in back-to-back outings against Double-A Portland (BOS). He allows seven earned on eight hits and three walks over 5 1/3 combined in the pair of starts.
Aug. 14, 2025: With the Blue Jays officially in the hunt for October, Yesavage gets promoted to Triple-A. It's frequently a level that top prospect pitchers skip these days, but the Blue Jays trust the training staff in Buffalo and seem determined to test Yesavage against more seasoned hitters as both a starter and reliever. The playoff push will require all hands on deck.
Sept. 15, 2025: Yesavage makes his MLB debut. He posted a 3.86 ERA as a starter in Triple-A and a 2.70 ERA out of the bullpen. Nevertheless, the Jays give him his first action in the majors as the starter. He allows one run on three hits and two walks while striking out nine over five innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. "Jumping from level to level and this being my fifth team, it's crazy," Yesavage told MLB.com's Keegan Matheson at the time. "It's just crazy. It's been a great experience." The Blue Jays win to increase their division lead over the Yankees to five games.
Sept. 27, 2025: Yesavage's first MLB win comes against those same Rays and it's a huge one. The Yankees have closed the gap and are tied with the Jays. The rookie right-hander fires five no-hit frames against Tampa Bay, striking out five in the penultimate game of the year. It's a must-win to help the Jays avoid getting relegated to wild-card status.
Oct. 5, 2025: Yesavage makes his postseason debut, starting Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Yankees. It causes some conjecture that the Jays would turn to a rookie for Game 2 over the more established Shane Bieber. However, it ensures Yesavage's outing is in the friendlier environs of Rogers Centre and not at Yankee Stadium. Regardless, he's unflappable, striking out 11 over 5 1/3 no-hit innings. The monumental outing puts the Jays up 2-0 in the series.
Oct. 29, 2025: Owning a 4.26 ERA through four postseason starts now, Yesavage makes his first playoff start on the road and his second of the World Series. By now, you know the line. He becomes the first rookie in MLB history to record 12 strikeouts while also walking no one in a Fall Classic outing. 472 days after being drafted, a legend is made.