Who is Trey Yesavage? Meet Blue Jays rookie who dominated Yankees in ALDS Game 2

The Toronto Blue Jays came out of the trade deadline with more rotation depth than most contenders, between Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer, Shane Bieber and Eric Lauer.

Even the best plans can fail, though. The Blue Jays lost confidence in some starters after late-season struggles, while Berrios hit the injured list just before the postseason. That left rookie Trey Yesavage, just called up in the season's final two weeks, to fill Toronto's No. 2 starter role in the ALDS.

It might have been a blessing in disguise. Yesavage announced himself on the national stage in his postseason debut, carving up the New York Yankees' lineup and joining New York rookie Cam Schlittler in the history books. 

Here's what you need to know about Yesavage, his meteoric rise and how he landed in Toronto.

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Who is Trey Yesavage?

Yesavage was the Blue Jays' first-round pick out of East Carolina in 2024. He arrived in the majors just 14 months after he was drafted.

A dominant junior season cemented Yesavage's status as a first-round prospect in 2024. The right-hander posted a 2.03 ERA over 15 starts, allowing only 4.7 hits per nine innings and striking out 145 batters in 93.1 total innings. 

Remarkably, Yesavage didn't even make his professional debut until 2025. The Blue Jays held him out of competitive baseball down the stretch in 2024, but he hit the ground running at single-A Dunedin this spring and rocketed from single-A, to advanced-A, to double-A, to triple-A and ultimately to the major leagues after posting a strikeout rate higher than 13.5 per nine at each level.

With a large frame and a devastating splitter, Yesavage impressed enough in his first three MLB starts to secure a spot in the Blue Jays' rotation over struggling veterans. That decision was validated in Game 2 of the ALDS, when Yesavage struck out 11 batters in his first five innings of work. He became the second rookie in the 21st century to record 10 strikeouts in a postseason game, joining only Schlittler, who notched 12 strikeouts three days earlier.

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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.

How tall is Trey Yesavage?

Yesavage has the frame to match his powerful arm, as he is listed as 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. 

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How did Trey Yesavage get his name?

"Yesavage" puns can already be found in the Rogers Centre crowd, as Fox's broadcast showed during Game 2 of the ALDS. The roots of the Yesavage surname aren't entirely clear, but it may have originated from the surname, "Javasage," which has Slavic and Eastern European origins. 

Yesavage was born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about 40 miles northwest of Philadelphia.