MLB Pitcher Ranking Sets Questionable Divide Between Frontline Blue Jays Starters
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Kevin Gausman may not yet have his first win of the 2026 MLB season, but you can't argue with his results thus far through two starts. The 35-year-old is sporting a 0.75 ERA thanks to a pair of sparking six inning efforts in which he has allowed a total of one run and three hits, striking out 21 batters and walking none along the way.
While that would seem to warrant ace status as the No. 1 pitcher in the Toronto Blue Jays' organization, ESPN's starting pitching rankings don't seem to agree with that designation for Gausman. Though he received an honorable mention as part of their top-11 aces around baseball, he was ultimately on the outside looking in.
Gausman Out, Cease In For ESPN Aces List
The absence of Gausman did not leave the Blue Jays off of the list entirely, however. ESPN writer Kiley McDaniel recognized Toronto co-ace Dylan Cease as the seventh-ranked starter in baseball.
Cease will make his second start for the Blue Jays on Friday afternoon, but his debut certainly showcased what he has to offer after signing a seven-year, $210 million mega-deal with the club in free agency. Against the Athletics, he scattered a run and three hits across 5.1 innings of work while striking out 12 batters, a new franchise record for a debuting pitcher.
The 30-year-old Cease has already finished second in AL Cy Young voting, thanks to a 2022 campaign with the Chicago White Sox that saw him go 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA and a career-high 227 strikeouts.
However, there's a sense that he could reach even loftier heights in Toronto. Noting a livelier fastball in his first outing, McDaniel highlighted optimism among talent evaluators that the Milton, Georgia native could be poised for another leap with the Blue Jays.
However, even with the optimism surrounding more growth from Cease, it's tough to understand why he is viewed as a level above Gausman. It would make some sense that Gausman's age played a role, but both Chris Sale (37) and Zack Wheeler (35) are included in the top-11.
Similarly, any thought that McDaniel's list was skewed by having more widespread representation among teams is negated by the fact that Philadelphia Phillies pitchers Cristopher Sanchez, Wheeler and Jesus Lazardo occupy the No.s 5, 10 and 11 positions, respectively.
Although Gausman is a two-time All-Star who has enjoyed a tremendous career that is now into its 14th season, he hasn't quite ascended to Cy Young status (his best finish was third in the 2023 AL Cy Young Race). It would be quite the story if he could make a push for his first ever award in his mid-thirties and with his contract set to expire at season's end.
While it may be hard for Blue Jays fans to perceive Gausman as playing second fiddle to Cease in the team's rotation, it's nevertheless an impressive sign for the franchise to have two pitchers mentioned among the best in the game.
Ben Fisher is a long-time sportswriter and baseball lover, dating back to 2008, when he was a member of the media relations team for the Toronto Blue Jays. He has covered a wide range of sports for a seemingly endless array of publications, including The Canadian Press, Fansided and The Hockey Writers. When he isn't writing about sports, he can be found coaching his equally baseball-obsessed sons' Little League teams.