Astros versus Blue Jays: Today's Lineup - Game Preview
Photo credit: https://www.bluejayscentral.com/
The Houston Astros are at TD Ballpark today in Dunedin FLA to take on the Toronto Blue Jays. Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman is on the bump today versus Astros starter Colton Gordon.
Toronto Blue Jays Lineup
1. Bo Bichette
2. Vladimir Guerrero
3. Anthony Santander
4. George Springer
5. Andres Gimenez
6. Alejandro Kirk
7. Will Wagner
8. Ernie Clement
9. Joey Loperfido
SP Kevin Gausman
2. Vladimir Guerrero
3. Anthony Santander
4. George Springer
5. Andres Gimenez
6. Alejandro Kirk
7. Will Wagner
8. Ernie Clement
9. Joey Loperfido
SP Kevin Gausman
It's barely March, but when you consider Gausman's track record, the flashes he showed in his Grapefruit League debut last week in Bradenton were extremely encouraging.
He's healthy this spring, «sturdier» thanks to putting on some offseason weight, and everything looks so much better than it did a year ago, when Gausman was stuck chasing Opening Day after some right shoulder fatigue slowed his start to camp.
«This is a lot different than last spring,» Gausman said.
Gausman touched 96.2 mph over 1 2/3 innings against the Pirates and averaged 94.9 mph with his fastball, 1 mph above where that pitch sat a year ago (93.9).
It's too early to care about strikeouts and whiff rates for a veteran like Gausman, who uses spring starts to get a feel for certain pitches in certain spots, but once the season finally gets here, that's where all of the attention should be.
«Last spring, I think it was a lot harder to get to 86, especially those first couple of weeks,» Gausman said. «That was definitely a good sign, but more than anything, I was throwing my offspeed really hard, which is a good sign.»
The glaring difference between Gausman's excellent 2023 season and '24 was his strikeout rate, which dropped from 31.1% to 21.4%.
«Command,» Gausman said, quickly identifying the one difference. «That's more important than anything. If you look at last season, I don't know how many walks I had, but it was a lot, especially compared to the two years before, even the three or four years going back. When I'm able to throw my fastball in the zone and when the splitter carries it, that's when I get the strikeouts.»
Gausman is 34 now. He knows, as well as anyone, that pitching at 34 feels different than 24, but he's worked over the years to find a sweet spot, one which allows him to be just as strong down the stretch as he is in April and May.
Gausman and the organization have developed a bit of a different plan this season, trying to recapture the full magic of his 2023 season.
Gausman ceiling in 2025 is so important because, by this point, we understand where this team's floor is.
This is a team -- and rotation -- stacked with established veterans. While Francis fills a fun role as the No. 5, trying to carry over the momentum from his near no-hitters into a new year, Gausman feels like this group's best bet to truly raise the ceiling and change the trajectory of this team.
Todays game will be on Sportsnet, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet + AM 590 The Fan at !:05 PM ET
| POLL | ||
MARS 10 | 95 ANSWERS Astros versus Blue Jays: Today's Lineup - Game Preview Will Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman have a Cy Young like season like he did in 2023? | ||
| Yes | 55 | 57.9 % |
| No | 16 | 16.8 % |
| Too early to tell | 24 | 25.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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