Baseball Picks 4/16 – New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays

Daily Baseball Picks 4/16 – New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays

by Thomas Quaynor for Wannamakeabet.com

The New York Yankees (12-5) visit the Toronto Blue Jays (9-8) tonight in the second of a three-game set at Rogers Centre. Toronto took the opener 3-1 last night as starting pitcher Chris Bassitt struck out five and allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings in picking up his second straight win. It was Toronto’s third straight win, while New York has lost back-to-back games for the first season. The American League East rivals are meeting for the fifth time already in the young season. They’ve split the first four matchups. Tonight’s starters are Carlos Rodon (1-0, 1.72 ERA) for New York and Yusei Kikuchi (0-1, 2.30 ERA) for Toronto. 

GAME ODDS

Moneyline: New York -120,  Toronto +102

Run Line: New York -1.5  (+140),  Toronto +1.5 (-170)

Run Total: over 8.5 (-112)   under 8.5 (-108)

GAME STORYLINES: NEW YORK YANKEES

Last season, the powerhouse New York Yankees found themselves in an unfamiliar position of being mired in mediocrity for almost an entire season. Injuries to stars Aaron Judge, Nester Cortes, Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo left them with an 82-80 record. New York’s 82 wins were the fewest in a full season since 1992 when they finished 76-86. They also missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Yankees organization has never been one to stand pat and accept mediocrity so they made big moves in the offseason by adding All-Star right fielder Juan Soto, left fielder Alex Verdugo and veteran starting pitcher Marcus Stroman.

The Yankees acquired the 25-year-old superstar Juan Soto last December in a blockbuster trade from San Diego. They gave up 5 players as part of the deal. The three-time All-Star Soto joins an already potent Yankee lineup, and he has not disappointed in his first year wearing the pinstripes. Soto has gotten off to a tremendous start by hitting .328 with 3 homers and 15 RBI through 17 games this season. Stroman is 1-1 with a 2.12 ERA and 17:7 K:BB in his three starts this season. Both players have played a big role in the Yankees 12-5 start.

Offensively, the Yankees possess one of the best lineups in all of baseball with the addition of Soto, along with a mixture of big-name veterans and talented youngsters. Sluggers Aaron Judge (.194, 3 HR) and Giancarlo Stanton (.250, 4 HR) are off to decent starts this year and provide lots of power in the middle of the lineup. If both can stay healthy, the Yankees should be a lock to win 100+ games. 22-year-old star shortstop Anthony Volpe (.373, 2 HR, 6 steals) and 25-year-old third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera (.292, 3 HR, 12 RBI) are off to excellent starts. Volpe was outstanding as a rookie last year becoming the first Yankee rookie to finish with 20 homers and 20 stolen bases in a season. 

New York’s pitching has also gotten back on track during this season with the return of a healthy Nester Cortes. After being named an All-Star in 2022, Cortes was limited to just 12 starts last season due to multiple rotator cuff injuries in his left shoulder. Cortes is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA and a 19:5 K:BB in four starts this season. Starting pitchers Carlos Rodon (1-0, 1.72 ERA in 3 starts) and Clark Schmidt (1-0, 3.68 ERA, 18 K’s in 3 starts) have also played very well, along with the newly acquired Marcus Stroman.

New York was dealt a tough blow prior to the season when reigning AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole suffered nerve inflammation in his right elbow during Spring Training last month. Cole was placed on the 60-day injured list and is not eligible to return until at least May 27. If Cole is able to return and regain last year’s form, the Yankees would likely be the World Series favorite when you see how well their starting pitching staff is performing.

GAME STORYLINES: TORONTO

The Toronto Blue Jays are coming off back-to-back postseason births but they’ve failed to advance past the opening round. The 2022 and 2023 seasons have ended in 2-game sweeps. The lack of postseason success is puzzling when you look at the talented hitters throughout Toronto’s lineup and their outstanding starting pitching rotation. After failing to land superstar Shohei Ohtani in free agency, Toronto signed veteran infielder Justin Turner to a one-year, $13 million contract. The Blue Jays are hoping the 39-year-old World Series champion’s veteran presence can catapult Toronto into postseason success. 

In what could be considered a surprising development, the veteran free agent Justin Turner has been Toronto’s best hitter through the early portion of the 2024 season. The 39-year-old’s .362 batting average and 8 RBI lead the team, he’s also homered once. It would be quite a story if the 2017 NLCS MVP kept this pace up for the entire season and Toronto made a postseason run. Turner has plenty of postseason experience as he made the playoffs for 9 straight years – 2014-2022 – with the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Young All-Stars and second-generation players Vlad Guerrero Jr. (.188, 3 homers) and Bo Bichette (.217, 1 homer) are both struggling at the plate but will likely turn things around soon. The 25-year-old Guerrero has made three straight All-Star games, while the 26-year-old Bichette has made two straight All-Star games. Once both of them get it going, Toronto could win the ultra-competitive American League East division when you consider they still have a winning record with both of them off to slow starts. 

Toronto starting pitcher Jose Berrios is off to a tremendous start this season. The 29-year-old right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA and 21:7 K:BB. Berrios allowed two hits and struck out seven over 7 innings in his last start against Colorado on Sunday. He extended his scoreless innings streak to 15 2/3.  

THE PICK: YANKEES (ML)

The Yankees are too good to drop three in a row, and they have one of their best pitchers taking the mound tonight in Carlos Rodon. Take the Yankees on the moneyline!