Kevin Gausman's 2000th strikeout a reminder of how far the Blue Jays' ace has come

Kevin Gausman's most recent start against the Tampa Bay Rays wasn't much to write home about. He was shelled for seven runs (six earned) while failing to complete five innings for the first time all season. The outing was so poor that is raised his 2026 ERA nearly a full point (from 3.09 to 3.86).

However, the veteran right-hander did hit a significant career milestone during the game, overshadowing the lackluster start. By striking out Hunter Feduccia in the top of the fourth inning, Gausman has now reached the 2,000 career strikeout plateau.

Gausy is now just one of six active pitchers to be part of the 2K strikeout club, and will almost certainly surpass the injured Yu Darvish for fifth place at some point this year.

Somewhat spectacularly, nearly half of that total (845) have come in his four years and change in Toronto. His late-career renaissance with the Blue Jays is just a reminder of good he's become after years of adversity.

Kevin Gausman's journey to Blue Jays is almost as fascinating as his tenure in Toronto

Gausman's professional career began when the Baltimore Orioles picked him fourth overall in the 2012 MLB Draft, and he rapidly became a consensus top-20 prospect in the sport. Franchise savior expectations were immediately placed upon his shoulder, though he never quite lived up to them with the O's.

Instead, he spent a lot of his first few seasons shutting between Triple-A and the big leagues, only earning a permanent spot in the rotation after a breakout 2016 campaign. He was soon sent to Atlanta after that, before a brief detour to Cincinnati basically put his career on life support.

That's hardly the journey you'd expect from a top-five pick, but Gausman has since proven that age is merely a number. Following a Cy Young-caliber season in his age-30 campaign with the San Francisco Giants, the Blue Jays bet huge on the right-hander, opting to let reigning AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray walk in free agency and giving Gausman the nine-figure contract that designated him as the ace of their staff.

To say that it's been one of the best decisions in Blue Jays history would be an understatement.

Gausman apparently saved his best chapter for last, as he's accrued career-best totals in most pitching categories in Toronto, including: strikeouts (845), innings pitched (785), WAR (12.2), wins (50), and top-10 Cy Young Award finishes (two).

Whatever the future holds for him, Gausman will be remembered first and foremost as a Blue Jays icon. His 2,000th career strikeout is just merely one of many memorable moments he's had with the club that defined his career.

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