When a breakout player shines in the World Series, everyone looks for a perfect origin story. Baseball loves its full-circle moments — like Jung Hoo Lee wearing No. 51 to honor Ichiro Suzuki and later meeting him, or Justin Verlander spotting his idol, Nolan Ryan, before a playoff game. These stories give the sport its magic, linking generations through destiny and nostalgia.

This exact thing just happened in the 2025 World Series. Rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage had a masterful Game 5, where he pitched seven innings, punching out 12 Dodgers and allowing just one run with zero walks, and set a new World Series rookie strikeout record in a game that the Blue Jays won 6-1, and gave ’em a 3-2 lead in the World Series, just one win from a title.

Right after that, a tweet from a username “spencer” went viral. The tweet read: “Really cool story on the radio broadcast. When Trey Yesavage was in the 1st grade, an MLB player visited his school and told him that everyone’s journey is unique and it doesn’t matter how long it takes for someone to make an impact. The player? Vladimir Guerrero Jr, wow”.

It sounds too perfect to be true.

But a quick fact-check shows this story is impossible.

Here is the problem. Trey Yesavage is 22 years old and was born in July 2003 in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. This means he was in first grade around the 2009-2010 school year, as per the United States’ education system; a six-year-old’s age fits with entry into first grade.

Vladdy Jr., born in March 1999 in Montreal, Canada, was only 10 years old at the time and a decade away from his current MLB status. So one fan sarcastically said on the absurdity of that story, “And the next day Mark Twain personally read them The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” 

So, what is more plausible?

The radio broadcaster might have just misspoke. As Vladdy’s Hall of Fame father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., was a Los Angeles Angels player during that time frame, there’s a possibility he visited Yesavage then.

But still visit from a California-based player to a school in eastern Pennsylvania would have been highly unlikely. Then what seems more likely?  Guerrero Sr. played for the Baltimore Orioles in 2011. Geographically, that is closer to Yesavage’s hometown, and Yesavage would have been in second or third grade at that time. 

But there is no evidence or records that show the record is entirely true. And what about the minor leagues? Maybe Vladdy Jr. visited Yesavage there? This is also very unlikely.

Yesavage’s entire minor league career was a flash in 2025, and during that whole time, Vladdy Jr. was almost an everyday first baseman for the Jays in the first year of his 14-year, $500 million contract.

So, the viral story seems just a great piece of fiction. But while that story is a myth, the rookie’s performance is not.

Trey Yesavage’s 2025 season is the stuff of Hollywood movies. The 2024 first-round pick began this season in Single-A, then flew through High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, and finally made his MLB debut on September 15th, where he had a 3.21 ERA in three starts before locking up for the Blue Jays’ playoff roster. 

And he has been on another level during the whole postseason. He completely dominated the Yankees in the ALDS, pitching 5.1 no-hit innings and setting a team record with 11 strikeouts.

Then, after one bad game in the ALCS, he bounced back and won the crucial Game 6 to force a Game 7. Then, he set a World Series rookie record with his 12 strikeouts in Game 5, which gave the Blue Jays a 3-2 series lead against the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers.

Now, they are one win away from their title when the series heads back to Rogers Center for Game 6. And it all leads us to one final thought. If Game 6 goes deep, like that 18-inning marathon… could we see Yesavage come out of the bullpen? What about a potential Game 7 start on short rest? For a rookie who has done the impossible all year, you cannot rule anything out.