MLB WORLD SERIES: DODGERS VS BLUE JAYS

October 23, 2025

Trey Yesavage

Rogers Centre

Toronto Blue Jays

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Congratulations on getting Game 1. How did John Schneider deliver that news and what was your reaction?

TREY YESAVAGE: Pretty much called me into his office, said they had faith in me to run me out there in the first game, and I was fired up. Got up, hugged him, hugged Pete. I was very excited.

Q. Are your parents and -- your brother, I think, is in college, I think you said before. Are they going to make it out for Game 1?

TREY YESAVAGE: Yeah, parents and brothers are driving up tomorrow from Pennsylvania, so they will be here.

Q. Another high-pressure start for you. I'm curious, are you just naturally good under pressure or is this a skill you learned along the way and really drilled down on?

TREY YESAVAGE: I mean, I've been able to go through this and handle it as diligently as possible. With this being my rookie season and having these high-pressure games, I try to treat it as if it's not as high pressure as it is mentally, but I know it's there, so I think I've just developed it over time.

Q. How much of a role has Alejandro Kirk had on you as you've navigated these last couple weeks?

TREY YESAVAGE: He's a great guy to talk with. He's a leader behind the plate and in the clubhouse and in the dugout. So everywhere he's at he's a leader, and being able to have him to my disposal is huge.

Q. When did John tell you this? Yesterday? Today?

TREY YESAVAGE: It was yesterday.

Q. In his office or in the clubhouse?

TREY YESAVAGE: In his office.

Q. Your arm slot, a lot of people just talk about it. Did you always have that even back to high school and Little League or how did that develop?

TREY YESAVAGE: As far as I can remember. I never pushed it up as high as it is, so it just came naturally.

Q. And did it change and get higher over the years or even lower?

TREY YESAVAGE: I couldn't tell you. I'll have to go back and look at some old pictures.

Q. And what are some of the things other pitchers tell you, that they see your slot and how it wouldn't work for them?

TREY YESAVAGE: I'm sure some people think that would hurt to go all the way up there. Everyone thinks it's unique, which it is.

Q. As excited as you are to have this start, how do you channel that emotion and excitement into focus when you're out on the mound to start it?

TREY YESAVAGE: Just knowing that I have to go out there and do my job, do everything that I can to put this team in a situation to win, and then allow the bullpen to take over and finish out the job for me.

Q. And how much do you carry with you as someone -- you've said this before, you met every single person in this organization this year -- to be able to represent all those people at all of the levels of the minor leagues in the World Series?

TREY YESAVAGE: It's really special. I've got guys from Dunedin to Vancouver, New Hampshire, Buffalo that are in my text texting me, congratulating me. But it's just a testament of how together this whole entire organization is, even in different parts of the country. This organization is run very well and everybody's awesome here.

Q. Given that, after your last outing, what would your inbox have looked like?

TREY YESAVAGE: I didn't even look. I tried getting to what I could, but it's a little tough.

Q. When we talked in spring, you talked about how you don't necessarily use a ton of data. Just over the course of the year, I'm wondering, how has maybe your process of preparing for starts grown and since you got here especially, are you doing some different stuff in your preparation, scouting reports, are you taking different information than you did beforehand? How has that grown over the course of the year?

TREY YESAVAGE: No, I mean, I'm pretty meat and potatoes with it. Just keep it basic. I don't want to be out there on the mound thinking too much because for me, I'm at best when I'm just black dead out there and not thinking at all.

So I run through the order with Pete and Kirk pregame, and we go over things we need to attack and look out for, and we go from there.

Q. At what point on your sort of climb up the ladder this year did you think that you would have a chance to contribute up here and contribute in the postseason up here?

TREY YESAVAGE: I thought once they moved me to the pen for an outing in Double-A that it wasn't just for fun. There was a reason behind it, to potentially come up here and pitch for the squad out of the bullpen. But going into Triple-A, they kind of had me do the same thing, but I came up here as a starter and it stuck.

Q. Approximately eight million Canadians watched Game 7 of the previous series, so that would compute to about one-fifth of the entire country. Have you had a chance to digest the impact that you and your teammates are having on so many people?

