Seattle Mariners vs Toronto Blue Jays Picks and Prediction for Friday August 28 2026

The Seattle Mariners travel to Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, to face the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, August 28, 2026. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET, with coverage on Apple TV. Seattle enters at 64-70 overall and 27-39 on the road, while Toronto is 65-69 overall and 34-34 at home. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Before placing any wagers, check out our free MLB picks for more baseball predictions and analysis.

Starting Pitchers

Seattle is expected to start Emerson Hancock, who enters at 7-7 with a 3.37 ERA and 1.12 WHIP across 133.2 innings. He has allowed 118 hits while striking out 125 and walking only 32. Toronto counters with Dylan Cease, who is 8-5 with a 2.37 ERA and 1.06 WHIP through 144.1 innings. He has surrendered just 89 hits while recording 209 strikeouts and 64 walks. Toronto owns the stronger starting-pitcher profile, particularly in run prevention and strikeout production.

Mariners Need More Consistency on the Road

Seattle enters Friday at 64-70 after being shut out 6-0 by Philadelphia on Wednesday. The Mariners are 3-2 over their last five games, with victories of 4-1 and 9-2 over the Phillies and a 5-4 win over the Cubs. However, they were also beaten 19-2 by Chicago during that stretch, illustrating how uneven their recent results have been.

The Mariners are batting .228 as a team with 526 runs, 1,012 hits and 155 home runs. Seattle owns a .309 on-base percentage and .375 slugging percentage. On the mound, the Mariners have posted a 4.10 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, while opponents are batting .248 against them.

The biggest concern is Seattle's offense. The Mariners have the lower batting average and have scored slightly fewer runs than Toronto despite showing more home-run power. Their 27-39 road record also adds another disadvantage against a Toronto team playing at home with the stronger projected starter.

Blue Jays Lean on the Pitching Edge

Toronto enters Friday at 65-69 after blanking Kansas City 3-0 on Wednesday. The Blue Jays are 2-3 over their last five games, but their most recent victory was encouraging because the pitching staff completely controlled the matchup.

Toronto is hitting .245 with 527 runs, 1,108 hits and 125 home runs. The Blue Jays carry a .306 on-base percentage and .379 slugging percentage. Their pitching staff has produced a 3.94 ERA and 1.31 WHIP, while opponents are batting .239.

Toronto's biggest edge comes from the projected starter. The Blue Jays' starter enters with a 2.37 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 209 strikeouts, giving Toronto a legitimate opportunity to suppress a Seattle lineup that has struggled to produce consistent offense. The Blue Jays are only 34-34 at home, but the starting matchup gives them the clearer advantage Friday.

Seattle Mariners vs Toronto Blue Jays Picks and Prediction

Pick: Toronto Blue Jays Moneyline

Toronto is the side pick. The difference between these teams isn't especially large overall, but the projected starting-pitcher matchup gives the Blue Jays a meaningful edge. Toronto's starter has the lower ERA, better strikeout numbers and has allowed significantly fewer hits than Seattle's projected starter. Seattle also enters with a poor road record and an offense batting just .228. Take the Toronto Blue Jays moneyline.

Pick: Under 8.5

The total isn't available at the time of writing, but take the Under if the number is set at 8.5. Both projected starters have respectable season numbers, and Toronto's starter has been particularly strong with a 2.37 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. Seattle was just shut out in its last game, while Toronto has scored three runs or fewer in four of its last five. This matchup has enough pitching to stay below nine runs if both starters perform near their season averages.

This preview was completed before play on Thursday. Starting pitchers, betting lines and other game information are subject to change before the game begins.