Right-hander Gausman gets first Opening Day start since signing with Blue Jays in 2021

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider tells reporters about the team’s plan for the 2026-2027 season ahead of tomorrow’s opening game.

The Toronto Blue Jays are turning to a starting rotation anchor for their regular-season opener Friday night against the Athletics.

Right-hander Kevin Gausman will look to set the tone for the reigning American League champions in front of a sellout crowd at Rogers Centre.

It’s the first time he has been given the Day 1 assignment since signing with the Blue Jays in December 2021.

“He’s been incredible for us,” Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Thursday. “I’m excited for him to have Opening Day. The competitiveness and the consistency of his demeanour (has) a really significant impact in our environment beyond what he’s done (on the mound) and his ability to get outs.”

Gausman was a workhorse for the Blue Jays last season.

He made 32 starts, threw 193 innings and was 10-11 with a 3.59 earned-run average. In six playoff appearances, he was 2-3 with a 2.93 ERA.

Dylan Cease is tabbed to start on Saturday, and Eric Lauer was scheduled to start the series finale on Sunday. Cody Ponce and Max Scherzer were set to pitch early next week against the Colorado Rockies.

“These guys have the stuff to go really deep, not give up many hits, let alone many runs,” Gausman said. “I think we’re going to kind of bounce off of each other, and I’m just really excited to watch all these guys go out and do their thing.”

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TURF PREP

The field operations staffers at Rogers Centre have spent the past six to eight weeks working on the playing surface to get it in peak form for the start of the season.

Field operations director Tom Farrell said there is always cleaning and repair work to be done over the preparation period.

“We have to completely scrub it out, we wash it, we use a UVC light to run over it to disinfect any turf fibres,” he said. “In addition to that, then we have to start prepping the infield.

“(We) literally tear it all up, and that just helps relieve any compaction that is built up from the season before. Then we laser-grade it and compact it.”

Farrell, who first joined the organization in 1987 as a ticket-taker, also discussed the unusual situation last October when an Addison Barger drive got stuck between the padded wall and warning track in Game 6 of the World Series.

“The pads are literally touching the ground,” Farrell said. “So the angle and force and trajectory of that was just so perfect that it was able to push the pad down, just pinch in there, just enough to keep it stuck.”

The play was ruled a ground-rule double. The drive to left-centre field came off Barger’s bat at 105.5 m.p.h. at an 18-degree launch angle.

“Everybody in the building was kind of shocked to see that happen,” Farrell said. “It was very unique. Historically, we’ve had (that happen) in foul territory when the stands used to rotate because there was a bit of a bigger gap.

“But (after) all of our renovations recently, that’s never been an experience and definitely never been an experience during a game.”

Farrell said that his staff does regular checks for any gaps around the field.

“Over time, pads can shrink, or infill can get washed out,” he said. “So we do have a crew that always fills in right tightly under the pad to mitigate any of that happening.”

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JERSEY SALES

Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has the 15th most popular jersey in the major leagues, Major League Baseball said Thursday.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani held the No. 1 spot and teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto was No. 2, the first time that two Japanese-born players held the top two positions on the list entering a new campaign, MLB said in a statement.

The list, released jointly by MLB and MLB Players, Inc. (MLBPI), accounts for sales of Nike jerseys from the Fanatics network of websites, including MLBShop.com, since the end of the World Series last fall.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was No. 3, and Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh was No. 4. Raleigh’s Canadian teammate, Josh Naylor of Mississauga, Ont., was No. 19.

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BROADCASTING PLANS

Dan Shulman will again serve as the television play-by-play man for Blue Jays game broadcasts on Sportsnet.

His longtime partner in the booth, Buck Martinez, retired in the off-season. Joe Siddall and Caleb Joseph will work with Shulman to provide analysis.

In the radio booth, Ben Shulman will call the games alongside analyst Chris Leroux.

After calling road games on site during the 2025 post-season, the radio crew will return to remote calls of road games during the regular season, a network spokesperson said in an email.

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With files from Canadian Press sports reporter John Chidley-Hill.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2026.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press