To kick off the week, the Yankees will head back to the East Coast for a three-game set with the Orioles. For the most part, the American League in 2026 can reasonably be described as “unimpressive,” a description the Yankees are mostly exempt from, but describes Baltimore’s season fairly well. At 18-23, they are already in a nine-game hole in the East, and could be headed for a forgettable season, similar to 2025, after they made the postseason in two consecutive seasons.
The Yankees, after opening
the month of May with some exemplary baseball, are coming off of a sweep at the hands of the Brewers. Now having fallen out of first place, being overtaken by the red-hot Rays in the East, they’ll need to beat up on the O’s in order to regain status in their division.
Monday: Ryan Weathers vs. Brandon Young (6:35 pm ET)
Ryan Weathers will take the hill to open up the series on Monday. Although he has been up and down at times, his first season in pinstripes has started off quite well on the whole. In 38.2 innings thus far, the lefty has managed a 3.03 ERA and 3.60 FIP, while striking out more than a batter per inning. He most recent start also came against Baltimore, in which he struck out five in as many solid innings of work. He’s also completed at least five innings in his last five outings, a streak he’ll look to continue on Monday.
The Yankees will square off with 27-year-old Brandon Young on the mound for Baltimore. A rookie last season who had an ERA north of 6 last season in 12 starts, he’s made strides in his sophomore campaign. The right-hander has split time between triple-A and the Majors in 2026, but has stuck around for a few turns through the rotation currently. His last outing saw him go six hard-earned innings against the Marlins, giving up three runs and striking out five.
Tuesday: Will Warren vs. TBD (6:35 pm ET)
Will Warren is slated to start on Tuesday, and has enjoyed a mostly terrific 2026 season. Despite that, he may still have a bad taste in his mouth, coming off of his only bad start this year, when he gave up six runs in four innings against the Rangers. On the bright side, prior to that start, he had a sub-2 ERA across his four previous outings, and he has now struck out six or more batters in five straight starts. He’ll look to right the ship after his first blemish on an otherwise excellent 2026.
The O’s have yet to announce a starter, though it could possibly end up being Trevor Rogers returning from the injured list. Rogers was incredible in 2025, posting a sparkling 1.81 ERA in 18 starts last season for Baltimore, though he has not gotten off to the start they hoped for this year. He’s likely run into some tough luck, running a decent 3.72 FIP, but he also hasn’t pitched since April 25, hitting the shelf with an illness.
Wednesday: Max Fried vs. TBD (6:35 pm ET)
The series’ final game will likely see Max Fried on the rubber for New York. After beginning his eight-year deal with a tremendous 2025, Fried has picked up right where he left off in 2026. Despite slightly decreased strikeout numbers, Fried is more than getting by with a 2.74 FIP m and has been one of baseball’s most valuable pitchers to this point in the season. He has cemented himself as one of the most reliable starters around, and the Yankees will get to enjoy just that on Wednesday.
Baltimore does not have an official starter announced for Wednesday either, but righty Kyle Bradish is the probable starter according to RosterResource. After a breakout campaign in 2023, Bradish has had difficulty staying on the field, as his 42 innings this season are already the most he’s had since that ‘23 season. Although health is the top priority, it has been a disappointing start to the year, as he hasn’t gotten a ton of length, and has allowed multiple runs in all but one start. He pitched against the Bombers on May 2nd, and allowed five runs and a pair of homers in four innings.
