Blue Jays Make Huge Lineup Decision For Game 1 of World Series

The Toronto Blue Jays have until Friday morning to lock in all of their roster spots for the 2025 World Series, but they officially named their Game 1 starting pitcher on Thursday afternoon. And in a bold move, it'll be rookie Trey Yesavage.

TREY. DAY.

Trey Yesavage starts Game One of the World Series! #WANTITALL pic.twitter.com/8i4lymotS6
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) October 23, 2025

It's a history-making selection, as Yesavage will be the second-youngest Game 1 starting pitcher in World Series history, behind only the Dodgers' Ralph Branca (21 years, 267 days) in 1947.

After being selected in the first round of the MLB Draft last year, the 22-year-old Yesavage began the 2025 season pitching in low-A Ball for Dunedin. After seven dominant starts with a 55:8 strikeout to walk ratio in 33 innings, he moved up to High-A.

In four starts there in Vancouver, he held batters to a ridiculous five hits in 17.1 innings, with a 1.56 ERA. It was on to Double-A and Triple-A, where he continued to strike out close to 14 batters per nine innings across 14 appearances.

In three regular-season starts with Toronto in September, he immediately showed he could handle major league hitters as well, with a 3.21 ERA in 14 innings.

But how would the fresh rookie handle the postseason? Turns out, with ease.

In three playoff starts, he has two victories, a 4.20 ERA, and has struck out 13.2 per nine. The highlight was his postseason debut, an epic outing against the New York Yankees in the ALDS, when he struck out 11 in 5 1/3 no-hit innings.