Blue Jays Top Prospect Trey Yesavage Makes Franchise History in MLB Debut
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The Toronto Blue Jays made some major headlines when they was announced they were going to be calling up their top prospect in right-hander Trey Yesavage to make his MLB debut. Getting the start against the Tampa Bay Rays with Toronto looking to inch closer to locking up their first divisional title in a decade, the stakes were high for the young pitcher.
After what was a little bit of a shaky first inning for Yesavage in allowing a run to score after two quick hits, he settled in after that and did the same incredible things he had been doing all season long in various levels of the minor leagues.
The run in the first inning would be the only one the righty allowed, lasting five full innings and giving up three hits and two walks, but striking out nine opposing hitters to set a Blue Jays franchise record for most K's in an MLB debut.
Trey Yesavage's first career MLB strikeout: Brandon Lowe with a splitter.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) September 15, 2025
Yesavage gets some huge whiff rates with this pitch. #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/TLopYZjpgP
After the first, it truly was all smooth sailing for the 22-year-old, collecting two strikeouts in the second inning and starting to carve up opposing hitters with the splitter that makes him such a highly rated prospect.
Trey Yesavage's two strikeouts in the second inning show how that sky-high release point help him.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) September 16, 2025
Hitters need to make a quick decision between the splitter and the fastball, both coming down hard. Doesn't look like a fun decision to make. #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/0N63leJZ3X
It was two more strikeouts in the third inning for Yesavage before a fourth inning demonstrated the kind of superstar potential he has by striking out the side of Tampa Bay and getting to his eighth fanned batter before the fifth.
Trey Yesavage's two strikeouts in the second inning show how that sky-high release point help him.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) September 16, 2025
Hitters need to make a quick decision between the splitter and the fastball, both coming down hard. Doesn't look like a fun decision to make. #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/0N63leJZ3X
Another 1-2-3 fifth inning with one more strikeout would be the end of the night for Yesavage on 69 pitches, 49 of them being strikes in a statement debut which should issue a warning to the rest of the American League: Toronto was already a contender, and they may have just added another ace two weeks before the playoffs.
Yesavage Had Mind Boggling Season in Minor Leagues
Yesavage first showed he was ahead of schedule in Single-A Dunedin when he had a 2.43 ERA and 0.810 WHIP over his first seven starts and struck out 55 batters in just 33.1 innings pitched. It was his showing in High-A Vancouver where the league had to start paying attention though, pitching to a 1.56 ERA with an absurd 33 strikeouts in 17.1 innings.
Maintaining very impressive numbers and still striking out batters at a ridiculous rate through both Double-A and eventually Triple-A, it became abundantly clear that Yesavage would be able to help the big league club right now. In his debut, he would only prove that, and even though no run support led to a no decision, he clearly is the real deal.
What Will Blue Jays Plan for Yesavage Be?
Toronto did not call up their top prospect with two weeks left in the season and in a hotly contested American League East race to send him back down in October if he proved he was ready. There was some stuff to build on, but Yesavage did more than show that; he showed he has the potential to put this staff over the top in the postseason.
If the debut for Yesavage wasn't a fluke -- and there's no reason to think it was -- the Blue Jays just landed themselves a dangerous X-factor headed into October.
Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.