No team has more buzz around them to make the leap than the 2022 Toronto Blue Jays, loaded with young stars. In the tough AL East, the Blue Jays will have their work cut out for them to return to the playoffs, and they start the season out of division against the Texas Rangers. The opener between these teams is set for 7:07 p.m. ET on Friday at Rogers Centre, televised regionally and on MLB.TV.
Last season the Blue Jays won the season series between the teams 4-2 with a sweep in July in a “home series” played in Buffalo. These teams haven’t met on Opening Day since 2010. Toronto went 91-71 last year and missed the playoffs by one game, while Texas was last in the West at 60-102.
Rangers Add Talent in Offseason
The Rangers overhauled their lineup in the offseason with five new additions. They brought in a new middle infield with Corey Seager and Marcus Semien while also adding outfielders Brad Miller and Kole Calhoun via free agency. Texas traded for catcher Mitch Garver and signed pitchers Jon Gray and Martin Perez for the rotation.
Among the holdovers are Adolis Garcia, Nathaniel Lowe, and Willie Calhoun. Garcia had a breakout in 2021 with 31 homers and 90 RBI, while Lowe hit .264 with 18 homers and 72 RBI. Semien and Seager bring veteran leadership, and Semien hit 45 homers for Toronto last year while Seager won a World Series MVP with the Dodgers in 2020.
Gray signed a four-year, $56 million deal with Texas in December and will make his Rangers debut in the opener. Last year with Colorado, he was 8-12 with a 4.59 ERA in 29 starts while striking out 157 batters in 149 innings and allowing 21 home runs.
Gray last faced the Blue Jays in 2019, allowing two hits and striking out seven over 6 ⅔ innings in a win. Lourdes Giurriel Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had the hits, with the latter collecting a double. This will be his third Opening Day start, as he took the ball for the Rockies in both 2017 and 2018.
Jays Primed for Success
The Blue Jays came up just short in 2021 and added some important pieces to compete with the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays. They lost Semien in free agency but added Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman in a trade last month. They also brought in starting pitchers Kevin Gausman and Yusei Kikuchi in the offseason to bolster a rotation with Jose Berrios and Hyun Jin Ryu.
The Jays are hoping Chapman is back to his 2019 form when he hit .249 with 35 homers instead of the 2021 season where he hit 27 homers but had just a .210 average. With Chapman at third, Toronto has a formidable infield that includes shortstop Bo Bichette and Guerrero at first. George Springer, Teoscar Hernandez, and Gurrriel compose the outfield, with Alejandro Kirk likely starting at DH.
Berrios gets the nod on opening day in his first full season with the Jays. Last season he was 12-9 with a 3.52 ERA in 32 starts. In 192 innings, he struck out 204 and finished with a 1.06 WHIP. After the trade to Toronto, he was 5-4 with a 4.58 ERA in 12 starts, and he signed a seven-year, $131 million extension in the off-season.
He faced the Rangers last June with Minnesota and allowed three runs on six hits over six innings in a no-decision. He was 3-2 at home with Toronto, but this will be his first home stat with a full crowd at Rogers Centre. None of the Rangers had more than one hit against him last season, and he picked up two strikeouts against Garcia.
Betting Analysis
- Texas Rangers +1.5 run line (-130). Money Line +150
- Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 run line (+110). Money Line -170
- Total runs: 9. Over -110, Under -110
The Blue Jays are ready to take the next step, and it starts on opening day with the newly paid ace on the hill. The atmosphere should be electric with a full house at the Rogers Centre for the first time since the end of the 2019 season. Their lineup is stacked, and Berrios will outpitch Gray to get Toronto off to the right start.
Betting Pick: Toronto -1.5 runs (+110)
Keep up with your latest MLB news coverage and betting pick previews at NJ Sportsbook.