Vancouver Canadians ‘super proud’ after stunning World Series outing from Trey Yesavage

Trey Yesavage is making headlines around the world after Wednesday’s Blue Jays game—but just a few months ago, he was playing at Vancouver’s Nat Bailey Stadium.

Baseball fans who took in a minor league game at Vancouver’s Nat Bailey Stadium on a cloudy Saturday this spring had no idea they were watching a pitcher who would go on to make World Series history for the Toronto Blue Jays mere months later.

Twenty-two-year-old Trey Yesavage struck out 12 batters and walked no one in Wednesday’s victory over the LA Dodgers—something an MLB rookie has never before done in the Fall Classic.

The pitcher’s stunning debut season started when he was drafted by the Blue Jays and assigned to the team’s single-A affiliate Vancouver Canadians. Yesavage played four games for the Canadians, including one at Nat Bailey Stadium on May 31.

Among those watching Wednesday was Tyler Zickel, the Canadians’ broadcasting and media relations manager.

“It’s difficult to put into words, but we’re super proud of Trey,” Zickel said. “It’s honestly one of the best outings, I think, in post-season or World Series history.”

Zickel said as a rapt viewer of the game he was caught up in a “whirlwind of emotions” and “living and dying on every pitch” of the record-setting outing, made all the more remarkable given Yesavage has only pitched eight games in the majors—five in the post-season.

Yesavage’s standout performance Wednesday saw him strike out every batter in the LA Dodgers stacked starting line-up at least once, including Shohei Ohtani – the pitcher-slugger who is widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever play the game – and former MVPs Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.

And he did it with poise and confidence far beyond his years.

“I get asked all the time, ‘What do you think Trey’s thinking?’ And I think he’s a lot more cool, calm and collected than a lot of us watching,” Zickel said, noting Yesavage confidently told reporters “I’m built for this” when asked about the pressure of starting in the post-season with only three big league games under his belt.

“It’s been unbelievable to see his successes and how he’s able to handle the big moments,” Zickel said.

The Blue Jays victory gave them a 3-2 lead in the best of seven series over the heavily favoured Dodgers, and gave Toronto’s players another reason to celebrate before heading home for Game 6.

One of the traditional duties for rookie players in Major League Baseball is carrying the team’s beer after a victory.

And according to a social media post from teammate Tyler Heineman, that’s exactly what Yesavage did Wednesday.

The Blue Jays could clinch their first World Series title in more than three decades Friday when they face the Dodgers in front of a hometown crowd at Rogers Centre.