MLB matchup analysis

Blue Jays vs Yankees Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Friday, August 21, 2026 at Yankee Stadium · 7:05 PM ET

Pass

LyDia decision: Pass on Blue Jays vs Yankees

Lab Rating
2.7/10
Model lean
Yankees 57.5%
Market probability
53.4%
Model edge
+4.0%
Best moneyline
-118
Sportsbooks checked
3
LyDia model
57.5%
Market
53.4%

The case for New York Yankees

Why LyDia leans New York Yankees
LyDia's model makes New York Yankees 57.5% to win. No single factor dominates — team strength and the run environment tilt slightly this way, enough to lean New York Yankees even though it does not clear the bar for a high-confidence pick.

The case for Toronto Blue Jays

Late-inning bullpen advantage
New York Yankees relievers have a 2.21 ERA over the last 7 days; Toronto Blue Jays relievers have a 1.44. If this is still close after six innings, that gap favors Toronto Blue Jays.
Their bats are hot: +0.017 wOBA
Toronto Blue Jays is outhitting its own season form over the last 15 days.

Why it is not official

Below the 61.0% official gate
Win probability is 57.5%. LyDia does not make a game official below 61.0%, no matter how good the price is. This is a value spot, not a high-confidence winner.
Setup quality below the bar
Lab Rating is 2.7/10, under the 8.0/10 required for an official pick.
Own bullpen carries risk: 7.2/10
The New York Yankees bullpen comes in tired. A lead after six innings is less safe than usual.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 8.01/20
LyDia leans toward New York Yankees, but not strongly enough to earn full conviction credit.
Pitching plan: 0/20
No meaningful starting-pitcher edge favors New York Yankees in this matchup.
Bullpen: 6.32/20
LyDia does not see a meaningful bullpen edge for New York Yankees here.
Offense: 12.35/40
New York Yankees's recent form does not clearly outpace Toronto Blue Jays's.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 57.0%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's team-strength model alone makes New York Yankees 57.0% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 2 points
The pitcher-score gap favors New York Yankees by 2 points. This is the biggest single mover of the price -- a large gap moves it a lot, a small gap barely moves it.
Bullpen adjustment: -0.063
The bullpen-fatigue gap between the two pens nudges the price toward Toronto Blue Jays. This moves the price less than the starting pitchers do, since a starter covers more of the game than the bullpen.
Net effect: 57.0% -> 57.5%
Team strength alone had New York Yankees at 57.0%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 57.5% -- the same number shown as Model Lean above.
The verdict LyDia passes. This is a bullpen game -- no confirmed traditional starter, so LyDia does not publish an official pick here.
Read the full model output

This is a bullpen game -- no confirmed traditional starter, so LyDia does not publish an official pick here.

Game information

MatchupToronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees
DateFriday, August 21, 2026
First pitch7:05 PM ET
VenueYankee Stadium
Starting pitchersMason Fluharty vs Cam Schlittler
WeatherGame-time forecast: 71°F, 2% precipitation chance, 5 mph wind from E.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
Mason FluhartyBlue Jays · LHP
vs
Cam SchlittlerYankees · RHP
MetricBlue JaysYankees
Pitching planOpener / bullpen gameTraditional starter
Expected innings1⅓6
ThrowsLR
LyDia pitcher score (higher is better)6584
ERA (lower is better)3.712.19
WHIP (lower is better)1.240.94
K/9 (higher is better)9.911.2
K-BB% (higher is better)16.9%25.7%
K% (higher is better)26.3%31.4%
BB% (lower is better)9.4%5.6%
BB/9 (lower is better)3.52.0
HR/9 (lower is better)1.10.8
Ground-ball rate36.6%46.8%
Fly-ball rate63.4%53.2%

Pitching plan edge: LyDia gives Cam Schlittler the edge over the Toronto Blue Jays pitching plan (2 points on LyDia's pitcher score). Mason Fluharty is projected for only 1⅓ innings, with the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen covering the rest -- this compares Cam Schlittler's own line against the Toronto Blue Jays blended starting-pitcher-and-bullpen quality, not two starters directly.

