“If you have a problem, I’m a man” - Trey Yesavage speaks out amid online backlash targeting his family and girlfriend

Toronto Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage will be taking the mound for Game 2 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners. The 22-year-old spoke against the backlash he has faced on social media.

Yesavage was sublime on his postseason debut against the New York Yankees in ALDS Game 2. However, the Blue Jays rookie has faced abuse on social media since then.

"Living in this world where there’s so many different opinions and feelings which results in a lot of hate, it’s sad to see that people close to me are being attacked for my performances on the field,” Yesavage said. “These people have done nothing to warrant negativity for my actions, whether that’s my parents, my brothers, my girlfriend, family. It’s just really sad.”

The rookie ace tried to explain to people that his family and friends don't have anything to do with his performances.

I know I have the platform to address it, so I am,” said Yesavage. “I hope that people can realize that those individuals have nothing to do with what happens on the field or whatnot. If you have a problem, I’m a man; I can take whatever opinions anybody has about me or my life.”

Blue Jays manager John Schneider praised Trey Yesavage for handling off-field issues

Trey Yesavage pitched 5 1/3 shutout innings against the Yankees in ALDS Game 2 with 11 strikeouts, helping the Blue Jays to a 13-7 win. Blue Jays manager John Schneider praised the rookie's ability to deal with the off-field abuse.

"I give him a ton of credit for a guy that is 22 and just arrived in the big leagues and understands that he has a really, really good support system that is around him and has a platform to talk about it,” Schneider said.

“It’s unfortunate that that’s a reality. I think the more that you do it, the more accustomed you get to it. I commend him for saying what he said and for backing up the people that love and support him.”

Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman took the mound for Sunday's ALCS Game 1 and was removed after 5.2 innings as the Mariners took a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash