A's, Blue Jays Opening Series Pitching Matchups Include One Surprise
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Ahead of their final spring game on Monday, the A's announced the trio that would be handed the ball for the opening series of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays, and there is one surprise in the A's starting three.
At the top of the rotation, as expected, is Luis Severino for the green and gold. This will be his second straight Opening Day nod after signing the largest contract in franchise history at the time he signed. Tyler Soderstrom's seven-year, $86 million surpassed Severino (three years, $67 million) on Christmas day.
Behind Severino will be Jeffrey Springs, who is back in the No. 2 spot in the rotation for a second straight season. The duo forms a solid veteran-led pairing at the top of the A's rotation and will hopefully set the tone for the season. The third pitcher is the surprise, given that he wasn't listed as a "lock" for the rotation earlier in spring, though he was always expected to make it.
That would be Luis Morales, who made his MLB debut last season and held a 3.14 ERA (4.68 FIP) in 48 2/3 innings of work. He's been struggling this spring while implementing a new pitch, holding a 7.16 ERA heading into the A's final spring game of the Cactus League on Monday.
A's vs. Blue Jays pitching matchups
The A's starting rotation is their biggest question mark heading into the season, and getting off to a hot start against Toronto, a team that nearly won the World Series just a few months ago, would be a big confidence boost up and down the roster.
Friday, March 27 — Luis Severino (RHP) vs. Kevin Gausman (RHP)
Saturday, March 28 — Jeffrey Springs (LHP) vs. Dylan Cease (RHP)
Sunday, March 29 — Luis Morales (RHP) vs. Eric Lauer (LHP)
Gausman has been solid for Toronto in his four seasons with the club, holding a 3.48 cumulative ERA over that span, while also reaching at least 170 innings each year.
Cease was Toronto's big addition early this past offseason, signing a seven year, $210 million deal with the Jays. He's a high strikeout guy, sitting near a 30% strikeout rate, but he can be prone to walks and home runs allowed, which may be how the A's have to attack him.
Lauer excelled with the Jays last season after spending 2024 in the KBO. The 30-year-old held a 3.18 ERA (3.85 FIP) across 104 2/3 innings, spanning 28 appearances (15 starts). He's a control/command pitcher that's going to hit his spots, but his stuff is slightly below league average.
This will be a great measuring stick series for the A's to begin the 2026 campaign, as the Blue Jays are once again expected to be in contention for the World Series in October.
Why the Morales move makes sense
The reason that seeing Luis Morales up as the No. 3 starter is a touch surprising is because the A's also signed veteran Aaron Civale this winter to provide the team with some veteran depth in the rotation mix. He'll presumably now be slotted fourth in the rotation for a very specific reason.
With Severino and Springs kicking things off and then an unproven starter like Morales going, that is providing the young righty some built-in help, if needed, while also protecting the A's bullpen. That would also be why Civale is likely to follow him, with Jacob Lopez, another somewhat unproven starter, rounding out the rotation.
This way the A's are spacing out their veterans with a clear task at hand: Go deep into games. While this isn't groundbreaking by any means, the club is going to want their veterans to lead the rotation, and that means saving the relief arms to close out wins, or when a younger pitcher struggles early in the season.
The A's have had trouble finding ways to cover innings early in seasons in recent years, but in the past it was more about being ineffective and throwing too many balls. Now, as the team approaches their competitive window, it will be more about not only the innings, but having them be quality frames as well.
In essence, this is a way to space out the younger starters in an effort to make sure the A's bullpen stays as fresh as possible early in the season, which has been an issue for them in the past.
For more A's news and insights, follow Jason @ByJasonB on X, or the site @InsideTheAs!
Jason has been covering the A’s at various sites for over a decade, and was the original host of the Locked on A’s podcast. He also covers the Stanford Cardinal as they attempt to rebuild numerous programs to prominence.
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