Blue Jays Rookie Yesavage, 22, To Start Game 1

Toronto returns to the World Series for the first time in 32 years, hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers for Games 1–2 before the series shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3–5. Rookie Trey Yesavage, 22, was named the Blue Jays’ Game 1 starter after a meteoric rise through all four full-season minor-league levels and an MLB debut in mid-September. Yesavage had limited regular-season work (about 14 innings) but has thrown 15 postseason innings with 22 strikeouts, including an ALCS Game 6 win and an 11-strikeout outing in the ALDS. The Blue Jays bumped ace Kevin Gausman to provide extra rest and will face a Dodgers staff that starts Blake Snell in Game 1, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto scheduled for Game 2. Yesavage, who was pitching in Vancouver roughly 21 weeks ago, became the second-youngest pitcher to start a World Series Game 1.