The righty certainly wouldn’t be retiring because he’s got nothing left in the tank. He threw a career-high 193 regular-season innings in 2025 with a 3.59 ERA, then made five more strong starts in the postseason. All signs point to him making another 30 starts with a sub-4.00 ERA in 2026. This wouldn’t be a case of giving a washed player their flowers.
Kevin Gausman will officially start on Opening Day, per #BlueJays manager John Schneider.
It’s an honour that was long overdue.
#BlueJays plan to announce their 2026 Opening Day starter tomorrow, according to John Schneider.
You can probably guess who the favourite is right now…
The argument against Gausman is that Dylan Cease should have gotten the Opening Day start. The Blue Jays just signed him to the most lucrative free agent contract in franchise history to be their ace for years to come, so why wouldn’t he get the nod? Wouldn’t that be an appropriate time to introduce him to the fans in Toronto?
Yes and no.
This is especially true after last season’s World Series run. Gausman was one of the faces of the team that captivated all of Canada and came within two outs of making baseball history. Who better than him to receive the season’s first applause? You’d be hard-pressed to find a Blue Jays fan who doesn’t want to see Gausman toeing the rubber on Opening Day this year.
It’s hard to believe he hasn’t made an Opening Day start as a Blue Jay, given his excellent track record. Jose Berríos has gotten the nod three of the past four seasons, while Alek Manoah got the ball in 2023. Gausman probably would have gotten the opportunity in 2024 had the beginning of his season not been delayed due to shoulder fatigue.