The Toronto Blue Jays (50-59) continue their road trip as they head to New York City this weekend, starting on Friday night. The Yankees (65-45) are a half-game back of the Orioles in the AL East, in a battle that appears like it will be decided in the last few days of the season. After trading off several veterans at the deadline, the biggest priority for Toronto will be to get their young players reps over the last couple of months of the season.

Friday, August 2nd, 7:05 EST: Kevin Gausman (9-8, 4.44 ERA) vs Marcus Stroman (7-5, 3.64 ERA)

Saturday, August 3rd, 1:05 EST: Jose Berrios (9-8, 3.93 ERA) vs Carlos Rodon (11-7, 4.34 ERA)

Sunday, August 4th, 1:35 EST: Yariel Rodriguez (1-4, 4.31) vs TBD

Pitching has been a strength for the Yankees in 2024, as their cumulative staff ERA ranks 5th in the Majors at 3.69. When talking about their starting staff, they rank 7th at 3.78.

The club has been led by a breakout righthander: rookie Luis Gil, who’s compiled an 11-5 record while orchestrating a 3.20 ERA and 1.10 WHIP on the season. The native of Azua, Dominican Republic is in the running for the AL Rookie of the Year award in what appears like a wide-open race.

Friday’s starter for the Yankees is an old friend in former Blue Jay Marcus Stroman. He’s been solid yet unspectacular this year, managing a 3.64 ERA but allowing a good number of baserunners en route to a 1.35 WHIP. He also hasn’t missed many bats, striking out just 83 in 113.2 innings pitched.

Saturday’s starter Carlos Rodon has been solid in his second year in pinstripes after signing a six-year, $165 million contract ahead of the 2023 season. The ERA is almost a run higher than Stroman’s, but the underlying numbers look better, as he’s struck out 129 in 120 innings while limiting free passes.

Sunday’s starter is up in the air, with Gerrit Cole currently on track to toe the slab. After getting a late start to the year due to elbow issues, Cole has not been in ace form this season. Through seven starts, the reigning AL Cy Young award winner managed a 5.40 ERA and 1.46 WHIP, striking out 38 batters in 35 innings. He was scratched from his last start against the Phillies with body fatigue but looks like he will be ready to pitch this weekend.

The Yankees sport the 6th best bullpen ERA in the Major Leagues with a 3.60 mark. They have four regular relievers that have sub 3.00 ERAs on the season, including Tommy Kahnle (2.22), Michael Tonkin (2.47), Clay Holmes (2.82), and Luke Weaver (2.97).

Holmes has operating as the team’s closer all year, converting 22 of 30 save opportunities, and struggling lately. Despite the low ERA, the righthander has struggled with putting men on base, leading to a ballooned 1.34 WHIP on the season.

The Yankees added to their relief core at the trade deadline, trading for righthander Mark Leiter Jr. from the Cubs. Through 41 games, he has a 4.23 ERA and 1.17 WHIP on the year, striking out a whopping 55 in 38.1 innings.

The Yankees have unsurprisingly been one of the best-hitting teams in the Majors this year, ranking second to the Orioles in team OPS (.771).

To say that Aaron Judge and Juan Soto have carried this team would be a massive understatement. They currently rank one and two in the Major Leagues in OPS, forming one of the top offensive duos in recent memory. Judge has been particularly impressive, leading the Majors in home runs (39), RBI (99), on-base percentage (.447) and slugging percentage (.689). His OPS (1.136) is over 100 points higher than the field.

Soto’s lefthanded swing has fit in perfectly in New York, leading the Major Leagues in walks while hitting second in the lineup ahead of Judge. A pending free agent, it will be interesting to see if Soto’s offseason decision is impacted by the success he’s had playing in New York this year.

For as good as Judge and Soto have been, the rest of the lineup has been pretty mediocre. Giancarlo Stanton has provided some thump in the middle of the order but has also missed a good chunk of time due to injury. Other lineup regulars like Anthony Volpe, Alex Verdugo, Gleybor Torres, and Oswaldo Cabrera have all been underwhelming, with each managing a sub .700 OPS on the year.

The Yankees made a splash at the trade deadline, acquiring Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Marlins. He appears to have fit right in so far, mashing four home runs and driving in eight runs through his first four games as a Yankee.

The Yankees have everything to play for over the last couple of months of the year, with the AL East division up for grabs. The Blue Jays will look to play spoiler as they try to create some forward momentum heading into 2025.