The Kansas City Royals will take on the Toronto Blue Jays in a four-game series that will take both ball clubs into the All-Star break.
Kansas City Royals vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Game one will get underway on Thursday at 7:07 PM EDT inside the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada.
MLB Score Record
- Detroit Tigers 2-5 Kansas City Royals
- Philadelphia Phillies 2-8 Toronto Blue Jays
Royals Lineup Breakdown
The Royals have been faced with the unfortunate reality that they are one of the worst teams in baseball this season, only managing to accrue a 38-53 record that is the worst in the American League Central and 13 games off of the division-leading Minnesota Twins.
However, they have moved up MLB standings after they won five of their last six outings and shown far more signs of life in recent weeks than they did in the months prior, which could be something to build on coming out of the All-Star break.
Royals Consistent Offensive
The most consistent offensive threat has been Andrew Benintendi, who continues to perform for a team that needs any source of offensive output that it can get.
Bobby Witt Jr. has also ascended into the team leads for home runs and RBIs, which has coincided with the Royals enjoying a nice, albeit unpredictable stretch as one of the more profitable MLB picks against the spread.
They are still devoid of superstar talent and will probably not compete for a division title this year or the one after, but they have building blocks in place. The Royals have not listed a pitcher for Thursday’s game as of 9:45 AM EDT.
Jays Lineup Breakdown
Talk about a disappointment— the Blue Jays entered the season as a World Series favorite, but now they are only 47-42 and fourth in the American League East.
Even worse, they are being put under serious pressure by the Baltimore Orioles, a supposed bottom-feeder that has gone on a 10-game win streak and is now only two games off of the Jays.
Toronto managed to put together back-to-back wins after losing nine of 10 prior and will need to get their act together sooner or later to at least remain competitive in one of the hardest divisions in the league.
Alejandro Kirk Batting Average
Future All-Star Alejandro Kirk claims the team-high in batting average, while slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads the way in home runs and RBIs, although he has had a down year by his standards.
The Toronto Blue Jays have tons of other contributors, including George Springer and Bo Bichette, which is why it is so puzzling and frustrating to find them struggling to win games so frequently.
Kevin Gausman (6-6, 2.86 ERA) will be on the bump coming off of a two-inning shutout against the Tampa Bay Rays, although he should be expected to see far more work this time around.
MLB Injury Report
The Blue Jays recently fired their manager, Charlie Montoyo, as a result of them failing to take the next step and become perennial championship contenders.
They will be at full strength heading into the series, where they will look to build momentum in a new era of the team.
Meanwhile, Kansas City has:
- Benintendi
- MJ Melendez
- Hunter Dozier
- Whit Merrifield
- Michael A. Taylor
All are listed as day-to-day, along with three of their five regular starting pitchers, hence the confusion surrounding their lineup ahead of the matchup.
Kansas City Royals vs. Toronto Blue Jays Betting Preview
A Royals vs. Blue Jays Betting Analysis should not take very long on the surface because the Blue Jays are clearly more talented and have more to play for.
However, they have already let many bettors down in “foregone conclusions,” which is why it has become so hard to trust them.
On top of that, the Royals have been playing very well as of late, although MLB odds today have them as massive underdogs (+300) to Toronto’s (-375).
Kansas City Royals vs. Toronto Blue Jays Betting Prediction
It is hard to pick an upset when the team’s starting pitcher is unknown, and even harder when over half of their starting lineup could miss the game.
The Blue Jays are burning through their chances to get back in bettors’ good graces, but they earn the nod on Thursday.
MLB Pick: Toronto’s (-375)
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