MLB matchup analysis

Blue Jays vs Yankees Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Saturday, August 22, 2026 at Yankee Stadium · 1:35 PM ET

Watchlist

LyDia prediction: Toronto Blue Jays moneyline

Lab Rating
6.9/10
Model lean
Blue Jays 67.8%
Market probability
49.9%
Model edge
+17.9%
Best moneyline
-102
Sportsbooks checked
9
LyDia model
67.8%
Market
49.9%

The case for Toronto Blue Jays

Starting pitcher edge: 11 points
LyDia gives Dylan Cease a 11-point edge over Ryan Weathers, driven mainly by K/9 (13.1 vs 9.4) and K-BB% (25.7% vs 18.5%).
Bats are hot: +0.019 wOBA
Toronto Blue Jays is outhitting its own season form over the last 15 days. Recent form is context, not a model input, but it points the same way here.

The case for New York Yankees

Team strength favors New York Yankees
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's own team-strength model has New York Yankees ahead (59.7% to 40.4%). The pick still comes from Toronto Blue Jays once the pitcher and bullpen terms are applied.

Why it is not official

Setup quality below the bar
Lab Rating is 6.9/10, under the 8.0/10 required for an official pick.
Own bullpen carries risk: 7.0/10
The Toronto Blue Jays bullpen comes in tired. A lead after six innings is less safe than usual.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 20/20
LyDia's win probability for Toronto Blue Jays (67.8%) is well clear of a coin flip -- this is a real, stated lean, not a guess.
Pitching plan: 11/20
Dylan Cease rates 11 points better than Ryan Weathers on LyDia's pitcher score. That is a real edge, and it earns most or all of the available credit here.
Bullpen: 8.33/20
LyDia does not see a meaningful bullpen edge for Toronto Blue Jays here.
Offense: 29.2/40
Toronto Blue Jays's recent offensive form clearly outpaces New York Yankees's over the tracked windows.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 40.4%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's team-strength model alone makes Toronto Blue Jays 40.4% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 11 points
The pitcher-score gap favors Toronto Blue Jays by 11 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: -0.03
The bullpen-fatigue gap between the two pens nudges the price toward New York Yankees. This moves the price less than the starting pitchers do, since a starter covers more of the game than the bullpen.
Net effect: 40.4% -> 67.8%
Team strength alone had Toronto Blue Jays at 40.4%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 67.8% -- the same number shown as Model Lean above.
The verdict Worth monitoring, nothing more. The setup has pieces but does not add up to a bet at today's price.
Read the full model output

Toronto Blue Jays remains on the watchlist. Lab Rating 6.9/10: conviction 20, pitching plan 11, bullpen 8.33, offense 29.2. LyDia projects 67.8% against a 49.9% no-vig market number, a 17.9% model edge at -102. Toronto Blue Jays owns the starting pitcher edge by 11 points. Bullpen read: Elevated volatility. Toronto Blue Jays's pen efficiency: Effective (6.7/10). Bullpen fatigue moved this probability down 18.1 points from 85.9% (starting pitcher and team strength only) to 67.8%. Lineup check: Toronto Blue Jays is swinging a hot bat (+0.050 OPS); New York Yankees is in a cold stretch (-0.055 OPS). Recent form supports this side and is included in the unified run projection.

Game information

MatchupToronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees
DateSaturday, August 22, 2026
First pitch1:35 PM ET
VenueYankee Stadium
Starting pitchersDylan Cease vs Ryan Weathers
WeatherGame-time forecast: 75°F, 2% precipitation chance, 8 mph wind from E.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
Dylan CeaseBlue Jays · RHP
vs
Ryan WeathersYankees · LHP
MetricBlue JaysYankees
Pitching planTraditional starterTraditional starter
Expected innings65⅔
ThrowsRL
LyDia pitcher score (higher is better)8271
ERA (lower is better)2.423.56
WHIP (lower is better)1.061.19
K/9 (higher is better)13.19.4
K-BB% (higher is better)25.7%18.5%
K% (higher is better)36.3%25.4%
BB% (lower is better)10.7%6.9%
BB/9 (lower is better)3.92.6
HR/9 (lower is better)0.61.2
Ground-ball rate49.8%54.0%
Fly-ball rate50.2%46.0%

Pitcher edge: LyDia gives Dylan Cease a 11-point edge over Ryan Weathers, driven mainly by K/9 (13.1 vs 9.4) and K-BB% (25.7% vs 18.5%).

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 →

Dylan Cease strikeouts
10.8 LyDia projected Ks
Qualifying projection: OVER 8.5K · +2.3K difference
Market 8.5K · O -115 / U +102 · 6 books
Ryan Weathers strikeouts
4.9 LyDia projected Ks
No K play · -0.6K difference is below LyDia's 0.7K threshold
Market 5.5K · O +115 / U -128 · 6 books

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

Blue Jays are 6-4 in their last 10, averaging 4.5 runs per game over the last 15 days, and swinging above their season form; Yankees are 7-3 in their last 10, averaging 3.5 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 (+0.75 against -0.39).

MetricBlue JaysYankees
Last 106-47-3
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)5-5 on the road6-4 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.7350.660
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.3220.292
Runs per game, last 15 days4.53.5
K% last 15 days (lower is better)20.4%28.7%

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
OPS0.700 (+0.015 vs szn)0.637 (-0.078 vs szn)
Runs per game4.00 (+0.046 vs szn)3.38 (-1.053 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.3090.283 (-0.032 vs szn)
K% (lower is better)19.8%27.7% (+2.9% vs szn)

Over the last 30 days the Blue Jays have been the better offense, 0.309 wOBA to 0.283. Yankees are striking out at 27.7% over the window — something the opposing starter can lean on.

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricBlue JaysYankees
Record63-6773-55
Run differential / game (team quality)-0.39+0.75
Runs scored / game (offense, season)3.954.44
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)4.353.69
Season OPS0.6850.715
K% season (lower is better)19.6%24.8%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.6380.713

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
7.0 Tired
Fatigue
7.8 Tired
Efficiency
6.7 Effective
Yankees
Combined risk
6.0 Normal
Fatigue
7.0 Tired
Efficiency
7.0 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
Fatigue7.8/10, Tired7.0/10, Tired
Efficiency6.7/10, Effective7.0/10, Effective
Combined risk7.0/10, Tired6.0/10, Normal
Relief innings, last 7 days30.021.3
Back-to-back arms96
7-day ERA2.101.69
7-day WHIP1.000.98

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
4.7
Market total
6.5
Projected away runs
3.1
Projected home runs
1.6
Over price
-119
Under price
+110
Toronto Blue Jays team total
3.1 projected
Line 3.5 · O +108 / U -125
No team-total lean
New York Yankees team total
1.6 projected
Line 3.5 · O +122 / U -135
Under research lean (-1.9)

The model projects 1.8 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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