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Blue Jays Series Preview: Toronto looks to carry their momentum heading into series with Rockies
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Photo credit: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Mar 30, 2026, 14:15 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays set some records in their series against the Oakland Athletics.
Overall, their pitching staff struck out 50 pitchers over the three-game series, the most for any three-game Opening Series ever. It’s also the most strikeouts in a single three-game series for the Blue Jays, and just two shy of matching the all-time record for strikeouts in a three-game series.
Add in the fact that Dylan Cease’s 12 strikeouts are the most in any Blue Jays’ debut, while Kazuma Okamoto hit his first big league home run and Jesús Sánchez hit his first Blue Jays home run, and it was a great recipe for success.
Their 3-0 start is also the first time they’ve done that since the 1996 season and is just the third time the Jays have won their first three games. The only other time they’ve started 4-0 was in 1992, when they won their first six games and later the World Series. They have a good chance of doing the same as they host the Colorado Rockies for a three-game series beginning on Monday.
Funnily enough, the Blue Jays set records last time they played the Rockies, albeit with the bat. Over a three-game series at the start of August, the Blue Jays won 15-1, 10-4, and 20-1, amassing 63 hits, the most in a three-game series since 1933.

Examining the Rockies

The Rockies are not a good team. Those three losses were just three of 119 losses in 2025, ending with just 43 wins. They were just barely better than the 2024 Chicago White Sox, a team who the Jays play after the Rockies.
They aren’t off to a good start either, going 0-3 to start the year. That said, the Rockies only have a -3 run differential, falling 2-1, 4-3, and 4-3 to the Miami Marlins over the weekend. They were an out away from recording their first victory of the season, until Canadian prospect Owen Caissie went deep for his first home run as a Marlin. The Rockies were also 3-20 with runners in scoring position during that series.
Of their 13 position players, only two have a wRC+ above 100 (average) in the early going, former New York Yankee prospect TJ Rumfield and Jordan Beck. Ezequiel Tovar is around they as well, as he’s hit one of just two home runs for the team and has a 96 wRC+. The Rockies are lacking a star and they’ll end near the bottom of the league once again.

One player to watch: Chase Dollander

It’s hard to pick out one player to watch out for on the Rockies, just because of how bad the team is and how poor the drafting has been over the years. Rockie fans truly deserve better.
One player who is likely to appear in this series is Chase Dollander. Drafted ninth overall in the 2023 draft, Dollander appears to be starting the season out of the bullpen after posting a 6.52 ERA and 5.53 FIP in 98 innings pitched over 21 innings last season. The strikeouts weren’t quite there for the 24-year-old, finishing with an 18.6 K% and 11.1 BB%, but he’s still dangerous.
Dollander can reach in the triple digits with his fastball, averaging 97.8 mph on the pitch. He also featured an above average curveball, which is his go-to secondary pitch. Out of the bullpen in a multi-inning role, it may be hard to generate any offence.

Quick Hits

  • Cody Ponce will make his Blue Jays debut after having pitched the last three seasons in Japan and Korea. Last season, he seemingly figured it all out, rocking a 36.2 K% to win the Korean Baseball Organization’s MVP. There’s a good chance this will be another high-strikeout game.
  • Max Scherzer will also make his season debut in the series, as he’s set to get the ball on Tuesday evening’s game. With his thumb injury in the rearview mirror, the Blue Jays need the playoff Max Scherzer back.
  • All 13 position players made a start for the Blue Jays in their series against the Oakland Athletics. Wednesday’s game has a TBD pitcher, but if their rotation remains the same, it could be left-handed pitcher Kyle Freeland. That would likely see a lineup with Tyler Heineman, Davis Schneider, and Myles Straw in it.
  • It’s very early in the season, but the Blue Jays can grab their first division lead of the year with a victory and a Yankees lost. The Bronx Bombers are in Seattle.

Probable pitchers

Monday: Cody Ponce/Tomoyuki Sugano
Tuesday: Max Scherzer/TBD
Wednesday: Kevin Gausman/TBD

Game times

Monday: 7:07 PM ET
Tuesday: 7:07 PM ET
Wednesday: 1:07 PM ET
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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