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John Schneider Hints at Blue Jays Starters for ALCS Games 2, 3 Against Mariners

Originally posted on Toronto Blue Jays on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Oct 12, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays are set to play in the ALCS starting Sunday night against the Seattle Mariners. It is the first time that the Blue Jays have advanced this far in the postseason since 2016.

That year, they were eliminated by the Cleveland Indians in five games. This year, they will be hoping to find more success. Starting things off for Toronto on the mound will be veteran right-hander Kevin Gausman.

He has been announced as the Game 1 starter for the Blue Jays. He will be opposed by Bryce Miller, who will be starting on only three days of rest. Toronto has a massive advantage on the mound from a rest perspective, last playing on Wednesday night.

The Mariners, on the other hand, played 15 innings against the Detroit Tigers to win Game 5 of their ALCS matchup on Friday night into Saturday morning on the East Coast.

John Schneider hints at ALCS Starters

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Who will be taking the mound after Gausman for the Blue Jays? While nothing has officially been decided, manager John Schneider did share some insights into what direction the team is leaning toward.

As shared by Mitch Bannon of The Athletic on X (formerly Twitter), Game 2 on Monday will likely be started by rookie phenom, Trey Yesavage. When the series shifts to Seattle for Game 3, it will potentially be veteran Shane Bieber toeing the rubber.

Schneider says it’s “most likely” Trey Yesavage G2 and Shane Bieber G3 for the #BlueJays

“Nothing definitive yet”
— Mitch Bannon (@MitchBannon) October 11, 2025

Things could certainly change in the coming days, but this is why it was so important to win the AL East, earning a bye into the ALDS. As the No. 1 seed, Toronto not only got home-field advantage but the opportunity to set their pitching rotation as they saw fit.

Eliminating the New York Yankees in four games provided them with a massive edge when it comes to rest as well. Schneider is certainly hoping his starting pitchers go as deep as possible in the game, but should he need to call on his bullpen earlier in the game, they won’t be anywhere near as worn down as the Mariners' relief staff.

Blue Jays starting pitchers instilling plenty of confidence

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Confidence should be sky-high in that trio taking the mound. All of them have shown some dominance in the postseason either this year or previously in their career.

Gausman set the tone for Toronto in Game 1 against the Yankees and will be tasked with doing that again. He surrendered only one run in 5.2 innings.

Yesavage, with 14 Major League innings under his belt, took the ball in Game 2. He shut down New York with 5.1 no-hit innings to go along with 11 strikeouts.

Bieber made it through only 2.2 innings of his start against the Yankees, but he has looked great in his return to the mound from Tommy John surgery otherwise. The last time he pitched in the postseason, with the Guardians in 2022, he had a 2.03 ERA in 13.1 innings with 15 strikeouts.