Kevin John Gausman (born January 6, 1991), nicknamed "Gaus", is an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professional ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
for the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB). He previously played for the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
,
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
,
Cincinnati Reds, and
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
. Before his professional career, Gausman attended
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
(LSU) and played
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...
for the
LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associat ...
, with whom he was an All-American. The Orioles selected him in the first round (4th overall) of the
2012 MLB draft
The 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the first overall pick, selected Carlos Correa from the Puerto ...
. He made his MLB debut in 2013. He was an All Star in 2021.
Amateur career
Gausman attended
Grandview High School in
Aurora, Colorado
Aurora (, ) is a home rule municipality located in Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties, Colorado, United States. The city's population was 386,261 at the 2020 United States Census with 336,035 residing in Arapahoe County, 47,720 residing in ...
, where he played for the school's baseball team as a pitcher.
In his sophomore year he pitched to a 5–2
win–loss record
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of matc ...
with a 2.79
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA). In his junior year, he was 7-2 with a 2.15 ERA, and in 2010, his senior year, he was 9–2 with a 3.12 ERA. As a batter, playing for his high school varsity, he hit .322/.431/.576 with seven
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s and 40
runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...
(RBIs) in 145
plate appearances.
The
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
selected Gausman in the sixth round of the
2010 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.
First-round selections
The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team pi ...
, but he did not sign.
[ He attended ]Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
(LSU), where he played college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...
for the LSU Tigers baseball
The LSU Tigers baseball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team participates in the West Division of the Southeastern Conference. It ranks seventh overall with 18 College World Series appeara ...
team. In 2011, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners
The Harwich Mariners are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Harwich, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Mariners play their home games at Whitehouse Fiel ...
of the Cape Cod Baseball League. In 2012, as a sophomore at LSU, he was 12–2 (leading the Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities o ...
in wins) with a 2.77 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) and 135 strikeouts (leading the Conference) in 123.2 innings. Gausman pitched in both Games 1 and 2 of the Baton Rouge Super Regional, coming out in relief in the completion of the rain-delayed first game and earning a win, but taking a loss in the second game as LSU suffered a historic upset at the hands of Stony Brook. He was an All-American in 2012 at LSU.
Professional career
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
selected Gausman in the first round, with the fourth overall selection, in the 2012 Major League Baseball draft
The 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the List of first overall Major League Baseball draft picks, first ...
. He signed with the Orioles for a signing bonus of $4.32 million on July 13, 2012.
Gausman started the 2013 season with the Double-A Bowie Baysox until the Orioles promoted him to the major leagues to make his debut in Toronto against the Blue Jays on May 23, 2013. In his debut against the Blue Jays, Gausman pitched five innings and allowed seven hits, four runs, and two walks, also adding five strikeouts. Gausman picked up the loss as the Orioles fell 12–6 to the Blue Jays. On June 14, Gausman was optioned to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...
. He was recalled on June 24. On June 28, Gausman earned his first Major League win, against the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
, pitching in relief of T. J. McFarland, going innings, striking out four and allowing no walks and three hits. He was optioned back to Norfolk on July 10. He was again recalled from the Norfolk Tides on August 28 and earned his second big league win on September 1, also against the Yankees, but at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer.
Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the orig ...
.
2014 season
On June 7, 2014, Gausman earned his first win as a starting pitcher, going seven innings against the Oakland Athletics, allowing only one run, walking one, and striking out six. Following the best outing of his young career, Gausman pitched against the AL East
The American League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. MLB consists of an East, Central, and West division for each of its two 15-team leagues, the American League (AL) and National League (NL). This division was created before ...
leading Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
where he went six innings, again allowing one run and striking out three. In the 2014 postseason, Gausman pitched out of the bullpen for the Orioles. Gausman pitched eight innings in three relief appearances, posting a 1.13 ERA and an 0.75 WHIP. The Orioles would sweep the Tigers in the ALDS before being swept in the ALCS by the Kansas City Royals.
Gausman finished the 2014 campaign having made 20 starts, with one complete game (five innings, due to rain), posting a 3.57 ERA and a 7–7 win–loss record.
2015 season
Gausman made 25 appearances in 2015 (17 starts). He posted a moderate 4.25 ERA, but struck out a career-high 103 batters, averaging 8.3 K/9. He posted a 4–7 record, as the Orioles finished 81–81 and didn't make the playoffs.
