Blue Jays vs. Yankees 2021 Opening Day preview

The Yankees are the favored juggernaut in the American League East, aiming to return to the World Series for the first time since 2009. The Blue Jays intend to make their lives difficult for years to come, featuring an exciting roster stocked with young talent.

But the best story on Thursday will be taking place outside the white lines. For the first time since Game 5 of the 2019 American League Championship Series, fans will attend a contest in the Bronx. Even with the crowd limited to 20 percent of Yankee Stadium's capacity, the atmosphere figures to be nothing short of celebratory.

"I anticipate there being some energy," said Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. "It’s been a long time since people in New York have been able to get to a baseball game, so I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to my family being there. Hopefully we come out crisp, play a nice game and set the tone for the season.”

• Yanks eye -- what else? -- WS return in 2021

The Yankees finished last year’s pandemic-shortened campaign with a 33-27 record, seven games behind the division-leading Rays, whom they faced in a neutral-site AL Division Series. Toronto finished third in the AL East with a 32-28 record, eight games behind Tampa Bay.

When is the game and how can I watch it?

First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET on Thursday. The game will be televised by YES, ESPN and MLB.TV. There will be radio broadcasts on WFAN 660/101.9 FM and WADO 1280.

The starting lineups

Blue Jays: Manager Charlie Montoyo settled on the top half of his lineup late in Spring Training, but George Springer's Grade 2 left oblique strain could delay that. Even as the Blue Jays deal with injuries throughout the season, this lineup has the depth to produce with power. Montoyo likes that he has different types of hitters, balancing on-base potential with more power-focused bats.

Yankees: Manager Aaron Boone has permitted himself to dream about what it would be like to write his full complement of healthy stars into the lineup for 140 or 150 games -- a luxury he has not yet been afforded in three seasons at the helm. Losing the Majors’ reigning home run leader in Luke Voit is a big blow, but the Bombers should have enough offensive firepower to put up plenty of crooked numbers.

Who are the starting pitchers?

Blue Jays: Hyun Jin Ryu makes his second consecutive Opening Day start for the Blue Jays, and the club's undisputed ace might be the most important player on this roster. Given the injuries to Toronto's pitching staff already and its lack of top-end starters behind Ryu, the left-hander needs to carry over his 2020 form, when he posted a 2.69 ERA and finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting.

• Blue Jays relying on deep lineup, young core

Yankees: Cole draws his second Opening Day assignment in as many years since signing a nine-year, $324 million contract before last season. Cole was 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA in 12 regular-season starts in 2020, then pitched to a 2.95 ERA in three postseason outings. Cole was 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in his two starts against Toronto last year, and coming off a year in which no pitcher was able to handle a full workload, Cole is one of the few horses who can think about 200 innings.

How will the bullpens line up after the starter?

Blue Jays: With Kirby Yates lost for the season, the Blue Jays will follow their 2020 strategy with a committee approach in save and high-leverage situations. Jordan Romano is likely to open with the biggest innings, though, while Rafael Dolis, David Phelps, Tyler Chatwood and Ryan Borucki will be in that mix. Long man Trent Thornton shouldn't be needed with Ryu on the mound, but Julian Merryweather is capable of bridging two innings if needed while left-hander Tim Mayza has cracked the roster after a great spring, too. This group will take a different shape each night, but the pieces are there for Montoyo.

Yankees: Closer Aroldis Chapman will be unavailable for the season’s first two games, serving a suspension levied for throwing near the Rays’ Mike Brosseau’s head last year. Shuffling after an injury to Zack Britton, Boone envisions a “fluid situation” at the end of the game, with Chad Green and Darren O’Day among those expected to pick up important assignments in late innings. Justin Wilson will begin the year on the injured list, so Jonathan Loaisiga and Nick Nelson could be boosted in the pecking order. Luis Cessa settles into his familiar role as the long man.

Any injuries of note?

Blue Jays: In addition to Springer's Grade 2 left oblique strain, the Blue Jays' pitching depth has been tested early. No. 1 prospect Nate Pearson, who likely would have pitched behind Ryu in this series, is still building back up after reaggravating a right groin strain and Thomas Hatch, who likely would have had a rotation spot by now, is down with elbow inflammation. The Blue Jays are also without Robbie Ray for at least this first series after the left-hander fell and bruised his elbow, so the Yankees will be facing a different staff than many expected at the outset of Spring Training.

Yankees: After a remarkably healthy spring, the Yankees have taken some late hits. Britton is out for at least three months following surgery to remove a bone chip and loose bodies from his pitching elbow, and Wilson exited his final spring appearance with tightness in his pitching shoulder. Voit dealt with swelling and soreness in his left knee, prompting an MRI that revealed a partially torn meniscus. Voit opted for surgery and hopes to return in May.

Who is hot and who is not?

Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is coming off a fantastic Spring Training. Now 22, Guerrero is not only hitting the ball hard, he is elevating it, which is crucial after ground balls hurt him over his first two seasons in the big leagues. Combine that with Guerrero's improved fitness, and the Blue Jays are optimistic that he's finally ready to unlock his elite potential at the plate. On the other side of that coin is Rowdy Tellez, who was hitting the ball hard earlier in camp but couldn't translate that into results. The DH and backup first-base jobs are Tellez's for now, but he'll need to carry over his strong 2020 performance into ’21.

Yankees: Cole was exceptional in his last start of the spring, firing 5 2/3 scoreless innings of two-hit ball against the Orioles. Cole pitched to a 2.45 ERA over 18 1/3 spring frames. Gleyber Torres was among the Bombers’ most productive bats this spring, belting five homers and collecting nine RBIs. DJ LeMahieu and Gary Sánchez both saw their offensive performances sag after hot starts. Chapman had a wobbly appearance on March 26 against Baltimore but pitched cleaner in his last spring outing.

Anything else fans might want to know?

• The Blue Jays kept Ryu away from the Yankees in Spring Training so that New York's bats couldn't get an early look at his stuff. Ryu's fastball ticked up a bit in camp, and while he's still not lighting up any radar guns, this is encouraging after his fastball started the 2020 season a bit low. This pitch helps to set up his exceptional changeup, which he loves to pull out when a hitter's looking eager for a big swing.

• Toronto ranked near the top of the Grapefruit League in stolen base attempts, which isn't what the club has been known for in recent years. This isn't a team of burners, but it’s athletic throughout. Biggio is a good example of this, going a perfect 20-for-20 to start his big league career by picking the right spots. Expect to see the Blue Jays push the envelope more with their athleticism in 2021.

• Cole faced the Blue Jays on March 21 in Dunedin, Fla., holding Toronto to a Marcus Semien solo home run over five strong frames. The Jays managed four hits off Cole, who walked one and struck out eight.

• Yankee Stadium is opening at 20 percent capacity to begin the regular season. The current limited capacity games are the first 11 regular-season home games, April 1-21. For more information on the Yankees’ guest attendance policy, please visit: www.yankees.com/update.

Everything to know for TOR-NYY opener