Let's break down this upcoming MLB encounter, shall we? The Blue Jays are headed to Globe Life Field for a face-off with the Rangers - a stadium that does a reasonably good job of splitting favor between batters and pitchers.
On the hill for the Jays, we've got Kevin Gausman, a seasoned hurler who, unfortunately, has not been his dominant self this season, logging an ERA north of 4 with a steady, albeit not sparkling, K/9. Contrastingly, the Rangers are trotting out their fresh arm Kumar Rocker, who's only clocked a single outing this season, but boy, did he make it count - an outstanding 2.25 ERA and a jaw-dropping, near 16 strikeout-per-nine-innings average.
When it comes to offensive firepower, the Jays are packing some serious heat. Nathan Lukes and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are tearing it up at the plate, with averages over .300, and let's not forget about Spencer Horwitz, bringing some home run prowess to the mix.
The Rangers, interestingly, are not lagging too far behind either. Wyatt Langford and Nathaniel Lowe are both boasting enviable batting averages while also delivering in the RBI department. Although, I'd be remiss if I didn’t mention the somewhat eyebrow-raising batting averages for the otherwise clutch performers, Semien and Garcia.
Looking at previous encounters between these two, it's been pretty close-knit. And the regular season record makes this a tough call too, with slight edge to the Rangers.
Given the recent performances, the payout preference seems a tad inexplicable. Both teams are coming off wins against the other, although I might tilt my head perplexedly at the Jays recent series win against the Cardinals considering their overall season record. The Rangers, on the other hand, have had a bit of a rough patch against the Mariners.
So, based on, you know, just a few numbers here and there, and possibly the position of the stars or the shape of my morning cereal, my prediction is a bit of a coin toss. But here goes...
Albert’s Prediction: Texas Rangers by 1.