The hottest team in baseball is… The Kansas City Royals?
It’s been an extremely disappointing season for the Royals, who had finished above .500 each of the past two seasons, but now find themselves in the cellar of the AL Central. However, the team suddenly can not lose, entering play on Wednesday riding a nine-game winning streak.
Can Kansas City make it 10 in a row in Toronto? Let’s dive into this American League tilt and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Royals vs. Blue Jays prediction, preview
One of the most shocking success stories of the past couple months has been Randy Dobnak. In mid-June, Dobnak was traded from the Mariners to the Royals for cash considerations. At that point in 2026, the veteran right-hander had only appeared in six contests at the MLB level since the end of 2023. To say that the deal went under the radar would be a massive understatement. However, since being brought up by Kansas City, Dobnak’s pitched to a 1.58 ERA over 45.2 innings. That includes seven starts, and Dobnak’s not allowed a single earned run in more than half of those outings. Wild.
Now, as you might have guessed, Dobnak’s success is not without its red flags. First and foremost, a 91.5% strand rate will certainly not sustain, especially with Dobnak in possession of third percentile marks in strikeout rate (14.8%) and opponent expected batting average (.292). The 31-year-old has a 4.74 xERA that’s probably a much more accurate representation of his talent level. That said, I’m not sure the Jays lineup is the type to force normalization for a lucky, but thriving hurler. To wit, even with Toronto winning games in August, the club’s .284 expected wOBA ranks 29th in the league. For 2026 as a whole, the Jays also sit dead-last in hard hit rate (34.0%) and expected slugging (.364).
Want some more bad news, Toronto fans? How about Shane Bieber, tonight’s scheduled starter, heading to the IL with shoulder inflammation? Bieber will join Trey Yesavage (knee), Cody Ponce (knee) and Jameson Taillon (forearm) on the injured list, along with a host of others, which leaves the Jays with zero starting depth. Hence today’s plan for a bullpen game fronted by Spencer Miles. At one point in 2026, Miles was stretched out as a starter./bulk option for Toronto, but he’s since settled into a back-end role in the pen. That means Simeon Woods Richardson will likely feature prominently in Wednesday’s proceedings. SWR combines a first percentile strikeout rate (13.3%) with a third percentile xERA (5.75). His presence is not a good sign in the slightest.
Royals vs. Blue Jays pick, best bet
Best Bet: Royals ML (+136)
I’m not here to say I trust Randy Dobnak, but the man has allowed one earned run or fewer in seven of his past eight appearances. He’s now going up against the worst offense in baseball by expected wOBA (.295). Also the Jays don’t have a starter and the Royals have won nine in a row. You see where I’m going with this.
Strong Lean: Randy Dobnak 3+ Strikeouts (-122)
This is just such a low number. Dobnak is no strikeout artist, but he has matched or gone over this prop in six of his seven starts with the Royals. If he can pitch into the sixth, it’s just a simple matter of volume.
