The Yankees opened up their second half with a series win over the Braves, and now that they’ve warmed back up it’s time for a major test. The Blue Jays humiliated New York in their last meeting, a four-game sweep to open up the month that knocked them out of first place in the division for the first time since early April. They’ve been stuck in second since, treading water while they got back on their feet in the final week before the All-Star break.
Now could be their chance to get some revenge.
Sitting just three games back in the AL East, a sweep could bring the Yankees back to a tie for first place. A series victory in general would do boost their confidence, as they have struggled mightily to perform within the division with a 10-16 record against their East foes. Anything less than that, and they’ll have to worry more about the Red Sox creeping up on them than they will the gap between them and first place.
Toronto, for their part, have been mostly rolling since their last encounter with New York. They’re 12-3 this month, and coming off of a sweep of the Giants to open up their post-break schedule. They feature a top-10 offense with a .741 OPS, championed by the resurgent George Springer and his team-leading 17 home runs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. remains a major threat, and regulars Alejandro Kirk, Daulton Varsho, and Bo Bichette continue to be thorns in the side of any pitcher maneuvering their lineup. Addison Barger has taken a big leap forward in his second year at third base, providing more depth to an offense that hasn’t gotten much out of their main offseason addition, Anthony Santander — his .577 OPS wasn’t cutting it, and he hit the IL to start June with shoulder inflammation that’ll keep him out for a while.
The Yankees have lined up their best pitchers for this matchup, though there’s some minor concerns to look out for thanks to some injuries that pushed them back to this spot in the rotation. Without further ado, let’s see who is going to take the mound for these crucial contests.
Monday: Carlos Rodón vs. Kevin Gausman (7:07 p.m. ET)
Rodón gets the ball to open this series, throwing his first start since his first All-Star appearance in pinstripes. He’s pitched to a 3.08 ERA (3.59 FIP) in 119.2 innings this year, and one of his biggest improvements compared to his first two years with the Yankees has been his ability to keep the ball in the yard. Rodón’s got a 1.13 HR/9 this year, a drastic difference compared to his 2.10 and 1.59 marks in 2023 and 2024.
On the other side the Blue Jays are opening with Kevin Gausman, who has pitched to a 4.19 ERA (3.86 FIP) in 109.2 innings in 2025. Gausman’s not quite the pitcher he was when he first signed with Toronto, grading out as roughly average this season, and the Yankees have had a decent amount of success against him in the two outings that they’ve had against him. They rocked him for six runs in 2.2 innings in a late April matchup, and got 10 baserunners but only two runs in five innings during their meeting at the start of July. Perhaps they’ll have better luck cashing those runs in this time around.
Tuesday: Cam Schlittler vs. Max Scherzer (7:07 p.m. ET)
Schlittler worked his way into a big league promotion after blazing through Double-A with a 2.38 ERA and performing solidly in his five starts with Triple-A Scranton. His MLB debut gave Yankees fans a lot to be excited about, as he went 5.1 innings and struck out seven while allowing three runs against the Mariners. He did allow a pair of solo shots in that start, but he allowed just four overall in 76.2 innings in the minors. He was originally on pace to start in the Braves series, but he felt some discomfort in his arm and the team decided to play it safe, pushing him back and getting an MRI that came back negative.
Naturally, opposite the rookie making his second career start is a veteran destined for the Hall of Fame whenever he hangs up the cleats — Max Scherzer. This isn’t the Scherzer of old, of course, and his 4.70 ERA and 4.87 FIP reflect that as do his 23 innings thrown this year. Scherzer’s 40-year-old body simply isn’t what it was anymore, as he missed almost three months of the season with recurring problems with his right thumb. He is coming off of his best start of the season, tossing six innings of three-run ball with eight strikeouts against the Athletics.
Wednesday: Max Fried vs. Chris Bassitt (7:07 p.m. ET)
The Yankee ace gets the ball in the series finale, looking to make up for his last outing. He only threw three innings, allowing four runs (three earned) for just the third time this season. Of more concern was why he had to leave — Fried was dealing with blisters on his hand, and they were severe enough to have the Yankees hold him out of the Braves series. He’s fallen down on the Cy Young standings a bit with his latest struggle, as well as Tarik Skubal’s continued dominance, but he’s still pitching to a top five season with a 2.43 ERA (3.03 FIP) and 113 strikeouts in 122 innings.
Bassitt has remained ever the reliable middle of the rotation arm, pitching to a 3.89 ERA (3.66 FIP) in 113.1 innings. He’s issuing free passes at the best rate of his career, giving up just a 5.9 percent walk rate, but he’s giving up more than a hit per inning while doing so. Against a power-driven lineup like the Yankees, that might be more suitable for them to do damage. They’ve already collected 14 hits in 11.1 innings across two starts against Bassitt, cashing in seven runs thanks to three homers in the process.
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