As the Toronto Blue Jays prepare for the 2026 season following a heartbreaking loss in the World Series, the club has shared details on the expected role for breakout playoff pitcher Trey Yesavage.
The exciting young right-hander has been built up slowly in Spring Training. He’s yet to appear in a game, instead only throwing live batting practice sessions. Despite the slow ramp-up, manager John Schneider told reporters, including Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, that the organization still plans to have Yesavage in the starting rotation.
Yesavage threw 98 innings at the minor league level in his first professional season. He tossed 14 more frames once he earned the call to the big leagues. The righty tacked on 27.2 additional innings in the playoffs.
Toronto Blue Jays Still View Trey Yesavage As A Starting Pitcher
Yesavage had just three MLB appearances to his name heading into the 2025 postseason. He doubled that mark in the playoffs, delivering a shockingly adept performance for a 21-year-old with limited professional experience. Yesavage notched a 3.58 ERA across six outings, racking up 39 strikeouts in 27.2 innings. He recorded wins in the American League Divisional Series against the New York Yankees, the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners, and the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yesavage earned a hold in Game 7 of the fall classic.
It was a whirlwind debut for the top prospect. The Blue Jays selected Yesavage with the 20th overall pick in the 2024 draft. He zoomed through the minors this past season, pitching at four different levels. Yesavage’s lowest strikeout rate between Single-A, High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A was the massive 36.1% mark he had in his final stop with the Buffalo Bisons. He delivered a solid 25.8% strikeout rate across three regular-season starts. Yesavage pushed that number to 35.8% in the postseason.
The 2025 workload for Yesavage was a significant leap from his output in college. The righty maxed out at 93.1 innings during his time at East Carolina. It’s no surprise the Blue Jays are treading lightly with the 22-year-old heading into the 2026 campaign.
Blue Jays Have the Depth to Slow-Play Yesavage
It’d be tempting to lean on Yesavage given the heights he reached as a rookie, but the Blue Jays have built out plenty of depth in the rotation. Toronto handed Dylan Cease a massive seven-year, $210 million contract to lead the pitching staff alongside Kevin Gausman. The club also added Cody Ponce on a three-year, $30 million agreement. The veteran righty excelled with a 1.89 ERA in 29 starts in KBO last season.
The most recent move was the return of Max Scherzer. The future Hall of Famer is back on a cheap $3 million pact, though it could be worth $13 million depending on his health. Yesavage and Jose Berrios are expected to fill out the rotation. The Blue Jays are dealing with injuries to Shane Bieber and Bowden Francis, which whittles down the group, but Eric Lauer is also waiting in the wings to take on a bigger role. The left-hander was unhappy about his shifting role last season. If Yesavage is limited to begin the year, Lauer likely takes on more responsibility.
Blue Jays Reveal Role For Postseason Star Trey Yesavage