Trey Yesavage said he was "built for" his playoff debut on Sunday.
That may have been an understatement.
The rookie right-hander sliced and diced his way through the New York Yankees lineup in Game 2 of the ALDS, striking out nine hitters in just 3.2 innings and setting the record for most punchouts by a Toronto Blue Jays pitcher in the post-season.
Yesavage earned the record in a fourth inning, in which he struck out Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice in order, reaching 10 Ks on the afternoon.
He added an 11th in the fifth.
Juan Guzmán, David Price (x2) and Dave Stieb were tied for the previous record with eight.
Yesavage's night came to an end after recording an out to lead off the sixth inning.
His final line reads: 78 pitches, 48 strikes, 5.1 innings, no hits, one walk and 11 strikeouts.
He was replaced by left-handed reliever Justin Bruihl and received a standing ovation on his way off the mound before being summoned back to the field for a curtain call.
Bruihl got an out on the first hitter he faced, but allowed Judge to reach on an infield single, ending the no-hit bit.
Yesavage set the tone right from the first inning, working around a Judge walk to strike out the side with all three Yankees hitters going down swinging on his trademark splitter.
He struck out seven of the nine batters in New York's order, as only Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ryan McMahon avoided going down on strikes.
Drafted by Toronto in the first round of the 2024 draft, Yesavage joined the Blue Jays in late September after a remarkable climb through the minor-league ranks. He pitched at each of Toronto's full-season affiliates and ranked among MiLB's most effective pitchers.
Yesavage made three regular-season starts for the Blue Jays, pitching against the Tampa Bay Rays twice and the Kansas City Royals. In those two outings, the six-foot-four righty flashed his potential, pitching to a 3.21 ERA over 14 innings while striking out 16.
His debut against the Rays on Sept. 15 was particularly impressive, as he struck out nine over five innings of one-run ball.
With the Blue Jays up 1-0 in the ALDS, they decided to give the ball to their star rookie, hoping that he would be able to match up well against Yankees ace Max Fried in front of a raucous Rogers Centre.
Safe to say he delivered on that hope, and then some.
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