Michael Kay's bold Blue Jays assertion could have some statistical backing

The Toronto Blue Jays have looked like a completely different team offensively, at least from the New York Yankees perspective, on the road vs. at home from Rogers Centre. Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay pointed this out during New York's 6-4 victory over the Blue Jays on Wednesday night, sparking some criticism.

As Adam Weinrib of Yanks Go Yard noted, the Blue Jays did an excellent job against Carlos Rodon with two strikes. Heck, they fouled off 27 of his pitches and forced him out prior to completing five innings. Kay's issue wasn't with the Jays approach, but that Toronto didn't show the same plate discipline and ability when the two teams played in New York.

"You know what's curious to me, though, John? We just saw the Blue Jays in the Bronx, and what we watched was a completely different team than the one we've seen in Toronto.," Kay said. "The one in New York did not foul off the amount of pitches that this team does. It's like it's a different team in this ballpark."

Kay did acknowledge that home-field advantage could play a role, but added to the controversy when he asked "why would it manifest itself in the ability to foul off tough pitches?"

Does Michael Kay's Blue Jays assertion have any backing?

Kay didn't specifically accuse the Blue Jays of anything, but left his commentary up to the viewers to decide by leaving his questions unanswered. The Yankees broadcast booth knew what they were doing. They're seasoned professionals.

The only real statistical backing behind Kay's argument are the Blue Jays home/road splits so far this season. Granted, it is early, but Toronto is hitting far better at home. In 294 at-bats at home, Toronto is slashing .279/.354/.401 with an OPS of .756. On the road, the Blue Jays are slashing just .193/.299/.327 with an OPS of .627. That's a fairly large gap.

An easy explanation for that could be a psychological one -- perhaps the Blue Jays need to adjust their approach on the road. It could also be explained by the caliber of opponent they have played at home vs. on the road so far this season.

Nonetheless, it seems unlikely that the Blue Jays are cheating at Rogers Centre. There's a reason Kay asked open-ended questions rather than making declarative statements.

The Yankees and Blue Jays are seemingly always involved in some form of petty gameplay. Whether it's the Jays broadcast booth accusing Aaron Judge of cheating prior to a home run, or now Kay returning the favor, we can all get a good laugh out of how ludicrous this rivalry really is.