2016 season
Gausman started the 2016 season on the DL, but returned ready to prove he was at his best. He made his season debut on April 25 against the Rays, earning a tough loss after going five innings and giving up only one run on three hits. He earned a no decision in his next start as the Orioles lost 8–7 against the White Sox. Gausman went six innings, allowing three runs (two earned). His next start was the best of his career, as he pitched eight shutout innings, allowing only three hits, no walks, and striking out four batters. He earned a tough no decision, as the Orioles would eventually win the game 1–0 in the tenth inning.
Gausman pitched to a 4.15 ERA in 15 pre-All Star Break starts. He had a tough 1–6 record, as his run support was very low.
On August 28, Gausman pitched 7 scoreless innings against the Yankees, raising his scoreless innings streak to 13 innings. In his next start against the Yankees, Gausman pitched six shutout innings, raising his scoreless innings streak to 19 innings. He fanned eight batters and won his career-high fourth straight start. Gausman also tied his career high with his seventh win of the year, while lowering his ERA to 3.58. He extended the scoreless innings streak to 21 against the Tigers, before allowing a run in the second inning of a 4–3 loss. Following this start, he threw eight scoreless innings in a 1–0 victory over the Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
. He improved to 8–10 on the year and lowered his ERA to 3.43.
Gausman finished the year 11–12, despite pitching to a 3.61 ERA, due to low run support. He pitched a career-high in innings, and struck out a career-high 174 batters. His 8.716 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched, and his 3.706 strikeouts/walk, were both 10th in the AL.
2017 season
On March 28, 2017, Gausman was named the Orioles' Opening Day starting pitcher for the first time in his career. He pitched 5.1 innings on Opening Day, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks, while also striking out four batters. Gausman earned the no decision. On May 3, Gausman was ejected for the first time in his Major League career after hitting Xander Bogaerts
Xander Jan Bogaerts (born October 1, 1992; ), nicknamed "the X-Man" and "Bogey" or "Bogie", is an Aruban professional baseball shortstop for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Boston Re ...
with a pitch. On July 29, Gausman pitched the longest outing of his career against the Texas Rangers, going 8 shutout innings while striking out eight batters and earning the victory.
For the season, he led the league with 34 starts, and his 179 strikeouts and 186.7 innings pitched were both 10th in the AL. He had the lowest percentage of balls pull
Pull may refer to:
Sports
*In baseball, a pull hitter is a batter who usually hits the ball to the side of the field from which he bats
* Pull shot, a batting stroke in cricket
* A phase of a swim stroke
* A throw-off in the sport of ultimate (o ...
ed against him (33.3%) among major league pitchers. His 8.630 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched were 10th in the AL.
2018 season
Before the 2018 season, Gausman changed from his old number of 39 to 34, in honor of the late former Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III (May 14, 1977 – November 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies between 1998 and 2013. His nicknam ...
. On April 23, in a start against the Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
, Gausman threw the 90th immaculate inning
In baseball, a strikeout occurs when a pitcher throws three strikes to a batter during his time at bat. An immaculate inning occurs when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in one inning, using the minimum possible number of pitche ...
in MLB history, striking out three batters in one inning on just nine pitches.
Atlanta Braves
On July 31, 2018, Gausman along with Darren O'Day
Darren Christopher O'Day (born October 22, 1982) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Oriole ...
, was traded to the Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
in exchange for minor leaguers Brett Cumberland, Jean Carlos Encarnacion, Evan Phillips, Bruce Zimmermann, and international signing money.
During spring training in 2019, Gausman dealt with a sore shoulder. He began the season rehabilitating in the minor leagues, and made his season debut on April 5.
On May 3, 2019, Gausman was ejected from a game against the Miami Marlins by umpire Jeff Nelson for throwing behind José Ureña
José Miguel Ureña Rodriguez (born September 12, 1991) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played MLB for the Miami Marlins, Detroit Tigers, and Milwaukee ...
