Kansas City Royals Travel to Toronto Putting Win Streak on the Line: Stats and Trends to Keep an Eye on
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The Royals are playing well late in the season once again, as they will carry an eight-game win streak with them on their road trip to Toronto and then Cleveland. Everything has clicked for the Royals during this stretch, as the bats have gotten going and the pitching has been solid enough, showcased by their 9-1 record in their last ten games. Here are the probable starters, as well as stats and trends to keep an eye on.
Probable Starters
Game One: Seth Lugo (5-7, 4.71 ERA) vs. Max Scherzer (1-6, 7.40 ERA)
Game Two: Randy Dobnak (2-1, 1.58 ERA) vs. Shane Bieber (5-2, 4.53 ERA)
Game Three: Noah Cameron (8-8, 4.02 ERA) vs. Spencer Arrighetti (7-6, 4.73 ERA)
Bobby Baseball Has Been Unleashed
A key reason that the Royals have been hot offensively has been the production of "Bobby Baseball." During this ten-game stretch, BWJ has slashed .316/.435/.579 for an OPS of 1.014 and a wRC+ of 176. While he isn't driving the bus yet with six RBIs over this stretch, he is getting on base and getting driven in with 11 runs.
He is using his five-tool prowess during this stretch and he will be facing a team he has a career OPS of .810. That might not sound like the best, but over the past two seasons, BWJ has pulverized Blue Jays pitching with an OPS over .900 in 2024 and 2025. He has a good track record against Shane Bieber and Spencer Arrighetti as well.
If the Royals want the winning streak to continue, Bobby Baseball will continue to be the catalyst for that.
Long Time Foe Returns to Plague Royals
It might have been a rough handful of seasons for Shane Bieber, and an injury delayed his return this season, but he is back to pitch against the Royals. He has started 11 games this season and has sported an ERA of 4.53, but against the Royals, he has been dominant. From his time pitching for Cleveland to even as a Blue Jay, Bieber has had the Royals number since his sophomore season.
Since 2020, Bieber has an ERA of 2.06 against the Royals with a 3-2 record. He is also putting together a solid August; in his four starts this month, he has gone 5.2 innings in every start and has a 2.96 ERA, with one bad start against the Phillies. The benefit for the Royals, however, is that "Salvy", Michael Massey, Kyle Isbel, and Vinnie Pasquantino all have OPSs of .900 or better against Bieber.
If he has returned to form, it will be a benefit for the Blue Jays and a tough battle for the Royals in the second game of the series.
Vinnie Pasquantino looks like a new batter since his return from the IL
Despite it being a rough season for Vinnie Pasquantino, both results-wise and injury-wise, he has returned from the IL with a vengeance. Since his return to action on Aug. 17, he is slashing .385/.448/.769 for an OPS of 1.218 and a wRC+ of 234. He has also displayed power with six extra-base hits (four doubles and two home runs), while also continuing to draw walks at a 10.3% rate.
Another key number to keep an eye on is the fact that in 29 plate appearances, he has yet to strike out. To go along with the recent power surge, it can be explained by his average exit velocity of 93.7 mph during this stretch. He has played some of his best baseball during this stretch and he gets to face a team he dominated against last season.
In 2025, Vinnie had an OPS of 1.081 against the Blue Jays and historically has a solid track record against a handful of their current arms. He has an OPS of 1.000 or better against Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber, Paul Sewald, Tyler Rogers, Spencer Arrigetti, and Braydon Fisher.
If both Vinnie and Bobby can continue their hot streaks the Royals will have a solid chance to continue their winning ways.
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Trey is no stranger to writing about the Royals as he has done it for 6 years now for various blogs (Kings of Kauffman, Inside The Royals, and Farm to Fountains). He is a graduate of Baker University with a degree in Mass Media with an emphasis in sports media. He enjoys watching and researching sports as well as gaming.
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