TREY YESAVAGE: It's hard to see the entire impact just because we're kind of almost like sheltered here. But I know we represent this entire country, and we're this country's team, so we want to go out there and do everything we can to make this country proud of us.

Q. You mentioned kind of the straightforward approach to pitching that you've always had, but is there anything that's different between you now as a pitcher on the mound to what you were doing in college at East Carolina?

TREY YESAVAGE: Yeah, I've learned to be able to navigate at-bats from at-bat to at-bat better, making adjustments from facing the one hole the first time to the second time and seeing what adjustments I need to make, so the aspect of reading a swing, reading body language, and stuff like that.

Q. A lot gets made of the organization here, the chemistry with the team, the guys. I'm curious what your experience has been like coming up so quickly from the minors, having to integrate with the guys, just how that has experience been.

TREY YESAVAGE: They have all welcomed me with open arms. As soon as I got here, everyone was unbelievably friendly and nice and they embraced me, which was huge for the success that I've had so far. So I thank every single one of these guys for treating me with respect and I love these guys.

Q. Is there a particular veteran that has taken you under his wing?

TREY YESAVAGE: A lot of the starters. So, like, Gausman, Scherzer, Bassitt, Shane, those guys are great.

Q. How often have you shaken off Kirk over your first six starts and has it grown over time?

TREY YESAVAGE: I truly haven't. I tried shaking him off last start, but he shook me right back off, so ended up throwing a heater in that situation. But I have all may faith in him, so I probably won't shake him off again.

Q. So one pitch in six starts and you're 0-1 in shaking him off?

TREY YESAVAGE: Yes, correct. (Laughing.)

Q. Guys who have three career starts in the big leagues don't ordinarily get to do this thing that you're about to do and start Game 1 of the World Series. Is there any part of you that can't believe you're about to do this in real life?

TREY YESAVAGE: Absolutely. I wake up every single morning and I'm just -- I thank the lord that I'm here in this situation, that he blessed me with this opportunity. It's something I never even would have dreamed of, but I'm here now and I'm embracing it fully and I'm so happy to be here.

Q. Obviously, you are facing Ohtani tomorrow. His last game was pretty impressive. What's the impression of him and how are you going to try to neutralize him?

TREY YESAVAGE: He's special player. He can do damage on both sides of the baseball. But it doesn't take away the fact that we are in this situation too for a reason. So just going out there and being ourselves and if there's adjustments that we need to make to try to neutralize him, we'll make those adjustments.

Q. Speaking of Ohtani, I guess he's going to be the first one who steps in against you in this first game. You say you black out. Do you ever allow yourself to have that holy crap, this is what's happening moment at all, whether it's on the field or in the dugout or on the way in?

TREY YESAVAGE: Yeah, it's usually when I'm running out to the mound to warm up for the first inning is when I'll like look around, soak it all in, and then it's time for work.

Q. Do you feel like, I mean you don't carry yourself like a typical 22 year old, it feels like, facing this and all these bright lights and everything. Do you feel like you have to be a lot more grown up than like your 22-year-old buddies back home?

TREY YESAVAGE: I don't know if I have to, but I just am. This is just who I am and, I don't know, parents raised me this way.

Q. What happened on that pitch that you tried to shake off, what happened with that fastball?

TREY YESAVAGE: I don't want to talk about it.

Q. Can you take us through the moment where you found out the news, like when you left the clubhouse, when you left the office, like who was the first phone call you made, did you sleep well last night, I mean how has this time been for you?

TREY YESAVAGE: Got back to my hotel room, first call was to my girlfriend. Had to get a flight in line for her to come up here and see it.

Second call was to my parents. They were coming up here anyways, so just had to let them know and solidify that. But sleep last night was not easy. Mind was just racing. I don't know, I found a way to get some Zs, but it was a little tough.

Q. How many apartments and houses have you had this year, and where is your stuff, is it all over the place, how has it gotten to follow you?

TREY YESAVAGE: You should see my truck right now. It looks like a mobile home. Many different stops. Now I'm changing hotel rooms every time we leave and come back. So I've had to consolidate and only bring necessities in my suitcase with me.

Q. What kind of truck?

TREY YESAVAGE: Toyota Tundra.