By the numbers: Blue Jays break team strikeout record through first three games

TORONTO -- The Blue Jays just opened their 50th season by striking out 50 A’s. You can’t buy marketing this good.

With a sweep of the A’s to open the season 3-0, the Blue Jays have already taken a clear and exciting step in a different direction with their pitching, which just set the new record for the most strikeouts in the first three games of an MLB season… ever.

“It’s cool because this game is such a historical game. I think [pitching coach] Pete Walker has a clause in his contract that may have just triggered,” manager John Schneider said, laughing. “This is fun to watch. It’s fun to watch the whole collective effort in terms of putting a plan together, making sure it’s right and executing it. This game is the best thing in the world, so to be part of this is really cool.”

On top of three incredible performances from the starters, all eight relievers got in on the action in this series. It was a complete and dominant effort.

“It just seems like we got a lot better and some of the things we worked on over the offseason, hopefully those things start to show results,” said closer Jeff Hoffman. “For it to show itself in the first three games like this is really nice.”

By the numbers, here’s a look at what the Blue Jays just pulled off:

MLB records set:

• 50 strikeouts are the most by any team through the first three games of a season in MLB modern history (since 1900). This beats the old record of 46, set by the 2020 Reds.
• There are two sides to some of these records … The A’s now own the record for the most strikeouts over the first three games to open a season.

New franchise records set:

• Their 50 strikeouts set a new record for the most in a three-game series. The previous record (45) was set on April 28-30, 2023, against the Mariners. Kevin Gausman pitched the middle game in that series, striking out 13.
• If you remove the word “series” and just look at any three-game stretch within the same season in franchise history, this is the second-most strikeouts the Blue Jays pitching staff has ever had over three games. It falls just behind the record of 51, from April 26-29, 2023.
• Toronto’s three starters in this series combined for 32 strikeouts, a new franchise record for the most by Blue Jays starters across three games, per Elias. This beat the old high of 29, set during that same stretch in 2023.

Individual records and numbers:

• Gausman set the record for most strikeouts (11) on Opening Day, passing Roy Halladay and Esteban Loaiza, who had nine.
• Dylan Cease set the record for most strikeouts (12) by a pitcher making their Blue Jays debut, passing David Price’s debut with 11 in 2015.
• Eric Lauer didn’t hit his career high (13, set in 2022), but his nine strikeouts were still the most he’s put up in a big league game since Sept. 29, 2002 (9) with the Brewers.

Adding up the strikeouts:
12 – Kevin Gausman
11 – Dylan Cease
9 – Eric Lauer
6 – Jeff Hoffman
2 – Tyler Rogers, Louis Varland, Brendon Little, Braydon Fisher, Tommy Nance
1 – Spencer Miles, Mason Fluharty

The pitches that made it happen:

Kevin Gausman -- You already know it’s the splitter. Gausman got 10 whiffs on 19 swings with his splitter, which was set up beautifully by his fastballs up in the zone. It’s important that Gausman’s fastball was touching 97 mph, too. When he’s reaching into that 96-98 mph with his heater, the splitter becomes downright unfair.

Dylan Cease -- In his Blue Jays debut, Cease got 15 whiffs on 21 swings with his slider, which is an absolutely absurd number. His fastball touched 100 mph, which only helps set up everything else, but it’s important to note that Cease really expanded his arsenal, even incorporating a new changeup. Cease said that the changeup is “not metrically the sexiest pitch,” but the results certainly were, and it helps set up that elite slider to be an even nastier pitch.

Eric Lauer -- Lauer doesn’t have Gausman’s splitter or Cease’s slider, and that’s fine. Lauer’s game is to spot his fastball and work the edges, which he did very well. Lauer actually got eight whiffs with his four-seamer, which is a big number for him. An early strikeout of the reigning AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz was a great example, as Lauer put his heater right on the inside edge, which Kurtz couldn’t get around on.