This is the opener of a three-game series in New York between the Yankees and visiting Chicago Cubs.
Chris Flexen is scheduled to pitch for Chicago while Carlos Rodon should get the nod for New York.
Cubs at Yankees prediction, preview
Chris Flexen has had a 6.0 K/9 in almost every season in MLB, a span of six seasons. He went to Korea for a year and posted a 10.18. Anyways, through 32.2 innings this season, the K/9 is a microscopic 4.68. But who cares because he’s posting a 0.83 ERA. Fine, that’s not sustainable as Flexen has been extremely fortunate with a .189 BABIP and 95.2% strand rate. The FIP is 3.57. The regression fairies are going to sprinkle their dust at some point. We just don’t know when. It hasn’t been all smoke and mirrors, though, as the hard hit rate is 36.1%, and limiting hard contact is a skill.
Flexen has been tougher against righties while he’s been site neutral.
Flexen hasn’t started any games this season, functioning more as a bulk reliever. Due to the Jameson Taillon injury, though, the Cubs starting rotation is decimated, so it will be a bullpen game.
Against right-handed pitching, the Yankees have struck out at the seventh-highest rate while having the second-best ISO. The wOBA is second-best in MLB.
Carlos Rodon has been very, very good this season. In 111.2 innings , Rodon posted a 28.3% strikeout rate. The 8.9% walk rate is a little high but nothing too crazy. He’s allowed 15 home runs. The ERA is 3.30 but the FIP is higher at 3.75 as the BABIP is only .228. The swinging strike rate is a robust 12.9%.
Both righties and lefties are batting sub-.200 against Rodon. Righties have hit 11 of the 15 home runs. He’s been slightly better on the road and nine of the 15 home runs have been served up at Yankees Stadium.
Rodon has allowed over three earned runs six times, with three of those occuring in the first four starts of the season. His most recent out was his worst on the season, allowing six earned runs in five innings against the New York Mets in Queens. This will be the first time facing the Cubs this season.
The Cubs have struck out at the 26th-highest rate against left-handed pitching while being fourth in ISO. The wOBA is sixth-best.
As for bullpens, Chicago has the 12th-lowest FIP while New York has the 18th-lowest.
Cubs at Yankees Best Bet
The Cubs have the bats to cause Rodon some trouble. And I think they will score some runs, but Rodon is so good that I think he pitches deep into this one. Chicago will essentially have a bullpen game. With the Yankees likely seeing a cornucopia of pitchers, it may be difficult to get a beat on any.
