Turn back the clock a decade and you’ll find Kevin Gausman’s name all over top prospect lists.

In 2013, he was MLB Pipeline’s No. 37 prospect in baseball, ranking second in the Orioles’ system behind only Dylan Bundy, who’d been selected fourth overall in 2011. Gausman, the fourth overall pick in 2012, was just 22 years old. He had big stuff, short hair and all the makings of a front-line starter.

Those early years in Baltimore didn’t bring the accolades everyone expected, though. From 2013-17, Gausman pitched to a 4.18 ERA. The coming years brought stops in Atlanta, San Francisco and Cincinnati, where Gausman pitched out of the bullpen after being waived by the Braves in ’19. This all feels so far away from where Gausman is today, a two-time All-Star who stands at the front of the Blue Jays’ rotation, a big league ace. He feels miles away from those early days, too.

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“It’s completely different. I have two kids now. There’s a lot less sleep now,” Gausman said. “It’s just different priorities, and sometimes that helps. I’m worrying about them, and I’m able to not think so much about baseball. I think that helps. I was kind of a hothead early on. It was all or nothing. I feel like I’ve learned how to pitch as I’ve gone on, read hitters’ swings, and just in every aspect, the experience has helped me.”

If you’ve watched the Blue Jays for the past decade, Gausman’s admission to being a “hothead” might bring back some memories. He made 20 appearances (15 starts) against the Blue Jays over the years, and while he pitched well against Toronto, he wasn’t exactly as laid back as the pitcher you see today, as comfortable in his own skin as anyone on this roster.

This is what makes Gausman’s All-Star nod special. He’s taken the scenic route. That has meant a few more miles and a few more years to get to where those prospect rankings once predicted, but it’s given Gausman an even greater appreciation for what these accolades mean.

“I grew up in Colorado, where baseball is not a very big thing,” Gausman said. “Like here in Canada, the seasons just don’t allow you to play baseball. I think that helped me, maybe, in regards to the innings pitched. Those were a lot less. Even in college, I felt pitchers were far more advanced than me with pitchability, maybe not with velocity and some of those other things. I just feel like I’ve learned as I got older.”

There’s always a wry smile and a joke around the corner with Gausman, too.

“It’s like a fine wine, getting better with age. Hopefully that’s true,” he said. “I’ve been through the mud before, so that makes it a little bit sweeter.”

It’s remarkable just how different a pitcher Gausman is now compared to his MLB debut in 2013. The way he hammers away with fastballs up and splitters down is so rare in today’s game, especially for a starter.

That repertoire has required a mental shift for Gausman. It brings us back to the classic question of which comes first, confidence or results, but Gausman is a veteran pitcher who has fully embraced his talent. You’ll still see the hothead every once in a while, but only in flickers. A decade ago, temper could derail a Gausman start at any moment.

“I came into the league really young and was pretty scared the first time certain guys got in the box,” Gausman said in 2022. “You’ve been watching these guys play your whole life. It took me years to get over that. Now I feel like, if I can be the aggressor and pound the zone, then they’re more inclined to chase pitches out of the zone.”

This is why Gausman’s mental game at 32, as much as his devastating splitter, is what the Blue Jays love. Earlier this season, manager John Schneider joked that it helps to balance out “the shirtless Manoahs” in the clubhouse. Besides, it’s another Gausman’s turn to be the hothead.

“My youngest, she’s a hothead herself,” Gausman said. “She’s crazy. The older one is a sweetheart, but the young one? Look out. She’s definitely got that competitive nature. She’s going to be playing sports, for sure.”

Gausman didn’t pitch in his first All-Star Game in 2021, and that could be the case again, as he balances a heavy workload, but it’s an honor all the same. This growth has taken Gausman a long time, both as a person and a pitcher, but he’s right where he belongs.