AL DIVISION SERIES: YANKEES VS BLUE JAYS

October 5, 2025

John Schneider

Rogers Centre

Toronto Blue Jays

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Blue Jays - 13, Yankees - 7

Q. What was that experience like for you watching what Trey Yesavage just did?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Man, tough to put into words. The kid started in A ball this year and just did that against that lineup.

We can think about all the stuff, to be in there -- like, that's all there, but to go do that, you think it's a pretty unique look and it definitely showed. What we were looking for were command, poise, all that kind of stuff. That was there. Swings were evident that stuff was good.

I know I was getting booed when I went out there, but he wasn't going to go 120, 130 pitches. Just wanted to let him get recognized for a job well done.

Q. Was that the most you ever enjoyed being booed?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, it's happened a lot, but that was the best. Yeah, I was kind of joking with Gausy and Max and Biebs and Pete, wish me luck, I'm going out there.

That was special for him to kind of have that moment. A lot of guys -- Trey, Varsho, Vlad, Ernie -- it was an all-around good day. You know they're not going away. They're obviously really good, really talented. It felt like two games almost, Trey and then kind of the back half of it.

Yeah, I'll take getting booed like that every time.

Q. Just further to Trey, I know you guys kind of map out different scenarios especially ahead of a playoff game. Did you ever in your kind of wildest, most ambitious dreams, envision that this would be possible for him?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Maybe. You never know. We kind of always joke about that when we're talking pregame, kind of like, hey, what are you going to do if the guy's got a no-hitter? This organization is due for one.

Yeah, I think at that point it exceeded expectations. And then again, you can have all the plans in the world -- I've said this the last couple days -- it gets flipped in a second. I just couldn't be happier for him, man. The journey this dude's been on this year is unbelievable.

Q. Fried's velo was up. He's obviously a great pitcher. What do you think allowed your guys to take great swings against him?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: We talked about kind of trying to grind him a bit. I thought our at-bats were tremendous against him. He's one of the best in the league. Kind of just took what we got, you know.

Varsh hooking that ball, and then Ernie getting the job done, happens to go out. I think we commanded the zone really well against him and forced him to kind of be in the zone a little bit. I was wondering if it was going to be more change-ups and curveballs than what we've seen in the past and kind of wasn't.

The guys just had a really, really productive at-bats all day against him.

Q. It looked like you and Trey shared a moment on the mound too when you went out to get him. He had a big smile on his face. What message did you have for him there?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: We told him after the fifth that he had one-hitter. Pete did actually. I told him great job, and I told him to kind of walk as slow as he could to enjoy it. You don't want to just assume you're going to win, you know what I mean, because the game's never over until you get the last out.

But for a guy who's been through what he's been through this year, to deliver that performance in that moment with this crowd here, I really wanted him to enjoy it. That's kind of what I told him.

Q. Another question about Trey. He's talked about how the organization has managed his workload this year and how it's really worked for him to be ready for this stage. With that in mind, with the confidence he's clearly showing from start to start, is he in as good a place as he's been? Is he getting stronger by the start?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I think he's really comfortable. It's his fourth start, but understanding that his stuff plays, and then still trying to figure some things out and adjusting and talking to guys.

Yeah, looking back at the beginning of the year, you're not thinking that Trey is going to be part of the equation, right? We've talked about this to where I didn't start thinking about it until July, August.

And then when it kind of starts to become real a little bit, I think that the organization did a really good job of using him appropriately and making sure that, okay, if you're going to be an option for us, we've got to make sure we're doing what's right for you now so it could be an option later.

I think just the messaging to him was pretty clear, and I think that gives him confidence to understand that we trust him. Kind of a collective effort.

Q. John, about Vlady, in that fourth inning he looked -- I mean, he was bouncing in the batter's box, he was dancing to the music between pitches. He looked like he was either really comfortable, really relaxed, or really locked in. What did you see from him before he hit that ball?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Kind of all three of those things. It's kind of what we saw yesterday a little bit. I think when Vlad's not in a hurry, he's really good. Those are the at-bats that we want him to have. I thought all of his at-bats today were really good, and I think his swing is in a really good spot.

That's a huge swing for him, huge swing in the game obviously, but kind of cool for him the last two to have some moments, right, because he's our guy. He's our dude.

I said it before the series, I want him to play free and confident and loose, but at the same time be locked in. He's pretty locked in right now.

Q. What is it that can get him that loose in the batter's box? We haven't seen that in a long time.

JOHN SCHNEIDER: I mean, confidence is a real thing. Again, I've said it, like he's kind of a swing away or an at-bat away. He's really talented. When you get to this time of year, you can kind of feel good about what you're doing. It kind of gets a little bit contagious. Vlad has the ability to do that really any given night.

Q. I was just outside talking with a ton of fans on KISS FM Canada. They are absolutely electric right now. Absolutely incredible. Fans are so important to the game. What do you want to say to the fans going into Game 3?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: For one, thank you, not just for the last two days, but for this season and for the past couple months. The atmosphere here is -- you kind of have to be here to understand it. From a couple hours before the game, it's pretty evident that they're here supporting us.

It's something this group does not take lightly. It's something that we as an organization do not take lightly, that we're playing for a country. It's really evident that they're here supporting us. It's a tough place for people to come in and play, and when you kind of have that competitive advantage, it feels really good.

For the fans, I say thank you. We want continued support. And looking into Game 3, I hope you're all watching. If you want to come down to New York, that would be great too.

Q. How much credit do you give to the Minor League office, Minor League staff to develop these guys throwing flames here in the Big Leagues and doing the stuff very well?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: There's a reason Casey Candaele, our Triple-A manager, is here. He's been aligned with us from day 1. There's been contributions from everyone. I joked with him after the game, I said nice going with Trey. You really nailed that one.

I think it's a sign of a really good organization when you're kind of doing things that we're going to do here in the Minor Leagues is pretty cool. We've had contributions from a lot of guys -- pitchers, hitters that spent time in Buffalo and Single-A. I'll give a shout out to Gil Kim, who is the manager in Single-A. So it's fulfilling to kind of see that result in realtime.

Q. Ernie's first ever career playoff hit. What did that do for the team, having a guy like that get you guys the lead early on?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: That was huge against a really good pitcher. You kind of watch what Trey's doing, and then you get two runs there pretty quick, and you feel pretty good about it. You never know how the game is going to end up.

I talked about Myles, I think earlier today or yesterday, as being kind of one of the glue guys. He's just a baseball player, and he's turned himself into a damn good Major Leaguer. He kind of fits the mold.

Yesterday was Lukey with a big day, Gimmy with a big day. Today was Ernie. I think we're kind of not really talking about Varsho's day at the plate, kind of ho-hum, a couple doubles, a couple homers. But I think it's cool for everyone to kind of chip in.

Q. I'll give you a Varsho question. Yeah, he's getting hits also against lefties yesterday, today too. Talk about his game and how it's really -- in such a short season for him with all those injuries, what he's been able to do here in the postseason.

JOHN SCHNEIDER: He's been phenomenal. If you say Daulton Varsho, everyone thinks about him, the outfielder. He's made a ton of adjustments. I wish we had him the entire year, his numbers would be off the charts. It's a tough assignment to go in against Max Fried, and you feel a little bit better when you know a guy's convicted in a specific approach and looking for some pitches and knowing what his swing does against certain pitches.

We got a bunch of lovable guys. Varsh is up there, you know what I mean? I'm just really happy for him he's having the success right now because he's been through a ton in the past year, going through surgery and getting banged up again this year and missing time. It's not easy to do what he's doing kind of having a staggered season, but just a phenomenal day from him.