Royals @ Yankees
Saturday, 1:35 PM ET | Yankee Stadium, Bronx
The early window gives us Noah Cameron (3.94 ERA) heading into the Bronx against Will Warren (2.45 ERA), a quiet matchup on paper that could produce a lot of action if either starter misses his spot early. Cameron's sinker profile has a ceiling in Kansas City's park but Yankee Stadium's dimensions have historically punished lefties who try to pitch to contact in the middle of the plate. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Austin Wells are the kind of hitters who make one bad sinker disappear. Warren, meanwhile, has been one of the quieter breakout arms in the Yankees' rotation and is coming off consecutive starts with 7-plus strikeouts.
New York opens as a hefty favorite given home-field and the rotation edge. The Royals' lineup has been disciplined but doesn't generate the kind of thump needed to keep up with the Yankees at their ballpark. Warren's slider has been the pitch separating his two halves of April, and if he has feel for it early, this becomes a six-inning, one-run afternoon for him. The under feels sharp if Warren works deep.