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Opening Day starter
The candidates: Kevin Gausman, José Berríos and Max Scherzer
While Opening Day is only one game out of 162, it's important to put the right guy on the mound so you can start the season on the right foot. Remember in 2015 when Drew Hutchison started Opening Day for Toronto and didn't end up making the postseason roster?
All three pitchers listed above have a legitimate case to get the ball when the season starts.
Gausman's been a workhorse and has never gotten the ball on Opening Day for the Blue Jays. Berríos got the Opening Day start last year, and, if he gets the nod this year, would join Roy Halladay, Dave Stieb, and Jimmy Key as the only Blue Jays with three or more Opening Day starts.
José Berríos will become the 12th pitcher to make multiple career Opening Day starts with the Blue Jays pic.twitter.com/6Aha8P4QHV
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) March 27, 2024
And then there's Scherzer. The future Hall of Famer who will likely only be a Blue Jay for one season, so why not give the 40-year-old the ball on what could be his last Opening Day?