The Yankees and Astros are facing off in New York on Friday. Below, I break down my prediction and pick for the game.
Cam Schlittler will be starting for the Yankees, while Hunter Brown will take the mound for the Astros .
Yankees vs. Astros prediction, preview
Since being called up from the minors last month, Cam Schlittler has endured some early growing pains at the big-league level. The rookie right-hander is 1–2 with a 4.58 ERA and 1.68 WHIP over 19.2 innings, though he’s shown strikeout potential with 21 punchouts during that span. Encouragingly, Schlittler is coming off the best start of his young career. In his most recent outing against the Marlins, he tossed five solid innings, allowing just two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out six.
Hunter Brown, meanwhile, is in the midst of a breakout season for Houston. The 26-year-old right-hander holds a 9–5 record with a stellar 2.47 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 155 strikeouts over 131 innings—firmly establishing himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball. While he has yet to face the Yankees this year, Brown enters his next outing with momentum after a dominant showing against the Red Sox on Sunday, where he allowed just one run on four hits over seven innings, striking out six.
The Yankees enter this series in the midst of a rough stretch, having lost five straight games before salvaging the finale of their recent set against the Rangers. That skid included a deflating sweep at the hands of the Marlins, highlighting the club’s recent struggles on both sides of the ball.
Yankees vs. Astros pick, best bet
Even with Aaron Judge back in the lineup, the Yankees’ offense has continued to sputter. Despite a 12-run outburst against Miami last weekend, they’ve been shut out in two of their last four games and have struggled to generate consistent production during their recent skid.
Houston, meanwhile, has been rolling at the plate—scoring seven or more runs in four of its last eight games. The addition of Carlos Correa at the trade deadline only adds more firepower to an already dangerous lineup, giving the Astros even more depth heading into the final stretch.
These are two teams clearly trending in opposite directions. The Astros are surging and will send one of the best arms in baseball to the mound, while the Yankees counter with an unproven rookie still adjusting to major league hitters. That pitching mismatch gives Houston a clear edge—and makes them a strong play at -121 on DraftKings Sportsbook.