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Blue Jays: The options for who starts on Opening Day
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) tosses his gum at the end of the eighth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
Photo credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Aidan Sinclair
Jan 31, 2026, 14:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 31, 2026, 04:33 EST
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In the past decade, the Blue Jays have seen eight different starters take the mound for Opening Day. A stretch from 2014-2018 saw a new name each season, before Hyun Jin Ryu got the nod for both 2020 and 2021. A remarkable sophomore campaign for Alek Manoah in 2022 earned him the honours for 2023, though that didn’t exactly pan out the way the team envisioned. The other three seasons in the 2020s (2022, 2024, 2025) have all been given to Jose Berrios, who doesn’t have a guaranteed starting role on the 2026 roster. 
This begs the question: who will start Opening Day for the Blue Jays in 2026?
The depth of the pitching staff heading into the 2026 season – particularly in the starting department – is unlike most Jays teams we’ve seen in the past.
Rookie Trey Yesavage is one player in the mix to be on the bump come Opening Day, though he is bound to have more opportunities in the future as he continues to develop. Shane Bieber is a former Cy Young winner, though uncertainties regarding his elbow leave him as a question mark to even make his first start of the five-man cycle.
This leaves two clear candidates who could take the ball on March 27th against the Athletics.
Kevin Gausman 
It’s hard to believe that Gausman hasn’t gotten the ball once on Opening Day since joining the Jays on a five-year deal before the 2022 season. Whether it was management deciding on some of the hot hands coming out of Spring Training or some other internal reasons, the stars never aligned for Gausman to take the mound for the first game of the season. Now in his final year with the Blue Jays, it seems fitting for the 35-year-old right-hander to be given the honour at least once during his tenure in Toronto. 
Since joining the team in 2022, Gausman has made at least 31 starts and thrown over 170 innings in each season and has managed a 3.48 ERA to pair with a 3.14 FIP in that stretch. In fact, he holds the highest mark for SO/BB in franchise history, at 4.20. He has undeniably been the ace of the staff in this recent competitive window, displaying tremendous consistency and strike-throwing ability, ranking with some of the best in Blue Jays history. 
Gausman has thrown the 17th most innings in franchise history at 733.2, yet sits seventh in all-time total strikeouts at 793. His contributions during the 2025 playoff run were otherworldly, especially when considering he had to take the ball for game 162, just to ensure the team would secure the AL East title.
At 34 years old, he had just thrown the most innings of his career in a single season (193) and was about to add another 30.2 innings to the tune of a 2.93 ERA in the 2025 playoffs. Throwing at least 5.2 innings in every start he made of the postseason (five), he never gave up more than three runs and even made an appearance out of the bullpen in game seven of the ALCS, giving everything he had to the Blue Jays’ pitching staff, just as he has ever since joining the team five years ago. 
Dylan Cease 
Though Gausman’s story is compelling, given his history with the franchise, Cease was recently added to an already formidable rotation on the richest free-agent deal in franchise history ($210 million). Cease has had a tumultuous career pitching for both the White Sox and Padres in his career to this point, showcasing an unbelievably high ceiling, with a somewhat subpar floor. Since 2021, he has recorded over 210 strikeouts and made at least 32 starts each season, though he is prone to command issues and can struggle with the long ball at times. 
If history is any indication, Cease is bound for a bounce-back 2026 campaign after struggling to a 4.55 ERA in his walk year last season. In his two most recent even-numbered years (2022, 2024), he has been a top-four Cy Young candidate, posting ERAs lower than 3.50, nearly beating out longtime veteran Justin Verlander for the award in 2022 with an ERA of 2.20.
The argument here is simple: Cease will be a staple at the top of the Jays’ rotation for years to come, and his electric fastball that reaches 100mph would be a sight to see on Opening Day. 
My Pick
Without a doubt, Kevin Gausman should get the ball for the Jays’ first game of the 2026 season.
Not only for the consistent ace-type performances, but for what he has meant to the city of Toronto, nearly bringing home the World Series title as the top pitcher on the staff. Cease will have many opportunities in the future to get the Opening Day nod, as he will likely battle Trey Yesavage for years to come. Gausman already earned this honour years ago, and in 2026, he will finally have the distinction of being named an Opening Day starter for the Toronto Blue Jays. 

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