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Inside The Blue Jays

Way Too Early AL Cy Young Conversations Include Pair of Blue Jays Starters

Two Toronto Blue Jays starters are shining even though the team is struggling to win games.
Maddy Dickens|
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14) looks on during the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park at Fenway South.
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14) looks on during the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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Toronto Blue Jays

It has been less than an ideal start for the Toronto Blue Jays, who have been bleeding due to injuries, specifically the starting rotation. While pitchers are dropping like flies, and the Jays are struggling to win games, there have been highlights lost in the chaos.

In 2025, Toronto's bats broke records and bullied their way into the ballclub's first World Series in over 30 years, but 2026 was going to be about the bolstered pitching staff that the front office made sure was stronger than ever.

The two elite arms that joined the rotation were Cody Ponce and Dylan Cease. Ponce is tragically down for the year with a knee injury, but Cease has been more than impressive as he ranks amongst the top pitchers in the American League.

Cease isn't carrying the rotation on his own, as more than a familiar face, Kevin Gausman, is on track to have an unparalleled season.

It is much too early to talk about the Cy Young Award or any other regular-season accolade, but ignoring the start that some of the elite are having feels wrong. If there are already eyes on both Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crotchet, then both Gausman and Cease should easily be in the mix.

Gausman and Cease Holding Their Own Against Skubal and AL Starters

Kevin Gausman throws a baseball in a blue Blue Jays unifor
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Rogers Centre. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

It isn't just the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner (Skubal) that the pair are performing with, but starters all across the American League. While Cease should be in the conversations as he and Gausman sit at the top amongst all AL pitchers with 26 strikeouts, it is Gausman who is the frontrunner.

*Note* These rankings are looking at Gausman vs only starters who have made at least 3 starts.

  • 0.63 WHIP: 2nd, trails Cam Schlittler's 0.48 (Yankees)
  • 26 Strikeouts: 1st, tied with Cease
  • .145 Batting Average: 5th
  • 2 Allowed Walks: 1st

Skubal doesn't necessarily look like the pitcher seen in recent years, but again, it is very early in the year. As of now, he has 16 strikeouts, a 2.55 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, while letting opponents hit over .240.

There isn't much more to ask of Cease, besides limiting his walks, but he is continuing to perform in the ways that his team needs him to, but they are just not winning games. When the offense has it together, the bullpen doesn't, and vice versa.

Even though neither is listed as a probable pitcher quite yet, it seems likely that both will take the mound against the Milwaukee Brewers next week, who have started 2026 spectacularly.

It won't be an easy feat, but the Jays have to figure out how to win games despite all of these injuries.

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Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.

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