Toronto Blue Jays pitchers set MLB record in first three games of season
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Toronto Blue Jays had their best swing-and-miss stuff working in their opening series sweep against the Athletics.
After Tommy Nance began the eighth inning of Sunday's contest with a punchout of Jeff McNeil, Toronto Blue Jays pitchers had totalled 47 strikeouts on the season — a major-league record through a team's first three games.
The Blue Jays have now struck out 47 batters in this series, the most by any team in the first three games of a season in MLB history (since 1900)
The Blue Jays added to that total later against the A's, and finished the series with 50.
John Schneider on the #BlueJays pitchers striking out 50 in this series:
“I think Pete Walker has a clause in his contract that may have just escalated or triggered.”
“I think Pete Walker has a clause in his contract that may have just escalated or triggered.”
Toronto pitchers also set a new franchise record for most Ks in a three-game series
The guys heard #BlueJays50 at the start of the season...and took it literally 😳
The previous high-water mark for the start of the season came when the Cincinnati Reds struck out 46 against the Detroit Tigers to open their 2020 campaign.
Toronto's best previous three-game set total came in April 2023 against the Seattle Mariners.
Kevin Gausman (11K's) and Dylan Cease (12 K's) opened Toronto's season by setting their own Blue Jays records, taking the marks for most opening-day strikeouts and most Ks in a debut with the club, respectively.
Eric Lauer continued the Blue Jays' starting-pitching dominance on Sunday, setting down nine A's over 5.1 innings of work.
Wearing a Green Gucci Suit to the function 🤵♂️ #BlueJays50
In addition to its starters, Toronto has gotten strikeouts from each of the eight relievers it has sent to the mound in 2026.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 29|170 ANSWERS Toronto Blue Jays pitchers set MLB record in first three games of season Do you think this record will ever be broken? | ||
| Yes | 82 | 48.2 % |
| No | 50 | 29.4 % |
| Too early to tell | 38 | 22.4 % |
| List of polls | ||