Blended read: For the Toronto Blue Jays, the bullpen is projected to throw more of the game than Mason Fluharty (about 1⅓ innings for the starter), so LyDia grades that side on a whole-game effective ERA of 3.12 rather than Mason Fluharty's own 3.71. Whole-game, that is 2.47 for the New York Yankees against 3.12 on the other side, so the blended read leans New York Yankees.

How to read this: the scorecards above name the starters; every number lives in this table. Highlighted cells mark a gap big enough to matter. K% and BB% are strikeout and walk rate as a share of batters faced -- K-BB% is the two combined into one skill number. HR/9 is home runs allowed per nine innings. Ground-ball and fly-ball rate are neither good nor bad on their own: high ground-ball pitchers trade strikeouts for double plays and fewer home runs, and on this data source the two rates are complementary (they add to 100%), not independent reads.

Strikeout Projections Full strikeout projections →

Mason Fluharty strikeouts
1.6 LyDia projected Ks
No strikeout line posted when this page was generated
Cam Schlittler strikeouts
7.2 LyDia projected Ks
Qualifying projection: OVER 6.5K · +0.7K difference
Market 6.5K · O -111 / U -108 · 6 books

Same data source as the Pitcher Matchup Tool, where every starter on the slate is compared side by side.

Blue Jays are 7-3 in their last 10, averaging 4.6 runs per game over the last 15 days, and swinging above their season form; Yankees are 6-4 in their last 10, averaging 3.6 runs per game over the last 15 days, and hitting below their season form. On the season Yankees carry the better run differential per game (+0.74 against -0.38).

MetricBlue JaysYankees
Last 107-36-4
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)6-4 on the road6-4 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.7280.669
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.3190.296
Runs per game, last 15 days4.63.6
K% last 15 days (lower is better)19.9%28.1%

Last 15 days only. Hot and cold streaks for all 30 teams live on the Stats page.

30-day offense

Full offense tool →
Last 30 daysBlue JaysYankees
OPS0.6900.634 (-0.083 vs szn)
Runs per game4.04 (+0.059 vs szn)3.33 (-1.115 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.3040.282 (-0.034 vs szn)
K% (lower is better)19.9%27.2% (+2.5% vs szn)

Over the last 30 days the Blue Jays have been the better offense, 0.304 wOBA to 0.282. Yankees are striking out at 27.2% over the window — something the opposing starter can lean on.

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricBlue JaysYankees
Record63-6672-55
Run differential / game (team quality)-0.38+0.74
Runs scored / game (offense, season)3.984.45
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)4.363.71
Season OPS0.6850.717
K% season (lower is better)19.6%24.7%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.7040.721

Season-long team quality, not recent form. Run differential and run environment come from the season standings; splits for all 30 teams live on the Stats page, including the run environment table.

Every team on today's slate, on any two axes you pick. Blue Jays and Yankees are highlighted.

Blue Jays
Combined risk
5.1 Normal
Fatigue
6.2 Tired
Efficiency
7.3 Effective
Yankees
Combined risk
7.2 Tired
Fatigue
8.0 Tired
Efficiency
6.6 Effective

Risk is what the model actually uses: fatigue blended with how well the pen has pitched. High fatigue with high efficiency is a tired pen that is still getting outs.

MetricBlue JaysYankees
Fatigue6.2/10, Tired8.0/10, Tired
Efficiency7.3/10, Effective6.6/10, Effective
Combined risk5.1/10, Normal7.2/10, Tired
Relief innings, last 7 days25.020.3
Back-to-back arms96
7-day ERA1.442.21
7-day WHIP0.881.03

Fatigue measures workload. Efficiency measures recent run prevention. Combined risk is what the moneyline and totals systems use.

Run total projection

Full Totals Projections →
LyDia projection
4.5
Market total
7.0
Projected away runs
2.7
Projected home runs
1.5
Over price
-102
Under price
-113
Toronto Blue Jays team total
2.7 projected
Line 2.5 · O -130 / U +105
No team-total lean
New York Yankees team total
1.5 projected
Line 3.5 · O -150 / U +120
Under research lean (-2.0)

The model projects 2.5 runs below the market total. A research lean still requires a setup rating of at least 7.0/10. Team totals remain research-only until their graded sample is established.

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