The Kansas City Royals (1-3) picked up their first win of the season when they took down the Toronto Blue Jays (1-3) at home last night. For Toronto, a wild Opening Day comeback win has quickly been erased by the three losses that have followed it. For a team with visions of an AL East crown and AL pennant, the early results haven’t been as expected. It’s still way too early to panic, but it’s better to build momentum sooner than later.
Kansas City is projected to be one of MLB’s worst teams in 2023, but it didn’t appear that way on Monday. Four extra-base hits and nine runs led to a win No. 1 for the Royals. Now they stare down the chance for a second win and up the confidence of a young team.
On paper, this series is lopsided, but the first Blue Jays vs. Royals game showed why teams suit up for all 162. Let’s see how tonight will unfold.
Match Details
Fixture: Toronto Blue Jays @ Kansas City Royals
Date & Time: Tuesday, April 4, 7:40 p.m. EST
Venue: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
Blue Jays vs. Royals: Betting Odds
| Team | Run Line | Total | Money Line |
| Blue Jays | -1.5 (-110) | Over 10.0 (-115) | -170 |
| Royals | +1.5 (-110) | Under 10.0 (-105) | +145 |
Blue Jays vs. Royals: Starting Pitchers
Yusei Kikuchi will look to get the Blue Jays back on track when he takes the ball tonight. Considering Kikuchi’s struggles last season, today may not be the day for Toronto. Yusei Kikuchi finished with a 75 ERA+ (well below the league average of 100), along with 5.2 walks per nine innings and 2.1 home runs per nine innings. In a lot of ways, 2022 was the worst season of his career.
Kikuchi’s counterpart, Kris Bubic, also had the worst year of his young career in 2022. Across 28 appearances, Bubic finished with a 73 ERA+ and 1.698 WHIP. His BB/9 was 4.4, and his ERA was 5.58, over a full run worse than his previous season’s high.
Key Stats
Toronto has two glaring issues so far. Starting with the offense, they only have one home run this season. Considering the talent in their lineup and that they hit 200 last year (7th in MLB), the power outage is a bit concerning, even if it’s early. Pitching has been a disaster through their first four games, as they’ve allowed the second-most hits and own the second-highest team ERA. In three of their games, Toronto has allowed nine runs.
Last night may have been fun for Kansas City’s bats, but the Royals team batting average right now is only .179, 29th in MLB. They have the fewest hits in the league and are 25th in runs right now, and are letting down a pitching staff that’s off to a solid start.
Blue Jays vs. Royals: Betting Prediction
Both starting pitchers were miserable last season, and the greatest challenge for both was finding the strike zone. Issuing walks is the quickest way to see runs pile up, and we could see that from both of tonight’s pitchers. Even without home runs, Toronto’s offense has been solid, and Kansas City put up nine runs last night. Don’t be surprised if these two clubs combine for a double-digit run total again. Take the over.