. He and Ureña had last faced each other on August 15, 2018, when Ureña hit the Braves' Ronald Acuña
Ronald is a masculine given name derived from the Old Norse ''Rögnvaldr'', Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 234; Hanks; Hodges (2003) § Ronald. or possibly from Old English '' Regenweald''. In some cases ''Ronald'' is an Anglicised form of ...
with a pitch. Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
fined and suspended Gausman for five games. Gausman initially appealed the suspension. On May 12, Gausman dropped his appeal. In 16 starts, he was 3–7 with a career-high 6.19 ERA. and struck out 85 batters in 80 innings.
Cincinnati Reds
On August 5, 2019, the Cincinnati Reds claimed Gausman off waivers from the Braves. With the Reds, Gausman became a reliever. In a relief appearance against the St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
on August 18, Gausman struck out all six batters he faced, including tossing his 2nd career immaculate inning
In baseball, a strikeout occurs when a pitcher throws three strikes to a batter during his time at bat. An immaculate inning occurs when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in one inning, using the minimum possible number of pitche ...
.
In 2019 with Cincinnati he was 0-2 with a 4.03 ERA in 15 games (one start) in which he threw 22.1 innings, walked five batters, and struck out 29 batters. Gausman was non-tendered on December 2, 2019, and became a free agent.
San Francisco Giants
2020 season
On December 10, 2019, Gausman signed a one-year $9 million contract with the San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
.
During the shortened 2020 season, Gausman had a major bounce-back season, in which he was 3–3 with a 3.62 ERA and 15 walks and 79 strikeouts in innings in 12 games (10 starts), and a career-low 1.106 WHIP along with a career-high 11.9 strikeouts per 9 innings. On November 11, 2020, Gausman accepted a qualifying $18.9 million offer from the Giants.
2021 season
Gausman was the 2021 Opening Day starter for the Giants. He was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for the month of May 2021. He won five games during the month, maintained an ERA of 0.73, and allowed an opponent slash line
S sabermetrics
:Sabermetrics is the analysis of baseball through objective evidence, especially baseball statistics. The term is derived from the SABR – the Society for American Baseball Research. The term was coined by Bill James, an ...
of .165/.201/.241. He was a 2021 National League All Star.
On September 17, 2021, Gausman was on the bench as the Giants took on the Braves. When the Giants ran out of position players, having already pinch-hit 5 times, Gausman, slashing .184/.212/.184 as a batter, was called upon to pinch-hit in the bottom of the 11th with the bases loaded and one out, and the game tied 5–5. On a full count, he hit his first career sacrifice fly, scoring Brandon Crawford
Brandon Michael Crawford (born January 21, 1987) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Crawford played college baseball for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). H ...
to win the game. Gausman described it as "the coolest thing I've ever done in my entire career."
In the regular season in 2021, Gausman was 14-6 with a 2.81 ERA (6th in the NL), in a National League-leading 33 starts he pitched 192 innings (5th) and had 227 strikeouts (4th). His 14 wins and 10.641 strikeouts per 9 innings were 5th in the league, and his .700 won-loss percentage was 6th, as he gave up 7.031 hits per 9 innings (6th).
Toronto Blue Jays
On December 1, 2021, Gausman signed a five-year, $110 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
. In 2022, Gausman made 31 starts during the regular season with a 12-10 win-loss record and a 3.35 ERA. He also made one postseason start for the Blue Jays during the Wild Card Series against the Seattle Mariners.
Pitching style
According to Statcast, Gausman currently throws four pitches: a four-seam fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. " Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thr ...
at , a splitter at , a slider
Slider or Sliders may refer to:
Arts
* K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise
* '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex
* ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series
* ...
at , and a changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball.
The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...
at .
In 2020, he increased the average velocity and spin rate (as compared to 2019) on his four-seam fastball by simply bending his right leg, while tucking the front foot at the level of the back leg's knee.
Personal life
In December 2016, Gausman married Taylor North, and they have two daughters.
Gausman grew up a Colorado Rockies fan. He is the son of former college football official Clair Gausman.
References
External links
LSU Tigers bio
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gausman, Kevin
1991 births
Living people
People from Centennial, Colorado
Baseball players from Colorado
Major League Baseball pitchers
Baltimore Orioles players
Atlanta Braves players
Cincinnati Reds players
San Francisco Giants players
Toronto Blue Jays players
LSU Tigers baseball players
Harwich Mariners players
Aberdeen IronBirds players
Frederick Keys players
Bowie Baysox players
Norfolk Tides players
Gwinnett Stripers players