John Schneider Has Message for Fans After Blue Jays Rookie’s Online Threats

John Schneider and the Toronto Blue Jays wasted no time in making it clear that they have rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage’s back after a slew of online threats.

Yesavage, who made his big-league debut in September, revealed on Sunday that baseball fans have attacked his family and loved ones over social media in recent days. The 22-year-old struck out 11 across 5 1/3 shutout innings in a Game 2 ALDS victory over the New York Yankees.

Schneider, the Blue Jays’ manager since 2022, admitted that he was unaware of the online activity involving Yesavage and his family. That didn’t stop Schneider from praising the rookie for how he handled the situation.

“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 told reporters.

“It’s unfortunate that that’s a reality,” Schneider added. “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.”

Yesavage will pitch against the Seattle Mariners in Game 2 of the ALCS on Monday night, and we expect the Rogers Centre crowd to loudly stand with the 2024 first-round pick.

Sports Still Have a Massive Problem With Online Trolls

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage has received a slew of online threatsKevin Sousa-Imagn Images

Schneider absolutely deserves credit for backing Yesavage, not that we expected anything different. Such behavior, even if it’s intended as a joke, is unacceptable under any circumstances, and it’s always encouraging to see figures like Yesavage and Schneider reiterate what should be common sense.

The internet has long allowed for a sense of anonymity, so long as people understand how to hide themselves properly. It’s not difficult to track someone down if their X/Twitter or Instagram handle is their name, and their bio lists their employer, date of birth, and location.

To their credit, sports leagues are consistently improving how they handle those who use the internet to threaten players. Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and Red Sox reliever Liam Hendriks reported receiving harmful social media messages after poor outings, and Houston police announced in June that they identified an overseas bettor who threatened McCullers when inebriated.

Various players admitted at the All-Star Game that they try to ignore and block out the online negativity. However, a glance at social media during games always shows posts clearly and explicitly wishing harm upon the players and their families, as Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón’s wife, Ashley, spotlighted in June.

“These people have done nothing to warrant negativity for my actions, whether that’s my parents, my brothers, my girlfriend, family,” Yesavage said on Sunday. “It’s just really sad.”

Yesavage and Schneider should be commended for how they handled the situation, and we can only hope that any fans tempted to write or share harmful content think twice.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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