Toronto at Tampa Bay

The Tampa Bay Rays continue to produce as a small market team that doesn't spend what so many other contenders do. The Rays will go with Zach Efflin in their opener vs. the Blue Jays. Efflin made the transition from NL to AL in seemless fashion as he completed 2023 at 16-8 with a 3.50 ERA. That was good enough for a sixth place finish in the Cy Young voting. Toronto would likely have Kevin Gausman as their Opening Day starter, as he finished third in Cy Young votes a year ago, but he opens the season with shoulder issues, and instead the Jays will go with Jose Berrios. The Jays finished a pedestrian 17-16 in his 33 starts in 2023. He put together a good middle of the season, but opened the season with the Jays going 0-4 and closed it at 1-4. Make the play on Tampa Bay.