Who's better? Position-by-position breakdown of Blue Jays-Royals

In a rematch 30 years in the making, the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals meet Friday in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.

The top-seeded Royals are returning to the ALCS for the second straight year after winning 95 games and their best-of-five division series with the Houston Astros. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, are set to play in their first league championship series since 1993 following a series of high-profile acquisitions that complemented the league's highest-scoring offense.

Here's how the two rivals stack up positionally ahead of their 1985 ALCS rematch:

FIRST BASE

The composition of Blue Jays first basemen is more complicated than the Royals, who boast a strong defender and solid hitter in Eric Hosmer. Toronto's optimal lineup offensively features both Chris Colabello and Edwin Encarnacion at first and DH, though neither of them are particularly strong with the glove. Slick-fielding switch-hitter Justin Smoak gives manager John Gibbons options, but in this case less might be more. Edge: Royals

SECOND BASE

One of the more impactful trade deadline moves was without question the Royals' addition of Swiss Army knife Ben Zobrist, whose versatility and steady production has lengthened an already deep lineup. Ryan Goins fields his position as well as anyone in the league, but he's looked overmatched so far this postseason, going hitless with one walk in 20 division series plate appearances. Edge: Royals

SHORTSTOP

It's been hard for Blue Jays fans to reconcile the Troy Tulowitzki hype with his results thus far in Toronto, but so long as his shoulder blade is healed, he's a right-handed volcano ready to erupt. Despite his struggles at the plate, the All-Star's defense continues to be spectacular, and his overall skill set still represents a significant upgrade over the very capable Alcides Escobar, whose glove and speed complement Kansas City's lineup well. Edge: Blue Jays

THIRD BASE

Both Mike Moustakas and Josh Donaldson are All-Star third basemen, but the Blue Jays' slugger is of the first-division variety. Donaldson is among the top players at his position on both sides of the diamond, and is one of the two most feared hitters in this series. The Royals will need another big postseason run from Moustakas to close the gap on the front-runner for AL MVP. Edge: Blue Jays

OUTFIELD

Probably the most evenly matched position battle in this series, the Royals boast a sizable edge in left and center with All-Stars Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain far superiors players to Ben Revere and Kevin Pillar. The same can be said for Toronto's advantage between bat-flipping Jose Bautista over former Blue Jays outfielder Alex Rios. Bautista has the best bat of them all, while Gordon's arm and Cain's dynamism are the catalysts to the Royals' well-constructed lineup. The Royals have the edge here on paper, so look for Pillar's performance at the plate to be a difference maker in this series. Edge: Royals

CATCHERS

Two of the top catchers in the game, neither Salvador Perez or Russell Martin produced consistent seasons offensively. They did, however, continue to establish themselves as two of the toughest players in the majors at their positions. Perez boasts more consistent pop than Martin, but his patience at the plate has been a source of concern for the Royals. Martin, meanwhile, has played as big a part as any in the success of Toronto's surprising pitching staff, and his ability to control the running game - particularly against the Royals' speedy options - promises to be a major storyline in the best-of-seven series. The switch-hitting Dioner Navarro adds another dimension to Gibbons' lineup and is a marked upgrade over Royals backup Drew Butera. Edge: Blue Jays

STARTERS

Forget the David Price controversy from the LDS - the Blue Jays have the top two pitchers in this series and they have them for potentially four starts. Price and Marcus Stroman give Toronto a sizable advantage on the mound, especially with Marco Estrada and his deceptive changeup to keep hitters out of their rhythm. The X-factor for Kansas City will be which Johnny Cueto shows up - he and Stroman are lined up for Games 3 and 7 - but just as important to the Royals' fortunes will be how they keep their emotions in check. Edinson Volquez has a history with the Blue Jays, and Yordano Ventura has one with just about everyone else. There's a fine line between them pitching with fire or reckless abandon, and one should expect the Blue Jays' competitive sluggers to push them as close to the latter as possible. Edge: Blue Jays

BULLPEN

Both bullpens were strong this season and are major reasons why each club has made it this far. The Royals own one of the most dominant 1-2 punches in the league in Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera, while Ryan Madson has stepped up and filled the void left by Greg Holland's injury. The deeper the Blue Jays go this postseason, the more we'll continue to learn about rookie sensations Roberto Osuna and Aaron Sanchez. Osuna, the youngest player in baseball, has been a revelation for Toronto, though the further the team goes the more these youngsters will experience a new kind of spotlight. How they handle it, particularly without the injured Brett Cecil, could go a long way in determining the outcome of the series. Edge: Royals

DESIGNATED HITTER

If you've watched Encarnacion hit the baseball over the last few seasons, you're probably wondering why the DH battle is even a comparison. Encarnacion's 151 home runs rank second among major-league hitters since 2012 and his behemoth blast off Cole Hamels in Game 5 of the ALDS should be enough to strike fear in any opposition. Luckily for the Royals, they've got a formidable comparable in Kendrys Morales, the switch-hitting power hitter who smashed 22 homers this year with a .362 OBP, and clubbed three more big blasts against the Astros. A not-so-bold prediction: one of these sluggers will come up with a pivotal hit this series. Edge: Blue Jays

BENCH

With the exception of Smoak and Navarro, the majority of the Blue Jays' bench are injury replacements. Players like Cliff Pennington and Ezequiel Carrera are here more for insurance than a tactical skill, though Toronto hopes Dalton Pompey can supply late-game speed. The Royals on the other hand have a pair of game-changing runners on their bench in Jarrod Dyson and Terrance Gore, and Yost has shown no hesitation in deploying them in critical situations. Edge: Royals