It's a clash of former pitching titans Friday when the Yankees and Blue Jays open a three-game series in Toronto.
New York will send 2023 American League Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole to the mound while the Blue Jays counter with 2020 AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber.
However the pitchers will toe the rubber while trending in opposite directions.
Yes, both pitchers missed the beginning of the 2026 season while recovering from injuries.
But Cole is rounding into shape while Bieber remains a mound mystery.
Cole has won his last three starts and owns a 1.45 ERA during that time with 21 strikeouts in 18.2 innings pitched. Overall, he's 6-5 with a 3.35 ERA in 14 starts this year and is a big reason why New York leads the majors with a 3.28 team ERA.
On the flip side, Bieber has given up 10 runs in his last three starts, which works out to an ugly 7.50 ERA. The right-hander has made nine starts this year and is 3-2 with a 5.48 ERA.
Much like Cole and Bieber, the Yankees and Blue Jays are American League East rivals heading in opposite directions.
New York (68-53) sits atop the AL Wild Card standings and has a 99.6% chance of making the playoffs, according to FanGraphs. The Yankees also own the second-best World Series title odds (8.5%) in the AL, trailing only the Tampa Bay Rays (9.6%).
Toronto (59-64) is in fourth place in the AL East and seventh place in the AL Wild Card standings. The Blue Jays have just a 13.1% chance of reaching the postseason and minuscule 0.4% title odds.
The Yankees and Blue Jays will become quite familiar with each other over the next 10 days since the clubs head to the Bronx the following weekend for another three-game series.
New York holds a 4-3 advantage over Toronto in the season series after an 8-3 win on June 14.
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