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Blue Jays' Young Pitching Star Named Organization's Best Player Under 25 Years Old

Originally posted on Toronto Blue Jays on SI
By Scott Roche | Last updated Oct 18, 2025 8:00 AM ET

After struggling down the stretch of the regular season, the Toronto Blue Jays were able to regroup and hold off the New York Yankees to win the American League East.

That was big for the Blue Jays' rotation, which was gassed down the stretch. It was also big as manager John Schneider gambled on the final day of the regular season and threw Kevin Gausman against the Tampa Bay Rays to win the division. If that backfired, he would have been unavailable for the Wild Card Series.

It proved to be the right decision as Gausman was able to come back on regular rest to start the ALDS against the Yankees. The question leading into the series was who was going to throw Game 2 and how the pitching was going to play out the rest of the series. It turns out, it was a rookie who proved the moment was not too big.

Blue Jays Rising Pitching Prospect Tabbed Best Player Under 25 Years Old in Organization

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During the week of preparation ahead of the ALDS, it was becoming clear that young pitcher Trey Yesavage was going to pitch at some point. That came to fruition in Game 2, and he was unhittable.

That performance, along with his work in the minors and at the end of the regular season in the majors, solidified his spot as the organization’s top player under 25 years old, according to Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report.

“Yesavage was the No. 20 overall pick in the 2024 draft, and he made his pro debut at Single-A to open the 2025 season. He made his MLB debut on Sept. 15 after dominating every step of the way in the majors, earning a spot on the playoff roster, and struck out 11 batters over 5.1 no-hit innings in Game 2 of the ALDS,’’ wrote Reuter.

Dominating would be an understatement when describing Yesavage's performance in the playoffs against the Yankees. He had a veteran lineup off balance and completely guessing on every pitch. It just goes to show how good his stuff is when he's on and commanding all of his pitches.

Yesavage impressed in his three starts down the stretch of the regular season. He pitched five scoreless innings against the Rays on September 15 in his debut with nine strikeouts. After beating the Kansas City Royals, he was dominating again against Tampa Bay on September 27, with five scoreless innings with five strikeouts in what was a must-win game to stay ahead of New York in the standings.

Yesavage struggled in his start in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners, but there is no doubt that his future is bright for the Blue Jays. Regardless of what happens the rest of the postseason for the right-hander, he will make a big impact in the rotation beginning in 2026.