Toronto Blue Jays' Kevin Gausman shares thoughts on what might be his final season in baseball
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Athletics' Mitch Bannon caught up with Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman to discuss winning, family, and what might be his last season in MLB.
The Athletics' Mitch Bannon sat down with Kevin Gausman on Wednesday, to talk about winning, family, and the possibility that 2026 could mark the final chapter of his major-league career.
Over his first four seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, Gausman has established himself as one of the most reliable starters in franchise history.
Across 125 starts, he owns a 48–41 record with a 3.48 ERA, along with 793 strikeouts — a total that should surpass 800 early this season. He’s also tossed three complete games, two of them shutouts.
His impact goes beyond traditional numbers. Gausman’s 11.2 WAR with Toronto is the highest he’s recorded with any club in his career.
During the 2025 postseason, he delivered when it mattered most, posting a 2.95 ERA in five starts and even making a relief appearance in Game 7 of the ALCS.
In just four seasons, he has climbed to seventh on the franchise’s all-time strikeout list and sits 16th in wins.
Since arriving north of the border, Gausman has been the steady presence the Blue Jays lean on — a dependable arm in big moments and a tone-setter atop the rotation.
Gausman contemplating retirement at season's end
Now entering his 14th MLB season, the 35-year-old understands the end of the road isn’t far away.
With 2026 marking the final year of his contract, retirement has crossed his mind.
Gausman will eventually put baseball aside and focus solely on family, that decision could arrive this year.
“I think it’s definitely a possibility,” Gausman told Bannon. “I’ve loved my time here. Do I know what’s ahead? I really don’t. It’s something I thought about this offseason. But now that we’re here, my focus is on this year. I’m going to give everything I have to this organization and this team. What happens after that? I truly don’t know.”
During his tenure in Toronto, Gausman has pitched like a frontline ace
He, Zack Wheeler, and Dylan Cease are the only pitchers in baseball with more than 1,000 strikeouts over the past five seasons.
He has finished in the top 10 of Cy Young voting three times and has appeared in every round of the postseason.
For Gausman, there’s only one box left to check: a World Series title.
For Gausman, there’s only one box left to check: a World Series title.
After falling just short last October, he knows how close Toronto came. If the Blue Jays can secure the final outs that slipped away last fall, it would complete his baseball journey in poetic fashion.
His career began at Rogers Centre in 2013, when he made his MLB debut as a rookie with Baltimore.
He still remembers the chorus of boos from roughly 20,000 Blue Jays fans — a loud and memorable welcome to the big leagues.
The 13 years since have been anything but smooth. Once a top prospect, Gausman was waived, released, and doubted out of the bullpen.
He eventually discovered his devastating splitter, earned All-Star selections, signed a $110 million contract to anchor Toronto’s rotation, and experienced both the lows of last-place finishes and the highs of contending clubs.
Along the way, he and his wife Taylor started a family — a factor that will heavily influence whatever decision comes next.
Gausman has made it clear that retirement, whenever it comes, will be a family decision.
Consistency has always defined him. He strives to be dependable for his manager, steady for his teammates, and present for his family.
In Toronto, he has embodied that mindset, making at least 31 starts in each of his four seasons with the club.
If this is indeed his final campaign, Gausman is hoping for the perfect ending — a World Series championship and the opportunity to step away knowing he gave everything he had, both to the Blue Jays and to the game.
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 19|177 ANSWERS Toronto Blue Jays' Kevin Gausman shares thoughts on what might be his final season in baseball Will Kevin Gausman retire from baseball at the end of the 2026 season? | ||
| Yes | 45 | 25.4 % |
| No | 71 | 40.1 % |
| Too early to tell | 61 | 34.5 % |
| List of polls | ||