The Blue Jays as -175 favourites on the MLB odds for the opener.

Diamondbacks vs. Jays July 14 Betting Analysis

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo entered the 2023 season on one of the hottest seats in baseball with three straight losing seasons, but he’s a leading NL Manager of the Year candidate with his team at 52-39 and tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers atop the West. This writer fully expects LA to win the division again, but the Diamondbacks should be a wild card team barring major injury.

Outfielder Corbin Carroll is the NL Rookie of the Year favourite and has been arguably the third-best all-around player in MLB this year behind Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuna Jr., who are going to win AL and NL MVP, respectively. Zac Gallen is the NL Cy Young favourite. This franchise should have staying power for a while with some terrific young talent.

These teams made a big trade his past winter with Arizona sending outfielder Daulton Varsho to Toronto in exchange for catcher Gabriel Moreno and outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. The Diamondbacks have won that trade so far as Gurriel was an All Star and Moreno is one of the NL’s top young catchers.

The Diamondbacks are 10-9 all-time against the Blue Jays. The teams haven’t played since 2019 and won’t play again this year after this weekend barring a World Series matchup. 

Arizona Diamondbacks

Reliever Tyler Gilbert was activated from the paternity leave list during the break. Doesn’t appear the Diamondbacks have any major injury concerns. Arizona is atop the NL West (tied with the Dodgers) at the break for the first time since 2013. NL Rookie of the Year favourite Corbin Carroll, All-Star and former Blue Jay Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Christian Walker are one of two trios of teammates this season in the Show with at least 20 doubles, 15 homers, 45 RBIs and 20 walks. It is one of the weak links of the rotation on Friday, though, in rookie right-hander Ryne Nelson (5-5, 5.19 ERA). The 25-year-old had been pitching fairly well of late until he was hammered for seven runs over three innings on July 6 vs. the Mets. Oddly, Nelson has been way worse at home but is 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA on the road. He has never faced the Jays. 

Toronto Blue Jays

Outfielder/leadoff hitter George Springer and reliever Jay Jackson were both activated from the paternity leave list during the break. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (born in Montreal) won the All-Star Home Run Derby at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Monday night. He and Hall of Fame father Vladimir Guerrero are now the only father-son duo in the history of the competition to each win the event. Baby Vlad is having a good but not great regular season (at least for him) at .269 with 13 HRs and 58 RBIs. Closer Jordan Romano had to leave Tuesday’s All-Star Game with a trainer due to some lower back tightness after throwing five pitches. No updates as of this writing. Flying a bit blind here as the Jays haven’t officially announced their starting pitcher, but all signs point to Chris Bassitt (8-5, 4.19). Toronto has won his past three, although Bassitt only lasted four innings in Detroit on Sunday, so he didn’t qualify for a decision. He is 3-0 with a 3.09 ERA in four career starts against Arizona. Ketel Marte has seen him the most, going 3-for-16 with a double. Christian Walker is 3-for-9 with a homer. 

MLB Prediction: Who Will Win Diamondbacks vs. Blue Jays?