Toronto Blue Jays to start 22-year-old Yesavage in World Series opener! Second youngest ever

As the World Series begins, the Toronto Blue Jays announced that 22-year-old and 88-day rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage will start the first game, facing off against Dodgers’ Cy Young winner Blake Snell.

Yesavage will be the second youngest starter in World Series history, only behind Ralph Branca of the 1947 Dodgers, who was 21 years and 267 days old.

This 22-year-old pitcher made his professional debut on April 8 at High-A level and rapidly advanced through four minor league levels before reaching the majors; now he will start Game 1 of the World Series for the Blue Jays, a very rare feat.

All his belongings are still packed inside his Toyota Tundra truck parked in the lot, which he describes as "You should see my truck, it’s basically a mobile home now."

Yesavage’s first challenge will be Shohei Ohtani, followed closely by Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Ohtani is known for hitting split-finger fastballs, which happens to be Yesavage’s specialty pitch.

"He’s a special player," Yesavage said, "He can hurt you both pitching and hitting. But that doesn’t change why we’re here. The focus is on playing our own game. If we need to adjust to contain him, we’ll make those adjustments."

He added, "I’m more of a ‘meat and potatoes’ kind of guy, keeping it simple. I don’t want to overthink on the mound because when I’m fully locked in and my mind is clear, I perform my best."

Since Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman pitched a relief inning in Game 7 of the ALCS, he will get an extra day of rest and start in Game 2 instead.

Manager John Schneider said, "We try to communicate with all pitchers to understand their physical condition, review past rest patterns, evaluate possible late-series plans, and consider matchups against the Dodgers’ lineup."

"We want everyone’s input—not just from coaches, medical staff, and tactical planners, but also from the players themselves. After discussions, we agreed that giving Gausman an extra day of rest is the sensible choice," he stated.