NEW YORK — For some reason, Cam Schlittler and Trey Yesavage are undeniably connected. There are plenty of rising young pitchers in baseball right now, but these two share countless commonalities, including a similar meteoric rise, postseason pedigrees and vaulted ceilings. They face parallel expectations — hopes to anchor their respective rotations for years — in the same tough division. Yet, before Wednesday, they’d never faced off.Yesavage, 22, and Schlittler, 25, may meet a dozen more times with the Blue Jays and Yankees. The relationship could grow into the sort of individual rivalry that doesn’t arrive often. If it does, Wednesday’s masterful battle will be a worthy opening salvo. In the 2-1 Blue Jays win, Yesavage drew first blood.“You talk about kind of an old-fashioned pitching duel,” manager John Schneider said. “That was it. Trey was awesome.”
TRÈY MAGNIFIQUE 😮💨
Eight K Trey Day! #BlueJays50 pic.twitter.com/3ltUm5Cnw2
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 21, 2026Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela squared early for a bunt in Wednesday’s third inning, with no attempt to hide his intentions. Runs were going to be precious. It was small ball, scratching for a single score early. The game, delayed over two hours because of rain, had all the markings of a high-stakes, low-scoring special. It delivered exactly that.As rain peppered the tarp covering Yankee Stadium’s infield, Yesavage strolled around the Blue Jays clubhouse below. He watched teammates play cards and drank “maybe three” Red Bulls during the delay. The instant the righty took the mound, energy exploded out of his hand.
