Although he did not have a good season overall in 2026, Kevin Gausman remains one of the starting pitchers to watch on the free-agent market, so I would not be surprised if the Blue Jays reconsidered the idea of offering him a contract.
Gausman went through inconsistencies, especially during June and July, in the first half of the season, but finished with a 3.74 xFIP, limiting the opposition to a .244 batting average and a .294 BABIP.
When he moved to the Chicago Cubs in the second half of the season, he tried to regain his dominance, but his splitter never managed to recover.
What caught my attention the most was how his 3.30 xFIP ended up being much better, despite Gausman allowing a high .339 BABIP and hitters producing a higher home run rate (1.52 per 1.20 HR/9).
Gausman recovered his K/BB rate, which had dropped to 3.53 during his first stint with the Jays, and recorded 5.18 since arriving with the Cubs. That performance was part of the momentum that allowed him to complete his sixth season with at least 170 innings pitched.
Chicago Cubs pitcher Kevin Gausman (12). Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
There is something that has always distinguished Gausman and given him added value throughout his career: that almost unbreakable ability to compete and provide durability every year.
It is no secret that, after Dylan Cease and Jose Soriano , it is difficult to project who could provide stability to Toronto's starting rotation next season, on one of the pitching staffs most affected by injuries and inconsistencies.
Over the last six seasons, only nine pitchers have recorded at least 1,000 innings, and Gausman ranks second among them with 1,103 innings in 190 starts, trailing only San Francisco Giants right-hander Logan Webb (1,129 IP).
In that ranking, Gausman is the fourth pitcher in fWAR with 25.8, behind Zack Wheeler (30.9), Webb (26.3), and Dylan Cease (26.2), who was his rotation teammate with the Jays until he was sent to Chicago at the trade deadline.
That ability from Gausman remained in 2026, but what did raise concern was the loss of dominance of one of his main weapons, the splitter, and the decline of his slider, factors that influenced his finishing in the 52nd percentile in Pitching.
In his 2023 season, one of the best in recent years, Gausman finished in the 92nd percentile in Pitching, the 99th in Fastballs, and the 64th in Offspeed. This year, he finished in the 87th percentile in Fastballs, although his Run Value dropped from 20 to 11, and he fell to the 7th percentile in Breaking and the 37th in Offspeed.
Chicago Cubs pitcher Kevin Gausman (12). Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Although he continues to generate swings and misses and remains among the elite in Chase%, Whiff%, and BB%, the splitter and slider have lost their ability to get out of key situations, especially against right-handed hitters.
After the first time he faced the batting order, Gausman's Run Value plummeted from 8.1 to -6.1 with the splitter, while the slider was even more vulnerable, dropping from -1.6 to -3.2.
Those problems accompanied Gausman throughout the entire season and, in a certain way, continue to raise questions about his dominance in the future.
However, if he manages to adjust, I have no doubt that he will once again make an impact with his ability to compete and his great durability.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/bluejays/onsi as Blue Jays Shouldn't Rule Out Kevin Gausman Reunion .
