TORONTO — Kevin Gausman’s personal expectations are always high coming into a season.

As in Cy Young high.

That’s what’s made an “inconsistent” campaign in every way imaginable all the more frustrating for the 33-year-old veteran.

Coming off a Cy Young finalist season in 2023, many were wondering if this was the year Gausman could get over the hump and claim some hardware, but that has not been the case and the frustration started right from the jump when a balky shoulder set him back during spring training.

It set the tone for what was to come.

“I’ve had flashes, I’ve had spurts of two or three starts here and there of stringing together good outings, but the biggest thing has been the inconsistency and that started from the first month of the season,” Gausman said Monday as the Jays opened up a homestand against the visiting New York Mets and old friend John Gibbons. “Kind of been playing catch-up ever since to try to get back to being more consistent with everything, my delivery, with the way the ball’s coming out. It’s been frustrating, but every year is different and has its own challenges. You can be frustrated with it or you can look at the bright side of things, and for me that’s I’ve been pretty good about going deep into games this year when I am pitching well. That’s shown me that the stuff is there, but I just have to be a little bit better, a little more fine, and I know that. I’ll work this offseason to make the adjustments that I need and come back........

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