Rookie Trey Yesavage’s improbable season continues today when he gets the start for the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1 of the World Series.
The 22-year-old right-hander, who played at every level of the Blue Jays’ system this year before making a name for himself in the major leagues, will now be tasked with shutting down Shohei Ohtani and the star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers.
“With this being my rookie season and having these high-pressure games,” he said of his approach. “I try to treat it as if it’s not as high-pressure as it is mentally, but I know it’s there.”
Yesavage is 2-1 with a 4.20 earned-run average and 22 strikeouts in three postseason starts. Left-hander Blake Snell goes for Los Angeles, looking to improve on his 3-0 postseason record. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start Game 2 for the Dodgers on Saturday. The Blue Jays have not yet announced a Game 2 starter.
The Blue Jays bring a relentless offence into the series, led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The star first-baseman is hitting .442 in the postseason with six homers and 12 runs batted in.
The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET at Toronto’s Rogers Centre.
Rosters to be finalized by 10 a.m. ET
The Blue Jays will announce their World Series roster by 10 a.m. on Friday. There shouldn’t be any shocking omissions, with the focus centred squarely on Bo Bichette and his health.
On Thursday, Bichette, who hasn’t appeared in a game since Sept. 6, was spotted taking ground balls at second base, a position he hasn’t played in the majors.
“All I’ve been thinking about is this moment,” the star shortstop told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi. “I’ll be ready for whatever opportunity comes my way.”
Under Major League Baseball rules, teams are allowed a maximum of 26 players, with no more than 13 pitchers. The last 10 teams that have faced off in the World Series, dating back to 2020, have opted for 13 pitchers. Starters are often pulled early, with managers relying on matchup arms to navigate high-leverage innings. Toronto is not likely to deviate from that strategy.
Jays fans gearing up for the team’s first World Series appearance since 1993
Monday night saw Toronto clinch a World Series berth in a nail-biter Game 7 of the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners. A go-ahead three-run homer by George Springer led the Jays to a 4-3 win, securing Toronto’s matchup against the defending champion Dodgers in the Fall Classic.
The Blue Jays last appeared in the World Series in 1993, a fact well known to the thousands of fans who poured into the city streets Monday night to the sound of car honks, whistles and chants as they celebrated the clinching game.
Prime Minister Mark Carney went to Rogers Centre on Thursday to watch the Jays take batting practice. He told reporters he expects Toronto to win in six games.
“There are Blue Jays fans across the nation. The whole country is behind this team,” he said to reporters.
Single-game tickets for the World Series went on sale Tuesday and sold out in about an hour. As of Thursday, the cheapest Game 1 resale ticket for general admission was more than $1,000 on Ticketmaster.
How the city has prepared for baseball mania
Toronto police have said fans can expect to see “an increased and visible police presence both inside and outside Rogers Centre” as the World Series gets underway.
For those who can’t secure a spot inside the ballpark, the City of Toronto will host free public viewing parties at Nathan Phillips Square for all Blue Jays home games.
“These viewing parties are more than just game nights, they bring Torontonians together in a shared space to celebrate our home team, showcase our city’s incredible spirit and support local businesses as fans gather downtown before and after the game,” the city said in a statement.
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) said Thursday that it will add extra subway service this weekend to help fans get to the Rogers Centre and viewing parties across the city. There will be six more trains on Line 1 and three more on Line 2, it said, with no planned closures.
With files from The Canadian Press and Sportsnet staff
