Since their last rebuild, the Blue Jays have invested heavily in their starting pitching, so having those guys feeling at their best is a critical component for their success. Among that group is 34-year-old Kevin Gausman, who is entering his fourth year as a member of the Blue Jays.

The hype is starting to build for Gausman’s upcoming campaign. Upon arriving at camp a couple weeks ago, Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters that Gausman is among a group of players that are in “the best shape of their life“, specifically calling Gausman “sturdier”. Gauman himself echoed those statements earlier today.

Hearing that a baseball player is in “the best shape of their life” in Spring Training is an annual tradition of sorts, but in Gausman’s case, it means something a little different.

After throwing a 30-pitch live BP session today, Gausman met with reporters, saying he feels “night and day” from how he felt at Spring Training last year when he dealt with shoulder fatigue. That setback kept Gausman from ramping up properly, leaving the veteran righty to have only one Spring Training start of three innings total just three days before the regular season started. There was talk that he would land on the IL to start the year but eventually pushed through it.

Gausman was seemingly off-kilter heading into the regular season. Between March and June, he had five outings in which he gave up five earned runs or more, and he suffered from inconsistent velocity during multiple starts. He wasn’t getting enough whiffs on his splitter, his money-making pitch, generating just a 33.5% whiff rate, almost 8% less than what it generated during 2023. That alone was a big reason why his season K/9 last year was only 8.1, the lowest it had been since 2018 and the first time it wasn’t in double figures as a Blue Jay.

To Gausman’s credit, he avoided an IL stint and did what he could to make 31 starts. He also added a sinker to his repertoire to try and mix things up. Much like his velocity, his overall game results fluctuated start-to-start, but he finished the season on a high note, posting a 7-3 record, 2.92 ERA, and 1.10 WHIP during the second half of last season.

In total, he owned a 14-11 record, 3.83 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and a 3.77 FIP, including two complete games and one shutout. If that’s what Gausman was able to give the Blue Jays with a limited spring, he’s in position to serve as an ace of the staff if he’s healthy. He’s expected to get into game action next week barring any setbacks.