The 2022 MLB season continues Monday, June 6, with six games around the leagues, so we’re taking a closer look at the American League showdown from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City to get you the best Blue Jays vs. Royals betting pick and odds. 

Toronto and Kansas City start a three-game set, and the Blue Jays are firm favorites to win the opener, according to Bookmaker Sportsbook. These two foes meet for the first time in 2022. Last season, the Jays won four of their seven dates with the Royals, who emerged victorious in a four-game series at home.    

The Blue Jays open a six-game road trip                              

The Toronto Blue Jays will play their next six games on the road. Their Sunday’s clash against Minnesota has been excluded from the analysis, and the 31-21 Blue Jays were looking for their tenth victory in 11 games. 

Toronto’s offense has finally found its groove over the last couple of weeks, scoring 79 runs in 13 games while posting an excellent .271/.363/.502 triple-slash. On the pitching side of things, the Jays have recorded a lackluster 4.33 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and .268 batting average against during that span. 

Ross Stripling will get the starting call Monday, his first since May 7. The 32-year-old righty is 1-1 with a 4.22 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 29/8 K/BB ratio in five starts and eight relief appearances (32 innings) in 2022. Through his five starts, Stripling has amassed a 4.29 ERA, 2.96 FIP, and .318 BABIP. 

The Royals are slumping big time                           

The Kansas City Royals started their ten-game homestand last Friday, suffering a heavy 10-3 defeat to the Houston Astros. They tied a three-game set with a surprising 6-0 victory on Saturday to improve to 17-34 on the season, and at the time of writing, the Crowns were down 3-2 in the middle of the seventh inning of Sunday’s closer. 

Kansas City has dropped 12 of its previous 15 games overall. In the last couple of weeks, the Royals have registered an awful 6.44 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, and .302 batting average against while posting an underwhelming .248/.313/.374 slash line. 

Daniel Lynch will get the nod Monday, and the 25-year-old left-hander is 2-4 with a 4.81 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, and 39/20 K/BB ratio in nine starts (43 innings) this season. Last Tuesday, Lynch yielded six earned runs on nine hits and three walks through four frames of a meltdown against the Cleveland Guardians, who beat the Royals 8-3. 

Trends:

Toronto: 

  • 18-7 in the last 25 games against Kansas City 
  • 11-3 in the last 14 games overall 

Kansas City:

  • 3-12 in the last 15 games overall  

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Kansas City Royals Pick 

The current Blue Jays have seven hits and a .292/.354/.458 slash line in 22 at-bats against Daniel Lynch. I wouldn’t be surprised if they hammer the talented lefty, who’s surrendered a whopping 12 earned runs on 21 hits over his previous 13 innings of work. 

It’s hard to trust Ross Stripling and the Blue Jays’ bullpen, too, but Toronto’s offense should make the difference in this game. The Jays are hitting .313/.406/.584 in the last seven days. 

Pick: Take Toronto Blue Jays                             

The Total:

Over the last ten days of action, Toronto’s bullpen has accounted for a 3.93 ERA, 3.96 FIP, and .322 BABIP, while the Royals’ relievers have recorded a 4.06 ERA, 4.31 FIP, and .304 BABIP. The Blue Jays will score a bunch of runs on their own if they stay hot at the plate, so give me the over on the totals. 

I would be surprised if Daniel Lynch or Ross Stripling put on a strong performance. The Royals own a 91 OPS+ against the righties and an 83 OPS+ against the southpaws, but they should find a way to score a few runs against the Jays’ pitching staff. 

Pick: Go over