As the 2026 MLB Spring Training gets into full swing, American League East division rivals the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees face off.
This game, scheduled for 1:07 PM EST on Tuesday, February 24 at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, carries significance beyond a mere exhibition game.
In 2025, Toronto finished atop the AL East with an 8-5 head-to-head regular season record against the Yankees, and went on to defeat them 3-1 in the ALDS en route to the World Series.
Meanwhile, the Yankees fell short against Toronto despite Aaron Judge winning his third MVP award with a dominant season of a .331 batting average and 53 home runs.
With both teams undergoing major roster changes this year, expectations are high for what they will show in this first Spring Training matchup.
Game Overview
| Category | Details |
| Event | 2026 MLB Spring Training (Grapefruit League) |
| Date & Time | Feb 25 (Tue) 03:07 KST / Feb 24 (Mon) 13:07 EST |
| Venue | TD Ballpark (Dunedin, Florida) |
| Home Team | Toronto Blue Jays |
| Away Team | New York Yankees |
Team Updates — Last Season Recap and Offseason Changes
The Toronto Blue Jays won the AL East in 2025 and reached the World Series for the first time in 32 years.
They defeated the Yankees 3-1 in the ALDS and edged the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in the ALCS to reach the World Series, but fell just short in a heartbreaking Game 7 extra-innings loss to the LA Dodgers.
Channeling that disappointment, they pursued aggressive reinforcements this offseason.
They signed Dylan Cease to a 7-year, $210 million deal to significantly bolster their starting rotation, and acquired shortstop Andres Gimenez to fill the void left by Bo Bichette.
Most notably, they signed power hitter Kazuma Okamoto from the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's NPB to a 4-year, $60 million deal, upgrading the third base position.
Okamoto has already raised expectations by launching his first Spring Training home run (a 431-foot blast).
The New York Yankees posted a solid 94-68 record in 2025, but were eliminated 1-3 by Toronto in the ALDS for a disappointing end to their season.
The Yankees also underwent significant changes this offseason.
They signed Cody Bellinger to a 6-year, $162.5 million deal to strengthen the outfield lineup and acquired Ryan McMahon to play third base, reshaping the infield.
However, Gerrit Cole is rehabbing with a target return of May-June following Tommy John surgery in 2025, and Carlos Rodon is also targeting an April return after elbow cleanup surgery, making the early-season starting rotation the biggest concern.
They will need to rely on Max Fried as the ace, supported by Cam Schlitter, Will Warren, Ryan Weathers, and Luis Gil to get through the early part of the season.
2025 Season Head-to-Head Record
| Category | Toronto | Yankees |
| Regular Season H2H | 8 W | 5 W |
| ALDS Result | 3 W (Series Win) | 1 W |
| Total H2H Record | 11 W | 6 W |
In the 2025 season, Toronto posted a dominant 11-6 combined record against the Yankees across the regular season and postseason.
In the ALDS, they secured blowout victories of 10-1 in Game 1 and 13-7 in Game 2, completely silencing the Yankees' lineup. Although the Yankees fought back with a 9-6 win in Game 3, Toronto closed out the series 5-2 in Game 4.
For the Yankees, seeking revenge against Toronto is no exaggeration to call one of the biggest objectives of this season.
2025 ALDS Game-by-Game Results
| Game | Date | Result | Score |
| Game 1 | October 4 | Toronto W | 10 - 1 |
| Game 2 | October 5 | Toronto W | 13 - 7 |
| Game 3 | October 7 | Yankees W | 9 - 6 |
| Game 4 | October 8 | Toronto W | 5 - 2 |
Expected Key Lineups for Both Teams
As it is still early in Spring Training, the lineups may differ from the regular season, but key players from both teams are expected to take the field.
Both teams have been actively fielding their starters in Spring Training games so far, so this matchup promises to be an entertaining one.
| Toronto Blue Jays Key Lineup | |
| Position | Player |
| First Base | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. |
| Shortstop | Andres Gimenez |
| Third Base | Kazuma Okamoto |
| Catcher | Alejandro Kirk |
| Outfield | Daulton Varsho / Davis Schneider |
| New York Yankees Key Lineup | |
| Position | Player |
| Right Field/DH | Aaron Judge |
| Left Field | Cody Bellinger |
| Second Base | Jazz Chisholm Jr. |
| Third Base | Ryan McMahon |
| Shortstop | Jose Caballero |
| DH | Giancarlo Stanton |
| Catcher | Austin Wells |
Key Players — Players to Watch
1. Kazuma Okamoto (Toronto / Third Base)
A power hitter who compiled a career .277 batting average, 248 home runs, 717 RBIs, and .882 OPS over 11 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's NPB.
