The Yankees are heading into a weekend that looks straightforward on the surface and a lot trickier once you dig in.
After sweeping the Colorado Rockies, New York is three games behind American League East rival Tampa Bay. Next up is the Mets, a club sitting below .500 but playing far better than that record suggests.
Over their last 30 games, the Mets are 18-12, and their defense has been a major part of that surge. According to MLB.com's Mike Petriello, the Mets posted a 6 OAA in August and a 5 OAA so far in September.
That means the Yankees can’t afford to coast through this one. If they want to take the series and chip away at the Rays, they’ll need clean defense and strong starts all weekend.
The opener comes with a fitting layer of New York theater. On the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the city’s two teams will square off, with the Mets turning to McLean and the Yankees countering with Rodón.
Rodón has seen the Mets plenty since 2022. In five appearances against them, four of them with the Yankees, he owns a 3.70 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 24.1 innings.
McLean, meanwhile, has never faced the Yankees. And while Rodón is still working his way back after injury, McLean has been sharper lately, carrying a 2.32 ERA over his last 15 games.
That gives the nod to the younger arm in this one.
The next matchup sends Cole to the mound after a rough outing against the Padres. He gave up four home runs, all solo shots, and struck out only three, though he did last into the seventh inning.
Now he gets a chance to bounce back against a Mets lineup that has given him problems before. In nine appearances against them, he has a 6.99 ERA.
Even with that history, the Yankees should feel good about the matchup on paper.
Then there’s Schlittler, whose starts have started to feel simple in the best possible way: give him support, and he usually handles the rest. The Yankees can count on him for an ace-level effort, and another strong outing would only strengthen his case as a game-one starter.
The final arm to watch is Scott, and the 3.81 ERA doesn’t tell the full story. He’s not a middle-or-back-of-the-rotation type at all.
With 120 strikeouts in 99.1 innings, his stuff is the kind that can wipe out an offense. This one has the feel of a duel between two of the game’s best young pitchers, even if the wider baseball world hasn’t fully seen Scott on that stage yet.
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