Why the Blue Jays Have One of the Best 2026 Pitching Staffs Despite Injuries

Friday night, Kevin Gausman broke Toronto’s franchise record for most Opening Night strikeouts with 11, and Dylan Cease followed up with 12 of his own the next night for the most in a franchise debut. This pitching staff is proving its worth regardless of an extensive IL. Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, and José Berríos are currently nursing injuries, but all three should be back on the roster in no time. While they heal, Eric Lauer, Cody Ponce, and Max Scherzer round out the rotation to start the 2026 season.

The Opener: Kevin Gausman

The 35-year-old was awarded the Opening Night spot for his first time in a Blue Jays jersey, and he thanked John Schneider for that honor by only recording one hit, one run, and no walks, on top of his record number of strikeouts. He also finished with a 1.50 ERA over six innings. Gausman was drafted by the LA Dodgers in 2010, but improved his draft position in 2012 by going fourth overall for the Baltimore Orioles. He signed with Toronto in 2021 for a five-year, $110 million contract. Since then, he’s had 804 strikeouts and a 3.47 ERA over 739.2 innings. 

His deadliest pitch is his splitter, which took up 43% of his pitches on that record-breaking Opening Night. When Shea Langiliers of the Athletics, who had three home runs over the last two games, was asked about the pitch, he said, “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”. He struck out seven of the first 10 batters he faced and became the seventh pitcher in MLB history since 1900 to strike out at least 11 batters with no walks on Opening Day. While it may be the last year of his contract, Gausman continues to play at an elite level for the Blue Jays, making him the perfect start to this rotation.

The Risk: Dylan Cease

Signing Cease was debated as one of the riskiest moves in the league this offseason. In December, they agreed to a seven-year, $210 million contract, making it the largest free agent deal in franchise history. He already proved the doubters wrong on his first start when he got 12 strikeouts, with only three hits, one run, and one walk in a little over five innings. The Chicago Cubs drafted the righty in the sixth round of the 2014 draft. He was projected to go in the first round before he hurt his pitching arm in his senior year of high school. He never played a game for the Cubs before being traded to the Chicago White Sox. 

He made his major league debut with them in 2019 and played with them until being traded to the Padres in 2024. His career ERA is 3.88, and he’s had 1,231 strikeouts over 1,015.1 innings. The Blue Jays wanted Cease for his durability. He has pitched over 165 innings in each of the last five seasons and has also gotten over 200 strikeouts in each. A move that once seemed like it gave Toronto too much depth has now saved the start of their season. Even when the injured pitchers come back, Cease will have an important purpose in this rotation if he continues to stay healthy.

The Lefty: Eric Lauer

The Jays only have one lefty starter in their lineup, including the IL. In 2013, he was originally drafted by the Blue Jays in the 17th round but chose to be redrafted in 2016, when he went in the first round for the San Diego Padres. He’s been passed around to many minor league teams, including the Buffalo Bisons, when Toronto signed him to a contract in 2024. He officially earned a spot on the roster in April of last year and started 15 times throughout the season. He had a 9-2 record with a 3.18 ERA. He even pitched over eight innings in their World Series run. He was sent back to the bullpen once the Jays acquired Bieber, and he will likely be sent back there again throughout this year. However, with an all-time ERA of 4.13 and 669 strikeouts over 701.1 innings, he will be a great addition in the meantime. 

The MVP: Cody Ponce

In addition to Cease, Toronto also signed Ponce to a three-year, $30 million contract this offseason. He once played for the Milwaukee Brewers briefly after they drafted him in the second round in 2015. While his stats back then weren’t anything remarkable, he did make a name for himself playing internationally. In 2025, he won the KBO League MVP for his outstanding 1.89 ERA and 252 strikeouts over 180 ⅔ innings. That set a single-season strikeout record for the KBO, and he even had a game with 18 strikeouts. He usually pitches around the mid-90s, but can reach 97-98 mph. Just like Gausman and Cease, he also has a splitter. Though it’s been a minute since he’s played in the major leagues, if he plays anywhere close to as well as he did last year, Toronto’s season is in good hands. 

The Veteran: Max Scherzer

Lastly, the Blue Jays re-signed Scherzer to a one-year, three-million-dollar deal. The 41-year-old was drafted eleventh overall in 2006 by the Arizona Diamondbacks.  He has been on a total of six major league teams throughout his extensive career, but he signed with Toronto in 2025 after just two years with the Texas Rangers. Over his career, he has had 3,489 strikeouts over 2963 innings with a 3.22 ERA. He has won two World Series, three Cy Young Awards, and has been an all-star eight times. Though he had a 5.19 ERA last year, he is the only pitcher to start for four teams in the World Series after starting Game Three for Toronto. The Blue Jays could rely on him in 2025, and once the rest of the rotation is healthy, he is expected to have some sporadic starts to cover injuries or switch up the order. Rounding out their pitching staff with one of the best pitchers in MLB history only scratches the surface of what Toronto will be able to accomplish this season.