Notable Decrease in MLB Win Totals for Toronto Blue Jays
Posted on: March 25, 2026, 11:01h.
Last updated on: March 25, 2026, 11:13h.
- Blue Jays Win Totals drops to 88.5 at BetMGM
- Injuries to starting pitching staff primary factor for that as season starts Friday
- Baltimore Orioles notably improve in American League East rankings
Are bettors turning cold on the Toronto Blue Jays, like the late March winds and snow blowing off Lake Ontario this week, with BetMGM reporting a notable decrease in MLB Win Totals for the team, 91.5 to 88.5 (Open to Current)?
Notable Free Agent Signings
Are all the injuries to the pitching staff, plus the behemoth that is the American League East going into this new MLB season, finally eating way at people’s confidence in the team?
Notable win decreases at BetMGM also are led by the New York Yankees (93.5 to 90.5), the Philadelphia Phillies (92.5 to 89.5), the Milwaukee Brewers (87.5 to 84.5), and the San Diego Padres (85.5 to 83.5).
But the Blue Jays are more notable because of how close they came to winning the World Series last fall, a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 at Rogers Centre, after an 11th inning Will Smith home run, plus notable off-season free agent signings, led by starting pitcher Dylan Cease.
Injuries to Pitchers
For those who checked out after the emotional World Series loss, the Blue Jays were among the most active in free agency this past off-season. It got started early when Cease agreed to a seven-year, $210 million contract in December.
Then they signed Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto, a third baseman/outfielder, to a four-year, $60 million contract (playing in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League since 2017 with the Yomiuri Giants, he hit 248 home runs, a league best), followed by pitchers Tyler Rogers (three years, $37 million), Cody Ponce (three years, $30 million), and Max Scherzer (one-year, $3 million).
Starting pitcher Shane Bieber had exercised his $16 million player option in November, meaning the Blue Jays, even before Scherzer signed (which was earlier this month) were loaded in starting pitching – Bieber, Cease, Kevin Gausman, Ponce, Jose Berrios, Eric Lauer, Troy Yesavage.
American League East Odds
Then the injuries hit – Bieber with forearm fatigue (throwing from flat ground now), Yesavage (shoulder impingement, scheduled to start a minor league game today), Berrios (stress fracture in his elbow, no surgery needed, will miss opening day, expected to resume pitching shortly). OF Anthony Santander will miss the bulk of the regular season after shoulder surgery.
Bo Bichette (off to the New York Mets) and Chris Bassitt (signed by the Baltimore Orioles) left as free agents.
BetMGM reported this morning that most bet teams to make the playoffs (handle) are the Pittsburgh Pirates (+220), Detroit Tigers (-150), Kansas City Royals (+125), Atlanta Braves (-165) and the Blue Jays (-190).
Season Opener Friday Night Against A’s
At Caesars Sportsbook, AL East odds: Yankees +180, Blue Jays +275, Boston Red Sox +325, Orioles +400 and Tampa Bay Rays +1800. The Orioles are better, but do they have the starting pitching, a year after losing Corbin Burnes in free agency? The O’s traded for Shane Baz, and signed Bassitt and re-signed Zach Eflin, while counting on a full season from Kyle Bradish, coming off Tommy John.
Andreas Gimenez moving in to take over shortstop from Bichette is an upgrade on defence, and the Blue Jays are seemingly confident that Okamoto and a rejuvenated CF Daulton Varsho will cover the offence lost with Bichette’s departure. But there’s clearly some nerves out there when it concerns the Blue Jays.
“The biggest move we’ve seen on the AL East has been on the Orioles,” said Eric Biggio, Head of Baseball at Caesars Sportsbook. “Their win total has been bet from an opener of 78.5 to 85.5, and their divisional odds from 8/1 to 4/1. There has been pretty steady support on the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays, but the Orioles have been the surprise.
Swing and Miss on Kyle Tucker
“As far as the Blue Jays, I really like the Dylan Cease acquisition as well as Kazuma Okamoto, who’s really a live Rookie of the Year contender at 6/1,” he said. “It’s too bad they missed out on Kyle Tucker, because I thought he would’ve been a nice fit on the Jays, but the lineup should still be solid.
“Overall, the organization is definitely going for it, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Toronto add more pieces during the year. What I don’t like about the Jays so far seems to be the injury bug – Shane Bieber, Anthony Santander, both out, and now Trey Yesavage will miss some time too.”
It all gets real for the Blue Jays Friday – 7:07 p.m. first pitch at the Rogers Centre, Oakland A’s versus the Blue Jays, with Gausman starting against Luis Severino. The Yankees (-126 at DraftKings) open the season tonight in San Francisco against the Giants (+104).
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