I have to ask the question: Is this a World Series preview to start the second-half of the regular season?
The Dodgers are, without a doubt, the best team in baseball once again. Conversely, the Yankees’ dominance is a little less obvious, though a four-game winning streak to head into the All-Star break did a lot to quell the naysayers and worriers in the club’s fanbase. On the DraftKings Sportsbook, these two squads have the first and second-lowest odds to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy this fall.
In the meantime, let’s preview this interleague clash in July and make a couple picks.
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Dodgers vs. Yankees prediction, preview
I think it would be fair to say that the Gerrit Cole experience in 2026 has been a bit of a mixed bag. The former Cy Young Award winner came off the IL in late May and immediately threw 12.2 innings of scoreless baseball against the Rays and the Guardians. However, in his seven starts since then, Cole has pitched to a less inviting 5.45 ERA with a 4.78 FIP. He’s not walking many opponents, which is obviously a positive, yet the 35-year-old has seen his strikeout rate fall to just 21.6% in this span. Fewer strikeouts mean more batted ball events, and unfortunately for Cole, those BBEs have been leaving the park. In his last 36.1 innings of work, Cole’s surrendered a whopping 1.98 opponent home runs per nine. For lack of a more nuanced term, Cole simply looks a little rusty at the moment.
Speaking of underwhelming results and serving up long balls, Roki Sasaki will toe the rubber for the Dodgers this evening, opposite of Cole. In general, it’s been an up-and-down campaign for the former NPB star, but Sasaki’s past five outings have been especially discouraging. Dating back to June 12, the right-hander is in possession of an 8.61 ERA and an 8.14 FIP. It’s a span of time where Sasaki has walked 11.4% of the batters he’s faced while also giving up a stunning 3.52 home runs per nine. I probably don’t need to say this, yet that’s no way to live as a pitcher. Right-handed hitters have especially given Sasaki fits in this stretch, as they’ve combined to slash .375/.457/.850 with a .538 wOBA. For 2026 as a whole, Sasaki has a third percentile opponent barrel rate (12.8%). Not ideal.
The crux of tonight’s contest will be whether or not New York’s bats can take advantage of Sasaki’s current form. To be blunt, the Yankees just really miss Aaron Judge (rib). Even having Giancarlo Stanton (calf) and his power in the mix would be lovely. Over the past 30 days, New York ranks 29th in batting average (.215), dead-last in OBP (.272) and 28th in wRC+ (81). Not helping matters is the team’s 27.8% strikeout rate in this same span — the highest mark in MLB. Ben Rice is holding his own, but he needs a little help from his teammates.
Dodgers vs. Yankees pick, best bet
Best Bet: Yankees ML (-108)
New York’s bats seemed to come alive during its four-game winning streak. That trend should continue against Roki Sasaki, who has an 8.61 ERA and an 8.14 FIP over his last five starts. Gerrit Cole hasn’t looked amazing recently, but I trust him way more than the former NPB star at the moment.
Strong Lean: Ben Rice 1+ Home Run (+314)
The 27-year-old enters the second-half of the regular season with 29 long balls and a 95th percentile expected wOBA (.381). Rice is also averaging a home run every 9.1 at-bats at Yankee Stadium.
