Rockies vs Blue Jays: Starting Lineup - Opening Game Preview

The Toronto Blue Jays will try to keep their three-game home win streak intact when they play the Colorado Rockies tonight.

Newly acquired right-hander Cody Ponce will make his Blue Jays debut against Rockies newcomer Tomoyuki Sugano.

First pitch is at 7:07 PM ET on Sportsnet and Rockies TV, with the radio call available on Sportsnet 590 The FAN.

Cody Ponce's return to an MLB mound for the first time in five years will be intriguing.

Ponce is clearly a different pitcher today than the guy who posted a 5.86 ERA in 55.1 innings of work with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the early 2020s.

He also can’t be expected to replicate his otherworldly KBO stats against the best hitters in the world.

2025 stats (KBO): 12.55 K/9, 2.04 BB/9, 0.50 HR/9 in 180.2 IP with a 1.89 ERA and 2.15 FIP

That’d undoubtedly be a stretch goal for a starter who hasn’t made it work at the MLB level yet, but Ponce’s spring showing included some encouraging signs.

Not only did the 31-year-old manage a 0.66 ERA in five outings this spring, but he also featured a fastball that topped out at 97.6 m.p.h. and averaged 95.5 m.p.h. as well as an impressive kick-change that generated a whiff rate of 43.5 per cent.

It will be interesting to see whether Ponce’s cutter can provide a strong glove-side complement to his fading changeup and how important his curve will be to his repertoire, but the arsenal he’s been working on across the Pacific Ocean made a strong impression in the spring.

Tomoyuki Sugano gets the ball for the visiting Rockies. Sugano signed a one-year major league contract with the Colorado two weeks ago.

Sugano posted a 4.64 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 106:36 K:BB over 157 innings covering 30 starts for the Orioles in 2025 in his first year in the majors.

He had just a 15.7 percent strikeout rate and served up 33 home runs, which is a bad combination for a pitcher who will now have to tame Coors Field in his home starts.

Right now he has the white hot Blue Jays to deal with, and he'll need everything to go right to maneuver this lineup.

Toronto went 94-68 overall and 54-27 at home a season ago. The Blue Jays slugged .427 as a team in the 2025 season while hitting 1.2 home runs per game.

Colorado had a 43-119 record overall and an 18-63 record in road games last season.

The Rockies pitching staff averaged 7.0 strikeouts per nine innings while giving up 6.3 runs per game in the 2025 season.

Blue Jays: Mason Fluharty: day-to-day (knee), Anthony Santander: 10-Day IL (shoulder), Shane Bieber: 15-Day IL (elbow), Jose Berrios: 15-Day IL (elbow), Yimi Garcia: 15-Day IL (elbow), Trey Yesavage: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Bowden Francis: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Rockies: Blaine Crim: 10-Day IL (oblique), Tyler Freeman: 10-Day IL (back), McCade Brown: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Mickey Moniak: 10-Day IL (finger), Zac Veen: 10-Day IL (knee), Pierson Ohl: 60-Day IL (elbow), RJ Petit: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kris Bryant: 60-Day IL (back), Jeff Criswell: 60-Day IL (elbow)

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