The Toronto Blue Jays formally announced their starting pitcher and lineup ahead of their Game 1 clash with the New York Yankees in the ALDS on Saturday.
The series will open at Rogers Center in Toronto with Kevin Gausman taking the mound for the Blue Jays.
The 34-year-old had a solid season for the Blue Jays despite a 10-11 record. He racked up a 3.59 ERA over 193 innings and 189 strikeouts. He had a healthy season, starting 32 games.
The righty faced the Yankees four times this season, going 2-1 with a no-decision. He gave up just one run in both of his wins against the Yankees. He surrendered six in his lone loss against New York back in April.
Gausman has faced the Yankees extensively in his career. Before joining the Blue Jays, he pitched for the Baltimore Orioles. So, there’s quite some familiarity there.
As for the lineup backing him up, here’s the batting order:
- George Springer, DH
- Nathan Lukes, RF
- Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. 1B
- Addison Barger 3B
- Alejandro Kirk, C
- Daulton Varsho, CF
- Anthony Santander, LF
- Andres Gimenez, SS
- Ernie Clement, 2B
Guerrero Jr. and Springer will be keys in the lineup as the Blue Jays look to jump on Luis Gil, the projected Game 1 starter for Aaron Boone’s Yankees. The Jays may still face Max Fried and Carlos Rodon in the series, if it gets to a fourth or fifth game.
Bichette Still Out for Blue Jays
The Blue Jays hoped to have Bo Bichette back in the lineup. The Jays’ shortstop was in the midst of a resurgent season before going down with a knee injury in early September. He was placed on the injured list and has not returned to action.
ESPN reported Toronto manager Jon Schneider’s comments, stating that Bichette would have to be a regular in the lineup and not play a limited role. He stated:
“I would say for him to be on, he’d have to play pretty regularly.”
That does not appear to be the case. So, it looks like the middle infield will be up to Gimenez and Clement. Clement has had a solid season in 2025. As a result, there’s full confidence in him handling duties at second. Meanwhile, Gimenez is an elite fielder who can easily handle the job at short.
Scherzer, Bassitt off ALDS Roster for Toronto
Two other interesting names left off the Blue Jays’ ALDS roster were Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer.
In particular, Bassitt had been dealing with back problems in mid-September. According to ESPN, he would have been ready to return to the mound. But the club decided to leave him off for now. Perhaps the move responds to giving the veteran righty some more rest.
Another veteran righty sitting on the sidelines is Max Scherzer. The former Cy Young winner had an up-and-down season. He looked dominant for a stretch following a slow start. He cooled off lately, finishing the season with a 5.19 ERA in 85 innings.
Ultimately, the Blue Jays could still activate both pitchers for the ALCS roster if they make it. They’ll need fresh arms heading into that series, depending on how the series against the Yankees goes.
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