Kevin Gausman will have an opportunity to reach a notable milestone in his next start.

Following Tuesday’s six-inning performance against the Tampa Bay Rays, during which Gausman allowed just two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out three, the 35-year-old starter now sits just three strikeouts shy of registering 2,000 for his career.

Only five active pitchers have achieved this feat: Yu Darvish (2,075), Gerrit Cole (2,251), Chris Sale (2,628), Max Scherzer (3,499) and Justin Verlander (3,554) — with Gausman attempting to become the sixth when he takes the mound against these same Rays on Monday back at the Rogers Centre.

He’ll soon become the 26th pitcher with 2,000 punchouts in the last 26 years, joining the likes of several prestigious hurlers, including Roy Halladay, Madison Bumgarner, Randy Johnson, Adam Wainwright, Jon Lester, Félix Hernández, Zack Greinke, Sale, Clayton Kershaw, CC Sabathia, Scherzer and Verlander.

It’s worth noting, however, that Gausman’s strikeout totals have been trending in the wrong direction since his red-hot start to the season. After fanning 35 combined hitters over his first five starts, he owns just eight strikeouts in his last three outings, including three — with a measly 24 per cent whiff rate on 51 swings — in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay.

Overall, it was still a noticeable improvement from his previous start versus the Minnesota Twins on April 30, where he was tagged for a season-high four runs and induced a season-low two strikeouts, failing to compile six innings of work for just the third time in eight starts in 2026.

Gausman successfully pitched his way through the Rays’ pesky lineup, thanks in large part to the return of his mid-90s fastball velocity, which averaged 94.4 m.p.h. — its highest reading since his third start of the year — and topped out at 96.5.

In comparison, the veteran right-hander’s four-seamer only averaged 92.3 m.p.h. in his prior start against the Twins, albeit while still touching 95.9.

But when Gausman is sitting with a 10-m.p.h. gap between his fastball and splitter, that’s typically when he’s at his strongest. That velocity separation is essential to keeping opposing batters off balance against his off-speed weapon and inducing late swings versus his heater.

As the Blue Jays sort through their long list of starting pitching injuries, Gausman — as well as Dylan Cease — have been holding things down at the top through these first six weeks, operating exceptionally well despite receiving slim margins for error due to the offence’s inconsistencies.

Pitching in the final season of a five-year, $110 million contract, Gausman has provided exactly what this team has needed thus far, posting a 3.09 ERA and 3.27 FIP with an 18.4 per cent strikeout-minus-walk rate through eight starts, worth 1.1 fWAR in 46.2 innings — tied for 10th among qualified major-league starters.

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