Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Yankees: Odds, Prediction
Toronto’s crazy-tough opening road trip continues on Friday afternoon at the New York Yankees as the Jays get their first look of 2024 at Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. The Bombers opened as solid favourites on the MLB odds in their home opener.
Betting Analysis
No MLB team clearly has as tough of an opening schedule as Toronto as the Jays played their first four games at perennial playoff team Tampa Bay (splitting), then three at perennial World Series contender Houston (lost two of three, including being no-hit) and now three at the always-good Yankees starting Friday.
New York’s biggest target this offseason was Shohei Ohtani – just like the Jays – but Ohtani apparently was never coming to the Bronx, so the Yanks pivoted to trading for San Diego Padres star Juan Soto. That has looked great so far as Soto is crushing the ball and should form a devastating 1-2 punch with former AL MVP Aaron Judge. Soto also is getting more expensive almost by the day ahead of unrestricted free agency this winter when Soto will still be only 26. So we might be looking at a $500 million deal, which would trail only Ohtani’s in MLB history. Hard to imagine the big-spending Yankees actually let him walk after giving up a lot to get Soto.
Whether the Yankees have enough pitching to win the World Series remains the question with ace Gerrit Cole, the 2023 Cy Young winner, out at least three months. The rotation has been pretty good so far.
New York won the 2023 series with the Jays 7-6, yet went 2-4 at Yankee Stadium.
Toronto Blue Jays
In losing two of three to start this week in Houston, the Blue Jays totalled just two runs as they were shut out Monday on a Ronel Blanco no-hitter and then again in Wednesday’s finale when they were held to one hit. The Jays became just the fourth team to be no-hit and one-hit during the same regular-season series in the live-ball era (since 1920). Frankly, Toronto was lucky to score at all in the series, much less win a game, because the only two runs came on a two-out, two-run homer in the top of the ninth in Game 2 by Davis Schneider off one of the best closers in the majors in Josh Hader. One bright spot of that lineup so far is that it has drawn 29 walks, second in the American League behind the Yankees’ 30.
Lefty Yusei Kikuchi (0-1, 6.23 ERA) takes the hill Friday. He allowed three runs and six hits with three walks over 4.1 innings last Saturday in a loss at the Rays. Kikuchi is 4-3 with a 3.57 ERA in 12 career appearances vs. the Yankees and was 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA last season in two starts against them. Aaron Judge is 4-for-20 career off him with two homers.
New York Yankees
The Yankees are a hugely impressive 6-1 after sweeping four games in Houston to open the season and then taking two of three at Arizona to start this week. Aaron Judge hit his first homer of the season in Wednesday’s wild 6-5 win in 11 innings. Judge entered the game 3-for-24 with one RBI, his fewest hits ever through six games. By homering in the club’s seventh game, Judge avoided matching the longest homer-less drought of his career to start a season. New York has not had usual leadoff hitter and infielder DJ LeMahieu yet this season as he’s dealing with a fractured right foot and won’t be ready likely until late this month.
Free-agent addition and former Blue Jay right-hander Marcus Stroman (1-0, 0.00) takes the hill Friday. The New York native was excellent in his Yankees debut last Saturday in Houston, shutting out the Astros on four hits over six. He’s one of the top ground-ball pitchers in the majors. Stroman has allowed one run over five career innings vs. the Jays, who selected him in the first round of the 2012 draft. New Blue Jay Justin Turner is 4-for-9 off him with two doubles.