The Toronto Blue Jays looked like a shoo-in to win the American League pennant after their four-game annihilation of the New York Yankees in the Division Series. But now they find themselves teetering on the brink of elimination, trailing the Seattle Mariners 3-2 in the ALCS after dropping Game 5 on Friday night.
Returning to Toronto for the remainder of the best-of-seven series, the Jays will hand the ball off to 22-year-old right-hander Trey Yesavage for just the sixth start of his young career — and by far the most important one yet. The rookie phenom will have the weight of an entire country on his shoulders as he aims to keep the Jays alive and inch them closer to their first World Series appearance since 1993.
First pitch at Rogers Centre is set for 8:03 p.m. ET. Toronto enters as -127 favorites on the moneyline, while Seattle is listed as a +105 underdog. The total is set at 7.5 runs.
Ahead of Sunday night’s ALCS showdown, here’s my favorite Trey Yesavage prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best Trey Yesavage prop bet for AL Championship Series Game 6
Toronto’s No. 1 prospect had his first cup of coffee in the majors this season, posting a 3.21 ERA across three September starts. He was then thrust into an ALDS showdown with the New York Yankees — and the kid didn’t flinch.
A star was born on Oct. 5, when Yesavage dominated the Bronx Bombers with 5.1 no-hit innings and 11 strikeouts, earning a decisive win in Game 2. He baffled New York’s potent lineup with his wicked splitter, punching out eight on that pitch alone.
Unfortunately, the rookie sensation couldn’t replicate that dominance against the Mariners in Game 2 of the ALCS. He struggled to locate his splitter in the first inning, walking a pair of batters before Julio Rodriguez crushed a hanger into the left field seats for a towering three-run blast.
Yesavage got yanked after four innings, having surrendered five earned runs on four hits and three walks with just four strikeouts — only one came from the splitter.
Still, one blowup start doesn’t define his young career, especially since the splitter has been his bread-and-butter since arriving in the big leagues. Across the regular season and playoffs, Yesavage boasts an exceptional 57.9% whiff rate on the pitch, with 19 of his 31 strikeouts coming via the splitter.
If he can get that pitch working on Sunday night, he could breeze through a Seattle lineup that has registered more strikeouts than any other team this postseason (107) — despite having a first-round bye.
The Jays are relying on the 22-year-old righty to save their season — and I’m backing the rookie phenom to come prepared.
