The NY Yankees are -155 odds today when they take on the Toronto Blue Jays +130 at BetOnline.com. The NY Yankees are making a huge gamble this season, hoping three young pitchers can get them over the playoff hump that's slowed them the past few seasons. New York will send Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy to the mound this season; none of them is older than 23. They are all top prospects, though, with first-round pedigrees. Still, despite their talent, it's a big risk hoping they're ready to contribute.
New York can mash, though, after leading the Majors in runs scored by a fair margin. Alex Rodriguez was the centerpiece of the offense, hitting .314 with 54 homers and 156 RBIs. The lineup is aging, however, which could become an issue.
Catcher Jorge Posada, for example, hit .338 last season, a contract year – 61 points better than his career average. Posada isn't likely to maintain those numbers, especially after getting a long-term deal from management.
The Blue Jays are hoping their pitching depth will be enough to finally knock off Boston or New York for the AL Central lead. Toronto must remain healthy this year – something it didn't do last season – to have any hopes of competing. There are lots of signs of encouragement, though. The Jays were second in the AL in ERA last season and most of the important people in that equation return. Ace Roy Halladay is primed for a big season. A.J. Burnett has had some fingernail problems already this spring, but youngsters Dustin McGowan, Shaun Marcum and Jesse Litsch are poised for improvement.
The lineup is filled with talented players and question marks. Scott Rolen replaces Troy Glaus at third, and while he'll certainly be an ungrade defensively, his numbers have declined the past few seasons as he's struggled with injuries. Last weekend, the trend continued – he broke a knuckle and could miss six weeks. That means Vernon Wells – who was awarded a massive contract last offseason – needs to step up his game considerably this year after hitting just .245 last season. Wells played much of the year with a bum shoulder.
Burnett and veteran Mike Mussina are expected to get the call on Wednesday, though a potential rain out on Monday could change things. Mussina has looked shaky and his volcity is down this spring. Burnett, though dealing with the fingernail issue, is a better bet, even against a high-powered Yankee offense. Get your Free MLB Pick in Now!
Toronto at NY Yankees, Wednesday @ 7:05 p.m. ET
Free MLB Pick: Toronto
*All statistics as of Monday, March 31
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