Yankees vs Blue Jays Predictions: AL East Rivals Clash in the Great White North

• Gerrit Cole is undefeated in 2023
• Chris Bassitt had a complete game shutout in his last start
• Cole had a 5.00 ERA against the Blue Jays in 2022

Yankees vs Blue Jays Odds

Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Yankees vs Blue Jays Pick

• Blue Jays Moneyline (-104)

Yankees vs Blue Jays Predictions

This matchup of AL East rivals with veteran stars on the mound highlights today's slate of games. While the Yankees have been on fire over the last couple of weeks, Toronto is coming off a season sweep of the Braves and has won two of their previous three series. 

Even though the lost the opening two games, we love Toronto to win this game for two reasons: Chris Bassitt and Gerrit Cole. Bassitt has been lights out in his last two starts, while the Jays have a history of success against Cole. 

We see this being a low-scoring game, but the Jays will cruise behind the arms of Bassitt and their bullpen.

New York Yankees Predictions

The Yankees (25-19) were not overly impressive at the beginning of the season, but things have greatly improved in May. They are 9-4 this month and have their way back into the AL East race. Their offense has come alive recently, and they are now fourth in the league in home runs. While that is impressive, New York still ranks twenty-first in batting average. That shows how much this team relies on their power, which will be a problem tonight as they face a pitcher who has allowed just one home run over his last six starts. 

Gerrit Cole (5-0, 2.22 ERA) has been incredible in 2023. He remains undefeated and is now ranked seventh in the MLB in ERA. While those are impressive numbers, he has an issue going deep into games. In fact, he has failed to go six innings in three of his last five starts. Cole has also been struggling with walks and home runs. He has given up two home runs in his previous two starts after not allowing any over his first seven. 

Cole faced the Blue Jays last month and was good, but could only get through 5 ⅔ innings. Now he’ll need to try and top that performance against a team he posted a 5.00 ERA against in 2022. Given those numbers and his recent struggles, we see him getting beat up a little bit and exiting early tonight. 

Toronto Blue Jays Predictions

Aside from a four-game sweep at the hands of the Red Sox, the Blue Jays (24-18) have been one of the best teams in the league this season. They have a solid balance of pitching and hitting that should carry them to a post-season appearance. They made an impressive statement before the Yankees came to town by sweeping the Braves. They dominated the series, but they have cooled off a bit in their first two games of this series. Given the talent this team has, we expect a big bounceback tonight.

One of the biggest reasons we love this bet is the play of Jays' starter Chris Bassitt (5-2, 3.49 ERA). The veteran struggled in his first start for the Jays, but he has been electric since. He has earned a quality start in six of his last seven games, but his previous start was his best. He threw a complete game shutout against the Braves, allowing two hits, two walks, and striking out eight. It was his second consecutive scoreless start, and we like that trend to continue tonight.

We believe Bassitt will stay hot because of his ability to limit home runs. The Yankees rely on their power to generate offense, but Bassitt has given up just two over his last seven starts. Given the recent play of the Toronto bullpen and Bassitt’s impressive numbers, we love them to get the win tonight.

How to Watch New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays

• What: New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays
• When: Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at 7:07 PM ET
• Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto
• How to Watch: TBS