After a wild and error-assisted extra-innings win on Wednesday night, the White Sox will try and halve their series with the Yankees on Thursday afternoon with a second straight victory.
Can Chicago take another game from the Bronx Bombers? Let’s preview this American League clash and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Yankees vs. White Sox prediction, preview
I guess it’s up for debate as to whether Sean Burke or Davis Martin has been the White Sox’s surprise ace in 2026, but recent form would strongly suggest that it’s the former. Over his last seven starts, Burke has been almost untouchable, pitching to a 1.61 ERA and a 2.39 FIP. Claim “small sample luck” all you’d like — and a 90.7% strand rate would help your case — but the simple fact of the matter is that Burke has struck out 33.7% of all opponents he’s faced within this span, while only walking 4.1%. Any time an 8.1 K/BB ratio is involved, I’m going to say that the pitcher in question has earned his success. It’s also probably worth noting that this stretch of domination began on June 18, in New York, with Burke tossing 7.1 innings of one-run ball against these same Yankees.
It’s honestly a perfect segue to New York’s inability to score consistently in the past couple of months. Yes, the Yankees are 61-47 and are almost assuredly guaranteed a playoff spot given the weak nature of the AL in 2026. However, this is a lineup that is currently missing Aaron Judge (rib), Cody Bellinger (hamstring) and Giancarlo Stanton (calf). It’s also a lineup that desperately needs more from Jazz Chisholm, who enters play on Thursday with a 96 wRC+ and an eighth percentile expected batting average (.211). Put it all together, and you’re left with a collection of hitters that have rank dead-last in OBP (.279), 29th in batting average (.220) and 28th in wOBA (.288) over the past 30 days. Woof.
That’s extra pressure on Ryan Weathers to keep the White Sox’s bats at bay. Unfortunately for the Yankees, Weathers has been as inconsistent as the offense. Don’t get me wrong, when Weathers is good, he’s been fantastic. Look further than his last outing against the Phillies on Saturday, when the southpaw held Philly to a single run over 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts. However, Weathers’ past 10 starts paint a wildly erratic picture, as the left-hander has surrendered at least five earned runs in four of those games. That equates out to a 5.51 ERA since May 30. It’s simply not good enough, and I think it’s safe to say that if Carlos Rodon (elbow) or Clarke Schmidt (elbow) were healthy, Weathers would be currently working out of the bullpen.
Yankees vs. White Sox pick, best bet
Best Bet: White Sox ML (-117)
Just feels like a good opportunity to take the home team at a modest price on the moneyline. The White Sox have won eight of Burke’s past 10 starts, and they rank top 10 in baseball in wOBA (.315) and wRC+ (101) against left-handed pitching.
