Trey Yesavage has already made a big impact on the Jays.
Even though they have yet to reach a resolution on the Bo Bichette/Kyle Tucker/Alex Bregman front, the Toronto Blue Jays enter 2026 as the favorites in the American League.
Having already won the American League pennant in 2025, the Jays have added starting pitchers Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, as well as new reliever Tyler Rogers to the bullpen.
Cease and Ponce will join a solid rotation that was already headlined by Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber and youngster Trey Yesavage.
Yesavage, who made his major league debut in September of 2025, was integral in the run to the World Series, delivering gems in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series and Game 5 of the World Series.
And heading into 2026, Baseball America has high praise for the rookie, calling him the favorite for Rookie of the Year. And because he doesn't have enough games under his belt, he's still the top prospect in the organization as well.
What they're saying
The following is just a portion of his Baseball America scouting report:
His slider sits in the upper 80s and touches the low 90s with cutter-like shape, generating an unusual three inches of armside run. Yesavage’s slider is an above-average pitch due to its velocity and unique break, but his splitter is his signature pitch. It sits 83-84 mph with excellent velocity and vertical separation off his fastball. His splitter generates whiffs at elite rates and is a true plus-plus offering. Yesavage shows average control and relies on a heavy dose of chase swings to boost his strike rates.
The Future: Yesavage enters 2026 as an American League Rookie of the Year frontrunner and key part of the Blue Jays’ rotation. He could develop into a No. 2 starter at peak.
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More on the future
The Jays would certainly take a No. 2 projection for him, especially as the rotation continues to evolve over the next few seasons. Both Gausman and Bieber are free agents after 2026, which means that Yesavage and Cease will have to anchor the group in 2027 and beyond.
The rest of the Jays offseason...
With just six weeks to go until spring training, the Blue Jays do have to have some urgency in filling out the rest of the roster. We've talked countless times about Bichette, Bregman and Tucker and their possible fits on this team, but so far, nothing has happened.
In addition to those players, the Jays have also been linked to Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto and third baseman Yoan Moncada.
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