In each of the previous three seasons, right-hander Kevin Gausman finished in the top 10 in Cy Young Award voting, hitting his apex in 2023 by placing third and winning his first strikeout crown.
Heading into 2024, Gausman and his Toronto Blue Jays, who had made the postseason in three of the past four seasons but failed to get beyond the Wild Card round, were again widely considered a likely postseason club.
After all, the roster was stocked with high-priced stars including Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, George Springer and a rotation led by Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi.
