Toronto Blue Jays Sweep D-Backs, Betting Odds Tighten

Toronto Blue Jays are 9.00 to win the American League East at BetMGM Sportsbook

Blue Jays are 10.00 to win the American League Championship at LeoVegas Sportsbook

Blue Jays are 19.00 to win the World Series at Party Sports

The streaking Baltimore Orioles aside, with the Aug. 1 Major League Baseball trade deadline coming up fast, the spotlight is on the Toronto Blue Jays after their sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks last weekend.

In the eyes of many, the Jays had underperformed before the All-Star break, despite sitting third in the American League East, the most competitive division in baseball.

The Diamondbacks came into Toronto on Friday with a comparable record, and while the Jays were favoured, no one expected a sweep. 

But here we are.

Toronto Blue Jays Betting Odds Improving

On Monday of this week, BetMGM Sportsbook released updated World Series and divisional odds. 

The Tampa Bay Rays still sit atop the American League East at 60-36, but are 3-7 in their last 10 games and have been sliding back.  The Orioles are streaking, too, with a 57-35 record, one game off the pace, and are on an eight-game winning streak. Then there are the Jays, at 53-41, six games out, on a four-game winning streak and 8-2 in their last 10.

Last week, BetMGM had the Jays at 12.00 to win the AL East. Those have been shorted to 9.00, with 13.4 per cent of tickets and 18.5 per cent of the handle. 

The Orioles opened at 26.00 and are at 4.25, generating 38.5 per cent of the tickets and 28.5 per cent of the handle. The Rays have gone from 1.33 last week to 1.44. The New York Yankees are dropping off – 11.00 last week, 17.00 today.

Toronto Blue Jays Pitching Shows Strength

The backbone of the Blue Jays continues to be their starting rotation, despite the demotion of 2022 Cy Young candidate Alek Manoah, who has since been called back. Manoah starts Tuesday at home in Game 1 of the San Diego Padres series. First pitch is at 7:07 p.m. ET.

At DraftKings Sportsbook the moneyline on Tuesday’s game is Padres -115, Jays -105. The Over, at 8.5, is the bet we’re taking. The jury is still out on Manoah.

The Jays’ top three pitchers are among league leaders in innings pitched (Chris Bassitt, 115.2, Kevin Gausman, 115.2 and Jose Berrios, 113.1), with Yusei Kikuchi at 98, according to Baseball Almanac. 

Manoah is at 64 innings pitched, and hopefully that first strong start back in the majors, a recent win over the Detroit Tigers, was no anomaly. We’ll get a better read on Manoah Tuesday night against the Padres.

Blue Jays Hitting Needs Improvement

With Manoah back in the rotation, and the expected return soon of Hyun Jin Ryu, the pitching looks solid, with maybe a little tweaking needed in the bullpen. Ryu is coming off Tommy John surgery a year ago. He pitched an impressive five innings Sunday in his latest rehab start with the Triple A Buffalo Bisonss

It's the hitting that needs some improvement, although this weekend’s hitting performance against the Diamondbacks, with sores of 7-2, 5-2 and 7-5, bode well going forward.

The debate in the Jays’ offices probably centers on how to improve the numbers for the following players: OF Daulton Varsho (.215 batting average, 12 HRs, 31 RBIs, .644 OPS), DH Brandon Belt (.254, six HRs, 21 RBIs, .801 OPS), 2B Santiago Espinal (.228, one HR, 12 RBIs, .616 OPS) and infielder Cavan Biggio (.201, seven HRs, 18 RBIs, .654 OPS). 

The Jays paid a ton in roster capital for Varsho in the off-season trade with the Diamondbacks (OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and C Gabriel Moreno going the other way), plus he brings enormous defensive acumen, so we don’t expect any changes involving Varsho. The other guys, from a hitting perspective, are all in play to be replaced.

An online report referenced the Jays’ apparent interest in designated hitter Nelson Cruz, recently designated for assignment by the Padres. Cruz is 43 years old, but he had five HRs, 23 RBIs, with a .682 OPS in 143 at-bats with the Padres prior to his demotion. Cruz has hit 464 homers in his career.