Through Rotation Uncertainty, Kevin Gausman Has Been a Rare Bright Spot
Kevin Gausman has been one of the top arms in baseball through his first three starts, anchoring the Blue Jays' battered rotation.
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It seems like every day there’s a new pitcher either being placed on the injured list or called up from Triple-A for the Toronto Blue Jays. And while we’re incredibly early on in the season, it’s nice knowing that every time Kevin Gausman takes the ball for the Blue Jays, fans know what they’re going to get.
One of the easiest ways to tell that someone doesn’t really have a grasp on modern baseball is if they use wins as a statistic to track a pitcher’s success. Through three starts this year, Gausman is 0-1, and yet, he did everything in his power to win those games for Toronto.
He pitched into the sixth in all three, striking out 26 batters (compared to two walks) in that stretch. All in all, he’s allowed just four earned runs in 17.1 innings — with three of them coming against the Dodgers — and minus a questionable balk call, he has looked incredibly sharp.
Being able to go multiple innings is a luxury that a couple of other starters haven’t been able to replicate. With the exception of Dylan Cease, who has been sharp but hasn’t pitched more than 5.1 innings in a game this year, the Jays have had short starts from Eric Lauer, Max Scherzer, and Cody Ponce, all due to illness or injury.
While the team awaits returns from Trey Yesavage, Jose Berrios, and Shane Bieber, they’ve had to rely on arms like Austin Voth and Josh Fleming; each of whom faired rather unspectacularly in their lone appearance (neither pitched in MLB last season, and you could tell why).
That brings us back to the steady presence that is Kevin Gausman.
One of the Game’s Most Underrated Elite Starters
There’s always a sigh of relief as a baseball fan when you know your ace is taking the mound that day.
I mentioned longevity of starts earlier, and that’s something Gausman will always give the Blue Jays. Toronto’s bullpen has been rather shaky this season (a lot of that due to the tons of early innings they’ve had to pitch), so the less you have to rely on them, the better.
Going back to the start of 2025, Gausman has pitched at least five innings in 36 of his last 40 starts (regular season and postseason combined), with two of his four early exits being in the fifth. However, his consistency goes even further back than that.
From 2021-2025, Gausman made 31+ starts every season, only walked more than 50 twice, struck out 200+ batters three times, and pitched 180+ innings four times.
While Toronto has a great defensive team (though they’ve had quite a few mishaps early on), they haven’t been much used in Gausman’s starts.
Prior to his start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 7, Gausman had struck out 21 batters without a walk, becoming the first pitcher to record such a feat since 1900, as per MLB’s Sarah Lang.
Similar to the bullpen, you can’t make an error if there’s no play to be made.
It’s far too early to be looking at pitching value (although his numbers are arguably some of the best in the league), but something that has been interesting is his pitch mix.
So far this year, Gausman has been relying on his splitter more than last season; in fact, he’s actually thrown more splitters than fastballs in 2026.
Against lefties, it’s taken the biggest jump, going from 40% in 2025 to 52% in 2026, while opponents have hit a measly .121 against it. It’s one of the best pitches in the sport, and when you’re throwing it as frequently as the fastball, it makes it harder for hitters to pick up which pitch is coming. With it playing off his fastball so well, it also allows for a ton of chase, something that he’s excelled at early.
When listing all the positives for Gausman, there’s really only one negative that comes to mind: his contract.
It’s weird, usually when you’re complaining about a contract, it’s due to longevity or money, but the negative for Gausman is that it expires after this season. He’s making $22 million this season, which is a steal for his performance. But with the uncertainty around next season — for both Toronto and MLB as a whole — there are questions about whether he’ll be back north of the border in 2027.
At 35, he’s still got a few more years ahead of him; it’s just a matter of whether Toronto is willing to offer him what he’s looking for. Rogers Communications hasn’t been shy about spending money, and I’m sure most of Canada would be okay with a little bump on their phone bill if it meant he stayed here. Whatever decision he makes, he’s going to be remembered as one of the greatest pitchers in Blue Jays history.
As the year continues on, and many more Blue Jays pitchers make their season debuts, the hope is that Gausman’s steadiness remains throughout. The Blue Jays will certainly need it if they wish to repeat their success from a season ago.
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Written by
Ethan has been writing for Just Baseball since 2026, and is one of those people who never stops talking about sports. A graduate from the College…