Grading Every Player Who Appeared for the Blue Jays in 2026: Starting Pitchers

Yesterday, I graded every position player who took at least one plate appearance for the Blue Jays this past season. Today, I'm moving on to the starting pitchers. 

Eight pitchers made at least one start and at least one relief appearance for the Jays this year. A few more made multi-inning relief appearances following an opener but technically never started a game themselves. For the sake of these report cards, I sorted most of the borderline names into the "reliever" category, with the exception of Spencer Arrighetti. He only started two games for the Jays, but he pitched more than two innings in six of his seven appearances.

Below, you'll find all 11 members of Toronto's 2026 starting rotation listed in alphabetical order, with a few lines to explain their grades. 

Spencer Arrighetti: D
The Jays knew Arrighetti was a project when they acquired him, but still, they were hoping to get some solid innings out of him. Instead, he gave up 20 runs in 22.2 frames of work.

Shane Bieber: C+
When Bieber exercised his $16 million player option for 2026, many of us celebrated. In hindsight, we should have realized he had some pretty legitimate concerns about his health. There were times when the former Cy Young winner looked like his old self, but his peripherals were concerning, and he only gave the Jays 55.2 innings between stints on the IL. 

Dylan Cease: A+
Cease led the AL in strikeout rate, home runs per nine, and FIP. He started the All-Star Game in the summer, and he will likely finish as the Cy Young runner-up when awards are announced in the fall. Despite going on the injured list for the first (and second) times in his career, he still qualified for the ERA title for a sixth year in a row. This was an easy A+. 

Patrick Corbin: C
Corbin was a lifesaver for the Jays in April and May. The team was desperate for arms, and he pitched to a 3.65 ERA over his first 10 starts. Of course, regression was inevitable, and the veteran gave up 30 runs over his next 30.2 innings before he suffered a season-ending injury in July.

Kevin Gausman: B+
Gausman had some uncharacteristic blow-up outings, but overall, his 4.38 ERA with the Jays was perfectly solid, and his underlying numbers were as strong as usual. Even though he was traded at the deadline, he still finished the year ranked second on the team in innings and strikeouts. 

Eric Lauer: D
Lauer's follow-up to his heroic 2025 campaign in Toronto couldn't have gone worse. After he pitched to a 6.03 ERA in seven games, the Blue Jays designated him for assignment in May. To add insult to injury, he was a solid inning eater for the Dodgers over the rest of the season.

Cody Ponce: B-
Grading Ponce was easier than I thought. Anything lower than a B- felt unfair. Anything higher than a B- felt unearned. B- it is. 

Max Scherzer: B-
Scherzer and Corbin posted nearly identical numbers, and my expectations for Scherzer coming into the year were higher. So why does he get a higher grade? You know why. Scherzer delivered one of the best performances of the season in Game 162. Whether he retires this offseason or not, that was a game I'll remember for a long time. 

José Soriano: C+
Even at his best, Soriano never looked spectacular for Toronto. At his worst, he really struggled. I'm still optimistic about Soriano heading into 2027, but his 2026 ended on a rough note that dropped him from the B range to the C range.

Jameson Taillon: B-
The Blue Jays didn't get much out of Taillon between his two trips to the IL, but he only gave up four runs in 10 innings, and Toronto won all three games he pitched.

Trey Yesavage: A-
I was hoping for more from Yesavage this year, but it wouldn't be fair to grade his first full season on the standard he set last fall. Twenty starts, 97 strikeouts, and a 3.69 ERA from a 22-year-old rookie deserves an excellent grade. 

What do you think about my grades? Who would you grade differently? Share your thoughts in the comments, and check back soon to read about the Blue Jays' relievers.

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