Under the bright lights of Dodger Stadium on October 29, 2025, the Toronto Blue Jays’ rookie phenomenon Trey Yesavage delivered a World Series performance for the ages, etching his name into baseball history and propelling his team to the brink of a long-awaited championship. At just 22 years old and barely a month removed from his major league debut, Yesavage’s outing in Game 5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers was nothing short of legendary—a night that will be talked about in Toronto and across the baseball world for years to come.
Yesavage, a former first-round pick in the 2024 MLB draft out of East Carolina University, began his 2025 season in the humble confines of Single-A Dunedin. Few could have predicted that by late October, he’d be standing tall on the World Series mound, facing down some of the game’s brightest stars and rewriting the record books in the process. Called up to the majors in September, Yesavage has been a revelation ever since, but nothing compared to his Game 5 masterpiece.
With the series knotted at two games apiece, the stakes for Game 5 couldn’t have been higher. The Blue Jays needed a spark, and Yesavage delivered in emphatic fashion. Over seven electrifying innings, he struck out 12 Dodgers hitters—setting a new all-time rookie record for strikeouts in a World Series game, breaking the mark of 11 set by Don Newcombe way back in 1949. Not only did Yesavage surpass a record that stood for 76 years, but he also accomplished it without issuing a single walk and allowed just three hits. His only blemish? A third-inning solo home run to Enrique “Kiké” Hernández, a moment the Dodgers hoped would ignite their offense. Instead, Yesavage responded with poise and dominance, retiring the next batters in order and striking out Shohei Ohtani with a devastating splitter that sent the superstar to one knee and his helmet tumbling to the dirt—a signature moment for the rookie and a defining image of this Fall Classic.
“It’s a crazy world. Hollywood couldn’t have made it this good. So just being a part of this, I’m just very blessed,” Yesavage reflected after the game, still processing his meteoric rise from minor league anonymity to October heroics. “I’m waiting for life to slow down in this off-season and just be able to collect my thoughts and my feelings on this crazy year.”
Yesavage’s performance was historic in more ways than one. He became the first pitcher in postseason history to record multiple games of 10 or more strikeouts before turning 23, and the first rookie ever to do so in the playoffs. He also struck out five consecutive Dodgers batters at one point—another rookie World Series record. With 23 swings and misses induced, Yesavage set the mark for the most whiffs in a World Series game since pitch tracking began in 2008. His 39 strikeouts this postseason now stand as the most by any rookie in a single playoff run, surpassing Michael Wacha’s 2013 tally. At 22 years and 93 days, he’s the youngest pitcher ever with 10 or more strikeouts in a World Series game, and only the third-youngest to do so in any postseason contest.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider, who entrusted Yesavage with the ball in such a critical game, could only marvel at the poise and maturity his young ace displayed. “Thinking back to when we called him up, you’re kind of taking a shot to just bring more talent in, and you’re not really sure of how it’s going to unfold or what role he’s going to be in,” Schneider said. “He’s definitely raised our ceiling. I mean, we’re talking about a guy that not only is he performing well, but he’s handling a lot of stuff well.” Schneider even joked about the performance being “pretty good,” but the underlying awe was unmistakable.
Even Dodgers manager Dave Roberts tipped his cap to the rookie’s brilliance: “A lot of poise. I don’t have to, you know, know anything about him, he’s an athlete, fields his position well, has good baseball IQ, holding runners. There’s no panic. As you said, there’s a lot of poise. And you got to tip your cap to him. Game 1, Game 5 on the road and the way he performed, pretty impressive.”
But Yesavage didn’t do it alone. The Blue Jays’ offense set the tone immediately, with outfielder Davis Schneider launching a leadoff home run off Dodgers starter Blake Snell on the very first pitch of the game. Not to be outdone, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed with a solo shot of his own, marking the first time in World Series history that a team hit back-to-back leadoff home runs. The early fireworks stunned the Dodger Stadium crowd and handed Toronto a quick 2-0 lead.
Toronto continued to pile on. Ernie Clement added a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to score Daulton Varsho, and after Snell was pulled in the seventh following 116 pitches, reliever Edgardo Henriquez allowed two more runs—one on a wild pitch and another on a Bo Bichette single. Isiah Kiner-Falefa tacked on an insurance run with an RBI single in the eighth. The Dodgers, meanwhile, struggled to find answers. Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, and even the mighty Ohtani were all held hitless by Yesavage, who seemed to have an answer for every batter that approached the plate.
After Yesavage’s seven sensational innings, Seranthony Dominguez took over in the eighth before Jeff Hoffman closed the door in the ninth, sealing a 6-1 victory for Toronto. The win gave the Blue Jays a commanding 3-2 series lead and sent the Fall Classic back to Rogers Centre, where the Jays now stand just one win away from their first World Series title since 1993.
Game 6 is set for Friday in Toronto, with the Dodgers expected to start Yoshinobu Yamamoto, coming off a strong Game 2 outing, while the Blue Jays will counter with Kevin Gausman. The city of Toronto is buzzing with anticipation, and with Yesavage’s star-making performance fresh in everyone’s minds, there’s a sense that history is within reach.
As Bo Bichette put it, “It’s special to watch. Obviously, the stuff is incredible, but the maturity to be able to handle these moments is unbelievable. So it was a special thing to watch today.”
With one more win, the Blue Jays can finally end their 32-year championship drought. After Wednesday night, there’s no doubt that Trey Yesavage has already carved out his place in Toronto sports lore—and baseball’s record books. The World Series drama now shifts north, with the Blue Jays and their rookie ace just one step away from immortality.
