The New York Yankees are wasting no time diving into the postseason fray, fresh off their gritty elimination of the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card Series. Now, it's the Toronto Blue Jays standing in their way for the American League Division Series—a best-of-five battle that kicks off Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre. Indeed, the schedule has been locked in, with Game 1 set for 3:08 p.m. ET, followed by Game 2 on Sunday at the same time. If needed, the series shifts to Yankee Stadium for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday, both at 7:08 p.m., and a potential Game 5 back in Toronto on Friday.
This matchup carries extra weight after the Blue Jays' regular-season dominance, snagging eight of their 13 meetings against the Yankees, including a crucial six-of-seven stretch at home that helped them clinch the AL East. The Yankees, however, enter as favorites, bolstered by a lineup that's been scorching lately and a pitching staff led by ace Gerrit Cole, who's slated to start Game 1. Toronto counters with their own firepower, relying on Kevin Gausman to match Cole's intensity right out of the gate.
Moreover, the stakes couldn't be higher for both sides. New York, hungry for that elusive 28th championship, showed resilience in sweeping the Red Sox, but questions linger about their bullpen depth after a grueling regular season. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, rode a late surge to this point, their offense clicking with stars like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leading the charge. However, defensive lapses that plagued them earlier could prove costly in this pressure cooker.
Indeed, analysts point to the Yankees' home-field edge in a potential closeout as a key factor, though Toronto's momentum from that head-to-head record adds an underdog bite. As the series unfolds, it promises the kind of intense rivalry baseball thrives on, with every pitch potentially tipping the scales toward the ALCS.
What remains to be seen is whether the Yankees' star power will finally break through Toronto's resilient wall, or if the Blue Jays can pull off another upset in this unforgiving playoff format.