TORONTO -- The ace is back.
Kevin Gausman said it felt like he and the Blue Jays never left, back home so soon after their Game 7 loss in last year’s World Series. Well, he hasn’t missed a beat, either.
Gausman set a Blue Jays record for strikeouts on Opening Day with 11 in a 3-2 walk-off win over the A's on Friday, passing Roy Halladay (nine, 2004) and Esteban Loaiza (nine, ‘01). It was one of the most dominant season openers from a Blue Jays pitcher as Gausman struck out seven of the first 10 batters he faced, baffling the A’s hitters with that world-famous splitter.
“Kevin -- I just can’t say enough about what he did on that mound,” said manager John Schneider.
Gausman became just the seventh pitcher since 1900 to strike out at least 11 batters with zero walks on Opening Day, too. Only MacKenzie Gore (Nationals, 2025), J.R. Richard (Astros, 1980) and Bob Gibson (Cardinals, 1967) had more strikeouts, with 13 each.
“I’m very confident in myself and my ability,” Gausman said. “I think it’s hard when you’re pitching on those back fields in Spring Training, especially after the run we had last year. It was nice to get out there in a crazy environment, an electric atmosphere. It was a lot different than a [spring] game in Dunedin, I’ll say that. It was a lot of fun.”
Like so many of his Toronto teammates, Gausman seemed to unlock another version of himself during the Blue Jays’ World Series run. No one in baseball threw more innings than Gausman did in 2025, but he just kept growing stronger as the days wore on. Gausman is 35 now, in the final year of a five-year deal that already stands as one of the greatest free-agent signings in Blue Jays history. This is when we tend to look for signs of a pitcher slowing down, but there simply aren’t any.
Gausman’s fastball touched 96 mph over six innings of one-hit ball -- a solo homer -- while he forced 10 whiffs on 19 swings against his splitter, a brutal combination for hitters who knew what was coming but still couldn’t figure out what to do with it. The greatness of Gausman has always lain in a rare combination of upside and reliability. Yes, he’s a sure bet to give you 30-plus starts each season, but a handful of times, he’ll go out and win you a ballgame all by himself.
“He’s one of the best in the game for a reason,” said A’s catcher Shea Langeliers, whose solo shot was the only damage against Gausman. “He really had his stuff tonight. The splitter -- it was nasty. Looked like a strike the whole way until it wasn’t. That’s kind of when you just have to adjust on the fly.”
Gausman's become the new model in Toronto. He is, in every possible way, what the Blue Jays want their pitchers to look like. This organization had great success with Chris Bassitt and has gotten several good seasons out of José Berríos, but both of those veterans represent a sturdy floor more than the excitement of a high ceiling. Gausman represents both. Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage and and even the top-end outcomes of Cody Ponce represent both, too.
“I really love our pitching staff this year,” Gausman said. “I think it’s the best, stuff-wise, since I’ve been here, and we’ve had great pitching staffs since I’ve been here. That’s what’s exciting for me. The swing-and-miss is probably more than we’ve ever had.”
It feels strange to be talking about Gausman’s end in Toronto, which could be just six months away. This still feels like a pitcher in his prime, someone with not only full control over his incredible talents, but a complete understanding of who he is. He’s a model Blue Jay. Speaking on the eve of Opening Day, there was some emotion in Gausman’s voice as he allowed himself -- just for a moment -- to look back.
“Me and my wife talk about it all the time. The greatest decision we ever made was coming here,” Gausman said. “I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. My family has really come to love Toronto and Toronto has loved us back. It’s been really special.”
There’s no reason this has to be the end, though. Between the short offseason, the long pregame ceremony and all of the extra “stuff” that comes with Opening Day, none of it seemed to matter to Gausman. He’s been the ace, he’s still the ace and he looks better than ever.