Kevin Gausman named Blue Jays starter for ALCS Game 5

SEATTLE — A nation turns its hopeful eyes to Kevin Gausman once more.

The staff ace with two Game 1 starts under his belt already in this postseason will get the ball in Game 5 on Friday, when heâ€ll have a chance to put the Blue Jays within one win of a trip to the World Series after they evened the series in Game 4.

The stakes have never been higher for Gausman, the 34-year-old who was brought to Toronto four years ago for moments just like this. The two performances weâ€ve seen from Gausman this postseason have been enough, but both he and the Blue Jays know thereâ€s more in there. With Bryce Miller going for the Mariners, “good†might not cut it.

“This is what we live for,†Gausman said. “Iâ€ve thrown a lot of really good games in the World Series in my backyard. Iâ€ve never really thought about the ALCS, usually it was the World Series. This is something that, as kids, we all dreamt of, pitching in the big game or getting the big hit in the World Series or a big playoff game. As a player, you relish these opportunities to go out and show not just your team, but really the whole world what you can do.â€

Gausmanâ€s Game 1 starts against the Yankees and Mariners were nearly identical, each lasting 5 2/3 innings with 75 pitches in one and 76 in the other. The one pitch heâ€d love to take back came against the Mariners last Sunday in Toronto, when Gausmanâ€s splitter caught too much of the zone and Cal Raleigh launched a solo shot to tie the game in the sixth. In each of Gausmanâ€s starts, heâ€s been cruising until some late turbulence.

Part of being a veteran, though, is understanding that even the best-laid plans rarely last. Game plans get blown up every night. Gausman has held the early advantage in his starts so far, but it wonâ€t always go that way.

“Sometimes, you get punched in the face in the first inning and you have to change your mindset,†Gausman said. “You saw that with Shane [Bieber] yesterday. I thought he did a great job of coming back. I joked with him after the game that he took this place up to 120, then took it to zero. It was a really cool performance for him and huge for our team.â€

Thatâ€s why Gausmanâ€s workload is the most interesting wrinkle in all of this. Given his first two starts, something in the range of 75 pitches seems likely in Game 5 too, but could the Blue Jays be even quicker with the hook if Gausman stumbles? Ideally, he takes that decision out of manager John Schneiderâ€s hands and bridges the gap right to the back end of Torontoâ€s bullpen with Louis Varland, Seranthony Domínguez and Jeff Hoffman, but the Blue Jays will need to be ready for all possibilities.

Yes, one of those possibilities could be Trey Yesavage. If the Blue Jays were down 3-1 and fighting for their postseason lives, Yesavage would certainly be an option on short rest after throwing 70 pitches on Monday, but even in an even series, all of the Blue Jays†cards need to be on the table. Donâ€t expect Schneider to tip his hand, though. Heâ€s been keeping his cards close to his chest this postseason, even keeping a couple tucked up his sleeve.

Remember Game 4 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium, when Yesavage made that long, slow walk from the Blue Jays†dugout to the bullpen mid-game? That was all for show. Yesavage was never truly an option in that perfectly executed bullpen game, but this is the postseason, where any distraction is worth exploring, even if itâ€s all smoke and mirrors.

Those are decisions for the chaos of the game, though. All the Blue Jays can control in the hours leading up to first pitch is their decision to roll with Gausman, putting their best foot forward in a game that could define how we remember this 2025 team.

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