Kevin Gausman is the Toronto Blue Jays’ Opening Day starter.
The team announced Saturday morning that the veteran right-hander will get the ball on Friday, March 27, at Rogers Centre against the Athletics.
It will be Gausman’s first Opening Day start for Toronto and the third of his career.
“I’m pumped for him, pumped for us. It’s about time he got one,” Jays manager John Schneider told reporters via MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson.
John Schneider on Kevin Gausman as the #BlueJays‘ 2026 Opening Day starter:
“I’m pumped for him, pumped for us. It’s about time he got one.”
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) March 14, 2026
The 35-year-old was solid once again for Toronto last season, going 10-11 with a 3.59 ERA and 189 strikeouts in 193.0 innings spread out over 32 starts.
This is the fifth and final season of Gausman’s five-year, $110 million deal he signed ahead of the 2022 season. He is due $23 million this season and is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2026 campaign.
He’s been as advertised in his first four seasons with Toronto, combining for a 3.48 ERA in 125 regular-season games started. He also made six appearances in last year’s postseason run, posting a 2.93 ERA in 30.2 innings. He took the ball twice in the World Series, turning in two quality starts against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Games 2 and 6 in Toronto.
The Centennial, Co., native is a veteran of 13 MLB seasons, also spending time with the Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds in addition to the Jays.