The Blue Jays have been enjoying a bye week in Toronto, waiting on two division rivals to sort out the American League Wild Card Series, which the Yankees took from the Red Sox with a 4-0 win on Thursday night in The Bronx.
Now, the Yanks are on the path back to the World Series, where they fell to the Dodgers a year ago, and are chasing their first championship since 2009. The Blue Jays, who haven’t won the World Series since going back-to-back in 1992-93, are looking for their first postseason win since 2016, eager to reignite baseball in Canada after earning the AL’s No. 1 seed.
When is the game and how can I watch it?
First pitch is scheduled for 4:08 p.m. ET on Saturday at Rogers Centre and can be seen in the United States on FOX.
All series are available in the US on MLB.TV with authentication to a participating Pay TV provider. Games also are available live internationally, although not in Canada. Sportsnet is MLB’s exclusive English language broadcaster in Canada for every Postseason game, while TVA Sports will be covering the entire AL Postseason and the World Series in French and Broadcaster RDS will cover the entire NL Postseason in French.
Gausman is the likeliest to get the nod after starting Game 162 of the regular season, and while that wasn’t his finest performance of the season, Toronto’s ace has picked up some momentum at the right time down the stretch. He’s held his own against the Yankees, too, posting a 3.97 ERA with 18 strikeouts and an uncharacteristic 12 walks over 22 2/3 innings in four starts vs. New York this season.
As for Aaron Judge? Over 61 career plate appearances, the Yankees’ star has hit .354 with six home runs and a 1.283 OPS. Giancarlo Stanton has enjoyed some success, too (1.161 OPS over 33 PA), so Gausman and his excellent splitter will be challenged.
Gil was not on the AL Wild Card roster after tossing 79 pitches in the final game of the regular season. The 2024 AL Rookie of the Year has experienced command issues since returning from injury on Aug. 3, frequently sacrificing velocity for control. He defeated Toronto on Sept. 6, allowing one run in six innings.
What might the starting lineups look like?
Blue Jays: Toronto could roll out five lineups in a five-game series, aggressively chasing matchups while leaving itself in position for the late-game swaps manager John Schneider and his coaching staff love. The injured Bo Bichette (left knee sprain) would change everything, but for now, this is how the Blue Jays could line up against a right-handed starter:
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Blue Jays: They’re fresh, at least! The Blue Jays got their relievers some work over the bye week, including some intrasquad appearances. Workloads should no longer be an issue, but how John Schneider rolls out his back-end relievers will be crucial. Who gets the big inning between Seranthony Domínguez and Louis Varland, and is there a situation where Jeff Hoffman could be used outside of the ninth innings? Regardless of those variables, this group has bounced back in September and can lean on options like Yariel Rodriguez, Brendon Little, Tommy Nance and Braydon Fisher in the middle innings.
Yankees: The bullpen had to work hard in the Wild Card Series against the Red Sox, though Cam Schlittler’s eight-inning effort in Game 3 provided everyone except closer David Bednar with an extra day of rest. Bednar worked in all three games of the Boston series, throwing 45 total pitches (14 in Game 3). The most trusted relievers at the moment are Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill and Devin Williams.
Any injuries of note?
Blue Jays: It’s all about Bichette, still. Bichette is facing a steep, uphill climb to play in the ALDS, but his recovery is the biggest story around this team entering the postseason. Chris Bassitt is expected to be ready after dealing with a nagging lower back issue, if the Blue Jays choose to roll him out for a potential Game 4, but otherwise the team enters this series in good health.
Yankees: Bellinger was limping through the clubhouse after Game 3 and said he would seek treatment on a left foot injury, though he said it should not affect his availability for the ALDS. The state of Judge’s right elbow was a topic throughout the Wild Card Series, as Boston looked for opportunities to test Judge’s throwing. He’s clearly compromised after a July flexor strain, though it doesn’t seem to have impacted his offense.
Who is hot and who is not?
Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hasn’t homered since Sept. 5, and in the 21 games since then, he’s posted a .596 OPS and hit the ball on the ground too often. This needs to change quickly, especially if the Blue Jays are also without Bichette in the middle of their lineup. They also need an October surge from Addison Barger, who was one of this club’s best stories for much of the summer but faded down the stretch with a .197 average and .687 OPS in September. Barger, like Vladdy, is capable of changing a game with a single swing.
As always in 2025, George Springer is the counterbalance. The resurgent veteran hit .347 with eight homers and a 1.097 OPS in the month of September and no hitter on this roster knows postseason baseball like Springer does.
Yankees: Judge and Volpe were among the most consistent offensive threats in the Wild Card Series, each going 4-for-11 against Boston pitching, while Rice homered in his first postseason at-bat and has been swinging a scorching stick going back to the regular season. Stanton had a double in Game 3 after putting in some early BP, but he’s 1-for-11 this postseason after winning ALCS MVP honors a year ago.
Anything else fans might want to know?
Blue Jays: This is Toronto’s first trip to the ALDS since 2016 and the franchise is looking for its first postseason win since that great run, powered by Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion in the middle of the lineup.
Yankees: The Yankees won 94 games during the regular season, same as Toronto, but lost the AL East tiebreaker to the Jays because of their 5-8 head-to-head record. New York took two of three from Toronto the last time these clubs met (Sept. 5-7).