Kansas City Royals vs. Toronto Blue Jays: Odds, Prediction
Toronto is a heavy favourite on the MLB odds for Friday and will be in all three games. Check our American League odds as they develop closer to game time.
Betting Analysis
Either Kansas City or Oakland will finish with the worst record in the majors this season, but finishing last overall no longer guarantees the top pick in the following year’s MLB Draft as there is now a lottery. The Royals have played quite a bit better offensively in the second half. They have a future possible MVP candidate and likely perennial All-Star in shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who leads the team in about every possible offensive category and is only 23. There’s just not much else there right now. The pitching staff is easily among MLB’s worst.
Matt Quatraro is in his first year as KC manager and should be back in 2024 despite the awful record as this was expected. Toronto won three of four games in Kansas City very early in the season. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit .471 in the series with two homers. Matt Chapman (now hurt) hit .467 with four doubles and five RBIs.
Kansas City was 1-3 in Toronto last year and hasn’t won a series there since 2017.
Kansas City Royals
Since Aug. 19, the Royals have only four wins, although they did just take two of three at home vs. the also-tanking White Sox but lost a chance for a rare sweep Wednesday. Kansas City snapped a nine-series drought in which its lost eight and split one.
DH Nelson Velasquez, who was acquired in a minor trade with the Cubs at the deadline, has homered in three straight games, the first KC player to do that since future Hall of Fame catcher Salvador Perez from Sept. 14-16, 2021. Of Velasquez’s 26 hits this season overall, 12 have been home runs (46.2%) and 17 have been extra-base hits (65.3%). As of this writing, Kansas City hasn’t officially announced its starting pitcher, but it likely will be rookie right-hander Alec Marsh (0-8, 6.23 ERA), although he may follow an opener. Marsh is 0-5 with a 5.94 ERA on the road and has never faced Toronto.
Toronto Blue Jays
For its playoff hopes, Toronto couldn’t afford to have a lousy road trip in Washington, D.C., and Denver. The Jays didn’t disappoint in winning four of six. It was a patchwork lineup for Wednesday’s loss in Oakland with Bo Bichette and Matt Chapman still on the IL (won’t play this series) and Brandon Belt, Kevin Kiermaier and Alejandro Kirk all out. The latter two simply for rest (Kirk did pinch-hit) and Belt is battling an illness.
Kiermaier used to be known for his defence but is having a very good season at the plate. Over his last 38 games, he has batted .291 (30-for-103) with 16 runs scored, five doubles, three home runs, and 15 RBIs. It’s lefty Yusei Kikuchi (9-5, 3.63) on the mound. He might be hitting a bit of a wall with three straight poor outings, allowing 13 runs in 15.1 innings. Over six career starts vs. Kansas City, he is 1-2 with a 7.30 ERA but won his season debut on April 4 in KC (5 IP, 1 ER).
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