The Toronto Blue Jays got a true workhorse in Kevin Gausman.
Signed as a free agent after two dominant years with the San Francisco Giants, the right-hander is picking up right where he left off with his team team.
For the season, he has 18.1 innings, in which he has a 2.89 ERA.
If we remove fielding out of the equation by using Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP), focusing on the things the pitcher can control, he has a 0.70 mark.
Impressive stuff.
He completely dominated the Boston Red Sox, a very solid lineup, on Thursday.
Highest Strike Rate #BlueJays Since 1988 1. Kevin Gausman (Last Thursday) 80.7% 2. Kevin Gausman (Yesterday) 79.5% 3. Roy Halladay (6/22/03) 78.8% 4. David Wells (6/28/00) 78.7% 5. Roy Halladay (4/4/02) 78.1% *min 80 pitches #NextLevel,” Blue Jays reporter Chris Black tweeted.
Highest Strike Rate#BlueJays Since 1988
1. Kevin Gausman (Last Thursday) 80.7%
2. Kevin Gausman (Yesterday) 79.5%
3. Roy Halladay (6/22/03) 78.8%
4. David Wells (6/28/00) 78.7%
5. Roy Halladay (4/4/02) 78.1%
*min 80 pitches#NextLevel pic.twitter.com/7W3ZIrI9iI— Chris Black (@DownToBlack) April 22, 2022
A Masterful Performance
He was on the mound for eight-plus innings, and conceded just a single run.
He was on his way to a shutout, but allowed a single in the ninth inning and manager Charlie Montoyo removed him from the game.
Gausman ended up fanning eight hitters with no walks, surrendering seven hits.
It was a truly masterful performance by one of MLB’s premier pitchers.
One of the signs of a dominating pitcher is throwing many strikes: it shows he trusts the quality of his stuff, and he won’t be inflicting damage to himself via walks.
In his last two starts with the Blue Jays, Gausman has demonstrated he is in complete control of the strike zone.
As incredible as it may sound, it’s looking like Toronto was able to find an upgrade over last year’s Cy Young award winner Robbie Ray.
Gausman has been just as dominant, if not more, in the early going.
NEXT: Blue Jays Reveal George Springer Injury Update