TORONTO – In the immediate aftermath of the World Series, Trey Yesavage headed home for the winter and unplugged. The just-completed season had been a whirlwind for both him and his Toronto Blue Jays, sweeping the 22-year-old up through four levels of the farm system before graduating him to the big-leagues for a star turn in the playoffs.
Once it had all settled, the beginning of his off-season “was a lot of just getting away,” he said. “I spent a lot of time out in the woods hunting and just trying to be with myself and kind of disappear a little bit. … The ending was heartbreaking for everybody in that clubhouse because everyone worked so hard for that moment. But we’ll be better for it next season.”
That test begins soon, with the first workout for Blue Jays pitchers and catchers Feb. 11, and Yesavage paused his buildup Wednesday for a visit to Toronto, where he discussed unplugging of a different sort as part of Rogers’ Screen Break program, aimed at addressing excessive screen usage among youths. (Rogers is the parent company of Sportsnet)
Speaking to more than 500 Grade 7-12 and university students gathered at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, Yesavage shared that he puts screen time limits on a handful of apps to avoid “doomscrolling too long,” calling the function “a great thing to implement.”
He also stressed the importance of having hobbies that replace smartphone usage and physical activity. “Just put the screen down and go outside or read a book, something to give your eyes and your brain a break,” he urged the students.
Once the season was over, Yesavage gave his body, as well as his mind, a break, taking about three weeks off from throwing before carefully getting his arm going again. Between the minors, majors and post-season last year, he logged a total of 139.2 innings, a nearly 50 per cent jump on his 2024 workload of 93.1 innings at East Carolina.
Little wonder then that when he got home, he felt his body telling him to “take a little bit off, just take a little break,” messages he took to heart.
“I had the most workload this year and it’s the shortest off-season I’ve ever had, so I had to navigate that,” he explained. “Right now, I’m really just ramping it up for spring training.”
To that end, Yesavage continues experimenting with a curveball, a pitch he threw in college but essentially dropped last year, riding his fastball, splitter, slider and unusually high release point that became one of the post-season’s prime talking points.
Though remarkably effective in 2025, his repertoire features an all arm-side movement profile, which is why Yesavage said, “I would love something that moves glove side.”
The curveball could very well turn out to be that pitch, offering him a potential extra option to augment the way he predominantly attacks righties (fastball/slider) and lefties (fastball/splitter).
“I’m just playing around with the grip, seeing what feels the most comfortable and seeing how I can most naturally throw my curveball,” he explained. “I have a funky arm angle, so I’ve just got to play around with it.”
Worth remembering is that despite Yesavage’s remarkable ascent and immediate success on baseball’s most demanding stages, he’s still very much developing, which is why the Blue Jays’ seeming rotation surplus isn’t as much of an issue as it may seem.
It’s very possible that the club may err on the side of caution at various points this season and manage his workload, which would be understandable given his age and experience. Yesavage, after all, still retains prospect status and will be eligible for rookie of the year consideration.
This spring training will even be his first on the major-league side, too.
“I have two weeks of service time plus the playoffs, so I haven’t experienced what a full season looks like,” he noted. “That’s what I’m excited for.”
The beginning of that long grind is nearly here for a refreshed Yesavage, and the rest of the Blue Jays.
