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Strength of Blue Jays’ rotation starts with one-of-a-kind culture
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Photo credit: © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Thomas Hall
Mar 14, 2026, 16:00 EDTUpdated: Mar 14, 2026, 16:02 EDT
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DUNEDIN, Fla. — Ever heard the saying, “You’re only as good as your weakest link?” Well, there aren’t any weak links here. When it comes to genuine, high-quality human beings, the Toronto Blue Jays’ rotation depth is as deep as it gets.
“There’s no stick in the mud with this team,” said Eric Lauer, who, despite currently being the odd man out of this rotation and his preference to work as a starter rather than as a reliever, still loves being a part of this group. It feels almost like a “brotherhood,” as manager John Schneider referred to it on Saturday after naming Kevin Gausman the club’s Opening Day starter.
There isn’t a single pitcher from this group who isn’t pulling for each other when it’s their turn to take the mound. Barring injury, Lauer will probably shift to the bullpen — and Shane Bieber will open this season on the injured list as he builds up slowly from last year — but is fully ready to help this team in any way they need him, even if it means sacrificing his own desires.
Baseball is a team sport for a reason, and these guys fully embraced that last season. Now, they’re trying to replicate that formula.
“For me, it’s more just get to know the guys, embrace them and have that same camaraderie that we had last year as a staff and run with that,” Lauer said about his mindset heading into this year.
Having enough talent in your rotation is one thing, which the Blue Jays certainly do between Gausman and Dylan Cease at the top, followed by Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce, potentially José Berríos and Max Scherzer — the last of whom is now up to 65 pitches after tossing 4.2 scoreless innings against Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers on Saturday in Dunedin.
But when you have both talent and a strong culture, as this team does, it allows everyone to thrive. Not only that, but it also allows the organization’s top pitching prospect — Yesavage in this instance — to enter into the fold after exploding through the minors and feel right at home. He didn’t have to hide himself upon arriving to the Show last September.
The 22-year-old rookie was welcomed with open arms by the Blue Jays’ veteran staff. Five years ago, maybe, that reception probably would’ve been drastically different. Under the old-school ways, most late-season call-ups had to keep to themselves, careful not to step out of line.
With this staff, though, Yesavage quickly became just one of the guys.
“I felt like I could be myself, but I also didn’t want to overstep boundaries,” Yesavage said. “But it seemed like the veteran guys didn’t have any boundaries, which I’m glad. It’s just getting used to that lifestyle and being around those guys.”
Fast-forward to this spring, and Yesavage now finds himself even more comfortable around the likes of Gausman, Bieber, Berríos, Lauer and Scherzer. He’s no longer “the guy that just got called up and is scared to talk to the older guys.”
Speaking of Mad Max, whose locker is two spots down from Yesavage’s at the PDC, the team’s oldest and youngest starters have since formed a much deeper connection. They don’t talk about baseball during most of their interactions. Instead, the conversations mostly revolve around anything but their profession.
The culture is understandably different without Chris Bassitt, whose presence will be impossible to replace — both on the field and inside the clubhouse — as he begins his tenure with the Baltimore Orioles after signing a one-year, $18.5 million contract over the off-season. Even Lauer joked that it’ll be harder to keep Scherzer in check now that Bassitt is no longer around to fill that role.
The foundation of last season’s rotation, however, remains intact. And so does the unique culture that was formed. With that, it’s made for an easy transition for newcomers like Cease and Ponce, each of whom has raved about the staff’s environment in camp.
“I have a lot of good relationships with a lot of guys so far,” Cease said. “There’s really nobody I’m not getting along with.”
Returning from Asia after spending the last four seasons abroad, including three years in Japan and last year in Korea, will still take some adjusting for Ponce. Much of that will likely carry over into the regular season, too. But so far, nothing has felt too much for him yet.
“I don’t want to put a ceiling on anybody, but I think we have a great rotation,” Ponce said. “We’re all strong. We’re all healthy. We’re all having a bunch of fun and competing.”
With how things are shaping up, the rotation figures to be the Blue Jays’ best chance of replicating last season’s success as they embark on a second straight World Series appearance in 2026. It has the potential to become their biggest strength again, especially after adding Cease and Ponce and bringing back Scherzer.
If that’s how things end up playing out come October, you can trace its success all the way back to this spring — or even further back to before the start of last season.

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