After a bumpy start in Game 1 of the World Series, a major question entering Wednesday’s Game 5 was how Trey Yesavage would fare on the road.
Those questions were quickly put to rest.
Making his first road start of the postseason, the 22-year old Toronto Blue Jays starter struck out 12 batters over seven innings, with a solo home run from Kiké Hernandez the only true blemish on his line. Yesavage’s 12 strikeouts put him into the history books in more ways than one.
Yesavage’s brilliance also pushed the Blue Jays closer to some history, as Toronto moved within one win of a championship with a 6-1 victory. The Blue Jays will have two chances to win a title in front of their fans at Rogers Centre.
Here’s a closer look at Yesavage’s excellent Game 5 start against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
MORE: Inside Trey Yesavage’s meteoric rise from Single-A to World Series
Trey Yesavage strikeouts vs. Dodgers
12 of the 21 outs recorded by Yesavage in Game 5 were strikeouts, enough to break the MLB record for most strikeouts by a rookie in a World Series game.
The record previously belonged to Dodgers great Don Newcombe, who struck out 11 Yankees in a complete game loss in Game 1 of the 1949 World Series. Newcombe held the record comfortably for 76 years, with no rookie exceeding eight in the three quarters of a century that followed, but Yesavage surpassed him Wednesday.
Yesavage also made history by becoming the youngest pitcher to ever reach double-digit strikeouts in a World Series game. He struck out each hitter in the Dodgers’ lineup at least once, extending an offensive drought for the reigning champions.
Trey Yesavage ties the rookie #WorldSeries record with his 11th strikeout of the night 👏 pic.twitter.com/AYSqO5zLfM
— MLB (@MLB) October 30, 2025
As if that isn’t enough history, Yesavage’s 39 postseason strikeouts are the most in one year by a rookie. At 39 strikeouts, Yesavage beat the career-bests for Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer in one postseason.
After the win, Yesavage had one word when asked what made him so successful with the world watching: belief. “Believing in myself, believing in my defense, believing in Kirky behind the plate, believing in God,” Yesavage told Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.
“Safe travels back to Pennsylvania, and I’ll see them on Friday”
Trey Yesavage has a message for his parents after tonight’s game. He also told @Ken_Rosenthal what he told himself going into tonight’s game, and what made him so successful tonight. pic.twitter.com/Qnse55VPL6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2025
Here’s a look at the complete leaderboard for strikeouts by a rookie in a World Series game.
MORE BLUE JAYS NEWS
Most strikeouts by a rookie in a World Series game
Yesavage now stands alone with more strikeouts in a World Series game than any rookie in MLB history.
| Pitcher | Ks | Year | Team | Opponent |
| Trey Yesavage | 12 | 2025 | Blue Jays | Dodgers |
| Don Newcombe | 11 | 1949 | Dodgers | Yankees |
| Paul Derringer | 9 | 1931 | Cardinals | Athletics |
| Jack Pfiester | 9 | 1906 | Cubs | White Sox |
Newcombe was 23 years old when he struck out 11 Yankees in 1949, while Yesavage is still only 22 and did it on the road against the defending champions.
Yesavage did not come particularly close to the overall record for most strikeouts in a World Series game, as Bob Gibson’s 17 in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series are going to be tough to beat, but his 12 strikeouts are the most by any pitcher of any experience level since Orlando Hernandez in 2000.
