The Blue Jays will host the A’s at Rogers Centre for Opening Day on March 27, a battle between one of baseball’s new powerhouses and a young club on the rise.
There will be some celebrations to get out of the way first, as the Blue Jays will be raising the banner for their 2025 American League Championship, a stunning season that left them just short of winning the organization’s first World Series since 1993. The Blue Jays are celebrating their 50th anniversary season, too, which will be featured throughout the opening weekend.
“I always think Opening Day should be a national holiday,” said manager John Schneider, soon after announcing Kevin Gausman his Opening Day starter.
Last year, the Blue Jays took this season series 5-2, including a four-game sweep of the A’s in late May, which was the last time Toronto hovered around .500. Powered by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer, the Blue Jays have also made some major additions since last season, including right-hander Dylan Cease and Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto.
The A’s, on the other hand, have built an exciting core of young talent including Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson, who finished one-two in AL Rookie of the Year voting last season. Add in Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler, Shea Langeliers and Denzel Clarke, and this position-player group looks like the foundation of the organization moving forward, and while they finished fourth in the AL West at 76-86 last season, their 35-29 (.547) record after the All-Star break ranked in the top 10 in the Majors. They’ll get their first chance to make a statement to the rest of baseball against the reigning AL champs on March 27.
“From my standpoint, we’ve got a lot to still prove,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “Building off last season at the end of the year is an expectation. We’ll continue to pursue our goal, which is to win a championship.”
Blue Jays: RHP Kevin Gausman
Previous Opening Day starts: 2021 (Giants), 2017 (Orioles)
2025 season: 10-11, 3.59 ERA in 32 starts
Finally, Gausman gets the nod in Toronto.
He’s been one of the best free-agent signings in club history, now entering the final year of a five-year, $110 million deal, and has been a worthy face of this organization both on and off the field. Fresh off an excellent performance in the 2025 postseason, Gausman is exactly who the Blue Jays want to lead them into ‘26.
“He’s a big-game guy,” said Max Scherzer. “He can elevate his game and he can go after the best. He can make some really good hitters look bad. Getting to play with him last year, I really got to see it, and I love playing with him. It’s awesome that he gets the honor to be the Opening Day starter.”
A’s: RHP Luis Severino
Previous Opening Day starts: 2025 (A’s), 2018 (Yankees)
2025 season: 8-11, 4.54 ERA in 29 starts
It was a tale of two halves for Severino as he admittedly struggled at times adjusting to his new environment with the A’s. After posting a 5.16 ERA over the first half of the 2025 season, he finished strong by going 6-0 with a 3.10 ERA over his final nine starts of the year, and the A’s are hopeful to get that version of the right-hander for the entirety of 2026.
Severino will be walking into a raucous atmosphere in Toronto, but electric atmospheres are something he’s already used to this spring, having pitched in high-pressure games for Team Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, including starting the semifinal game for his home country against Team USA.
“Watching Sevy pitch and the emotion he had in the WBC, I don’t know if we can create that type of emotion,” Kotsay said. “But there’s going to be a lot of emotion in Toronto on that Friday night. I’m excited for Sevy to take the ball for us and lead our staff.”