Toronto Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman continues to get better with experience, and his start to the 2026 MLB season certainly backs that up.
The 35-year-old threw more pitches than anyone last season during Toronto’s World Series run and was once again in command in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies (2-4) in 10 innings.
After setting a franchise record for strikeouts on Opening Day (11) in Toronto’s 3-2 win over the Athletics on Friday, Gausman backed that up with another historic feat in his second start of the season, further proving how big a free-agent signing he was when the Blue Jays (4-2) brought him before the 2022 season.
Kevin Gausman is in a league of his own after historic start
Gausman went six innings while allowing two hits, zero walks and recording 10 strikeouts against the Rockies. According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, he is the first pitcher since at least 1900 with 10 or more strikeouts and no walks in each of his first two outings of a season.
This comes after Gausman struck out seven of the first 10 batters that he faced on Opening Day. In that performance, he became just the seventh pitcher since 1900 with at least 11 strikeouts and zero walks on Opening Day, only trailing the 13 strikeouts recorded by MacKenzie Gore (Washington Nationals, 2025), J.R. Richard (Houston Astros, 1980) and Bob Gibson (St. Louis Cardinals, 1967).
Through two games, he has only allowed three hits and has been nearly untouchable. In Wednesday’s game, he retired his first 12 batters before allowing a single to shortstop Ezequiel Tovar in an 11-pitch at-bat to begin the fifth inning.
Outfielder Troy Johnston doubled to center off an 82-mph splitter in the sixth inning, but that was all the damage the Rockies could do against Gausman. He struck out back-to-back hitters to close out his six-inning affair, including an 85-mph splitter to left fielder Willi Castro to retire the side.
The bullpen ultimately did Gausman no favors as reliever Tommy Nance gave up an RBI single to Johnston in the eighth. Two innings later, right fielder Tyler Freeman delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the 10th off reliever Brendon Little.
Gausman did not get enough run support or pitching help around him, but his start to the season is unmatched. There is no reason to believe he is going to slow down anytime soon, so if he can just get some more run support, it will be difficult to do anything with Toronto when he is on the mound.