He hit 30 or more home runs for six consecutive seasons from 2018 to 2023, and is the key acquisition set to form the core of Toronto's new batting lineup.
He made his MLB debut on February 21 against Philadelphia, and later launched a 431-foot home run, signaling a promising adjustment to the major leagues.
He has also expressed his intention to represent Japan in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) scheduled for March, making it important for him to sharpen his game sense as much as possible before then.
2. Aaron Judge (Yankees / Right Field/DH)
The best hitter in the major leagues, he won his third AL MVP award in the 2025 season with phenomenal numbers: a .331 batting average, 53 home runs, 114 RBIs, and 1.144 OPS.
He even claimed his first career batting title for a historically dominant season, but was left with regret after falling to Toronto in the postseason.
He has already been hitting consecutive home runs in this Spring Training, displaying his unchanged power, and all eyes will be on whether he can leave a strong impression against Toronto.
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto / First Base)
He posted a .292 batting average, 23 home runs, and 84 RBIs in the 2025 regular season, but became a completely different player in the postseason.
Over 18 postseason games, he delivered explosive numbers of a .397 batting average, 1.289 OPS, 8 home runs, and 15 RBIs, winning the ALCS MVP and leading Toronto to its first World Series appearance in 32 years.
He also hit .333 with 2 home runs in the World Series, proving his clutch ability on the big stage, and expectations for the 2026 season are higher than ever.
Game Key Points
1. Adaptation of Toronto's New Acquisitions
The biggest talking point is how quickly Toronto's major acquisitions — Kazuma Okamoto, Andres Gimenez, and Dylan Cease — are settling into their new team.
Okamoto's adjustment process to the major leagues, an entirely different environment from Japan's NPB, is particularly noteworthy. For Gimenez, the key question is whether he can bounce back from a disappointing 2025 season where he hit .210 with a .598 OPS.
However, there is optimism for Gimenez this season, as he showed a completely different approach at the plate in the postseason when healthy.
2. Yankees Starting Rotation Check
With Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon unavailable for the start of the season due to injuries, the key issue is how stable the Yankees' replacement starters can look.
Young pitchers like Cam Schlitter, Will Warren, Ryan Weathers, and Luis Gil need to step up behind Max Fried, making their Spring Training performances critically important.
The pitching performances in this game against Toronto could directly impact the rotation competition for the regular season.
3. Psychological Impact of the 2025 ALDS
Although this is Spring Training, Toronto remains a team that brings back painful autumn memories for Yankees players.
Having collapsed to a combined 16-28 score across four ALDS games, the Yankees will want to regain confidence against Toronto, even in an exhibition game.
Conversely, Toronto will look to maintain their psychological edge over the Yankees by continuing the dominance from last season.
2026 Season Major Roster Changes for Both Teams
| Category | Toronto Blue Jays | New York Yankees |
| Key Acquisitions | Dylan Cease, Andres Gimenez, Kazuma Okamoto | Cody Bellinger, Ryan McMahon, Ryan Weathers |
| Starting Rotation | Gausman, Cease, Yesavage, Ponce, Berrios | Fried, Schlitter, Warren, Weathers, Gil |
| Injured List | Shane Bieber (forearm fatigue) | Cole (TJ surgery, May-Jun), Rodon (elbow, Apr), Volpe (shoulder) |
What to Watch For
Kazuma Okamoto's first at-bat against the Yankees is the most anticipated moment.
All eyes will be on what kind of hitting Japan's top power hitter can produce against one of the strongest pitching staffs in the majors, and whether he can follow up his first Spring Training homer with consecutive long balls.
Aaron Judge's performance against Toronto is another must-watch storyline.
Judge hit .500 with a .581 OPS in last season's ALDS but saw his team lose. Even in an exhibition game, he will want to make a definitive statement against Toronto's pitching staff.
The pitching performances of both teams' young arms are also a key storyline.
Toronto's Trey Yesavage, who set a record with 12 strikeouts in the World Series during last year's postseason, is a rising ace, and there is great anticipation to see if he can carry that dominance into the regular season.
For the Yankees, fans will also get a look at top prospect George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones, who hit 35 home runs in the minor leagues.
Game Prediction
In the early stages of Spring Training, this game holds more significance for checking player conditioning and evaluating team strength than for the result itself.
However, comparing the two teams' rosters, Toronto has retained most of their World Series roster while adding aggressive reinforcements, whereas the Yankees face uncertainty in their starting rotation due to key pitching injuries.
Considering the home-field advantage and the psychological edge from last season, the Toronto Blue Jays are projected to have a slight edge in this game.
Of course, the wild card that is Aaron Judge can change the flow of any game at any moment, so an intense matchup is expected.