Aaron Judge Powers Yankees Into Orioles Vs Yankees Four-Game Series
Orioles vs Yankees opens with a hard numbers edge for New York: the Yankees bring 20 wins, the most in the American League, into a four-game series. They also have scored 153 runs and allowed 106, which sets up a steep task for Baltimore over the next four games and seven of the next 13.
Aaron Judge Drives New York
Aaron Judge leads the league with 12 home runs and a 1.002 OPS, and Ben Rice has added 10 homers with an OPS higher than Judge’s. That gives the Yankees two middle-of-the-order bats producing at the top of the league while the rest of the lineup has kept the club at 153 runs, second in the American League.
New York’s edge is not limited to the lineup. The starting pitching has been the best in baseball this year, and three of the Yankees’ starters have K/9 rates over 10. The club also brought up Elmer Rodríguez to round out the rotation, a move that keeps the series lined up around four frontline arms rather than a patchwork staff.
Baltimore’s Starter Puzzle
Baltimore had not announced any starters by Thursday night, and the options were already thin. Chris Bassitt and Brandon Young pitched the previous day and are unavailable, Trevor Rogers and Dean Kremer are on the injured list, and Cade Povich last pitched on April 25.
That leaves the Orioles waiting on several arms who could still fit into the series. Kyle Bradish could pitch on regular rest on Thursday night, Shane Baz could pitch on regular rest on Sunday, and Albert Suárez could be added back to the 40-man roster and pitch on Monday.
Will Warren, Ryan Weathers
Will Warren enters as one of the names Baltimore must solve first. He is 3-0 with a 2.59 ERA and 37 strikeouts, after posting a 4.44 ERA over 33 starts last year, and his 28.7 percent strikeout rate and 5.4 percent walk rate this season show a sharper version of the same arm.
Warren has also paired a 48.8 percent groundout rate with a 93.9 mph average fastball, which gives him multiple ways to end a threat before it starts. The Orioles hit.272/.333/.506 against him in 20 innings last year, while Gunnar Henderson went 3-for-7 with four walks and Colton Cowser was 3-for-7 in limited plate appearances.
Ryan Weathers gives New York another difficult test. He is 1-2 with a 3.21 ERA and 40 strikeouts, has a K rate of just under 30 percent this year, and has allowed five home runs in six starts, a mixed profile that Baltimore will see as it tries to break through against a staff allowing the fewest runs in the league.
The bullpen behind those starters has been just as difficult to handle. Yankees relievers have held opposing hitters to a.710 OPS, and David Bednar leads the league with nine saves despite a 3.55 ERA and a 1.658 WHIP. For Baltimore, the series starts with the challenge of matching that depth before the schedule tightens further over the next 13 games.
