Trey Yesavage was thrust into the limelight at one of the quickest paces Toronto Blue Jays fans have ever seen. Aside from John Olerud making the jump to Toronto straight from Washington State, Yesavage is one of the quickest risers fans have seen in the farm system in quite some time.

Starting the 2025 season in Single-A and finishing the year by appearing in three World Series games, Yesavage’s first foray into the big leagues was a success. He appeared in just three regular-season games, authoring a 2.35 FIP and a 3.21 ERA while going 14 innings. He allowed just 13 hits and five earned runs during that span, posting a 1.429 WHIP. That number is a bit elevated because of his seven free passes, but he countered the walks with an impressive 10.3 K/9, amounting to 16 punchouts.

Extending to the playoffs, Yesavage appeared in six games (one relief outing), amassing a 3.58 ERA across 27 2/3 innings. He pitched a no-hitter against the Yankees in the ALDS, going 5 1/3 innings with 11 punchouts, and struck out 17 Dodgers during the club’s World Series run. His only blemish was in the ALCS, where the Mariners generated seven earned runs through 9 2/3 innings against the right-hander.

Heading into 2026, Yesavage was expected to be a key part of the Jays’ rotation. Teams got a glimpse of what the East Carolina University product had to offer, but he was now going to be pitching across a full season, and teams would be armed with more data, more video, and just more experience against the fast-rising prospect.

Unfortunately for Yesavage, he was unable to avoid the injury bug that has crawled through the Toronto clubhouse since Spring Training, and the 22-year-old missed the first month of the season on the sidelines.

He would debut agains the Boston Red Sox on April 28th, tossing 5 1/3 innings of scoreless ball while allowing just four hits compared to three strikeouts and zero walks. His next two outings were more of a battle, as Yesavage couldn’t get past four innings against both the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels, but was able to limit the damage to just one earned run collectively.

Fast forward to yesterday, and Yesavage’s first real test was staring him down in the Bronx. The Jays had dropped their first two games against the Yankees, and Toronto’s bats have been struggling to give their pitchers any run support. If the Jays wanted to win, Yesavage pretty much had to turn in a perfect outing, doing so against one of the Yankees’ top arms in Cam Schlitter.

When the dust settled, it was the Jays starter who emerged victorious, earning his second win of the season. Across six innings, the right-hander allowed just two hits on 95 pitches, posting a 67.4% strike rate. He walked zero batters while striking out eight with 13 whiffs, holding the Yankees bats at bay for most of the evening. He punched out Aaron Judge three times and was able to keep slugger Ben Rice off the scoresheet for the evening. The only trouble Yesvaage truly faced was a Trent Grisham double and a Jazz Chisholm Jr. single, both of which amounted to nothing.

After this impressive start and a much-needed Jays win, Yesavage dropped his ERA to a stellar 1.07 mark and also owns a 1.89 FIP and a 1.066 WHIP for his efforts. Out of the gate, Yesavage has seen a strong drop in his walk rate (2.8 BB/9) and is keeping on track with his strikeout totals compared to last season (10.3 K/9). Opponents are batting just .207/.277/.261 and have amassed a .538 OPS and a .302 BABIP against the over-the-top pitcher.

Despite having fewer outings compared to his counterparts, Yesavage has already amassed a 1.2 fWAR and ranks 39th amongst pitchers with 20+ innings on the season, a number that will likely increase if the Pennsylvania native can continue his impressive streak.

While his sample size is about ~4-5 games lower than the likes of Kevin Gausman or Dylan Cease, Yesavage is ranking well in the percentiles as well.

He ranks in the 98th percentile in both xERA (2.05) and xBA (.162), and has generated a measly 19.6 hard-hit%, which is in the 99th percentile amongst big league pitchers. Opponents are struggling to barrel up his offerings (3.9% / 89th percentile), and it’s resulting in a lower exit velocity (86.3 MPH / 89th percentile) and improved results from the lack of solid contact when opponents do find the ball. Utilizing a three-pitch mix, his four-seam fastball and split-finger are both sitting at a +2 pitching run value, while the slider comes in at an even zero on the board.

It’s impossible to think that Yesavage will continue this impressive sub-2.00 ERA run across a full-season, but after pitching over 151 innings last year between the MiLB and MLB (regular season and postseason) and having to battle back from a shoulder impingement, the right-hander hasn’t missed a beat on the mound.

He will have to battle against big league squads that should adjust to him over time, but for a Jays squad that needs anyone with a heartbeat to start games with the myriad of injuries, a strong showing from Yesavage goes a long way for a club that is trending in the wrong direction out of the gate.

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