Ny Yankees vs Colorado Rockies Picks and Predictions August 23rd 2024

The Rockies and Yankees face off in an interleague matchup at 7:05 PM ET at Yankee Stadium in New York, NY. Colorado is currently on a two-game losing streak and is 47-81, which has them in 5th place in the NL West. The Yankees are the heavy favorite on the money line at -291 and are 75-53 overall, which has them 1st in the AL East.

Carlos Rodon will be going for the Yankees, while the Rockies are set to start Kyle Freeland. New York comes into the game having won two straight.

Left-hander Kyle Freeland is on the mound for the Rockies today as he faces the Yankees on the road. He has made 14 starts this year and has a record of 3-5 with a 5.97 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Freeland has a WHIP of 1.53 and opponents are batting .297 this year. In his 14 appearances, Freeland has turned in six quality starts. Most recently, he took the loss vs. the Padres, giving up five earned runs in five innings of work. Before that outing, he had gone three straight starts without taking the loss.

So far, the Rockies offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 18th in the league. They have been a much better offense at home, averaging 4.9 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .243 and are 13th in the league in team on-base percentage. Colorado’s offense has been good at putting the ball in play this season, as they have the 3rd best BABIP in the league.

Brenton Doyle and Ezequiel Tovar have been two of the Rockies’ top hitters this season, with Doyle leading the team with 61 RBIs and 21 homers. Tovar comes into the game batting .270 and has 19 home runs. Doyle is also on a nine-game hitting streak. Michael Toglia has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 7/24 in his last eight games.

Carlos Rodón gets the start for the Yankees today and comes into the game with a record of 13-8 and an ERA of 4.34. So far this season, he has made 25 starts and 12 of them have been quality starts. Rodón’s ERA for the season is 4.04 at home compared to 5.67 on the road. In his last outing, he took the loss, going 3 1/3 innings and giving up four earned runs. Before that, he had won three straight starts. So far, he has done a good job of limiting walks, coming in at 2.94 per nine innings compared to 9.89 strikeouts.

Not only do the Yankees lead the league in runs per game, but they also have the best on-base percentage and OPS in the league. As a team, they are batting .251, which is 9th in the league, and are 2nd in home runs. The Yankees are also the top home run hitting team in the league and have the best team ISO in the league.

Yankees’ center fielder Aaron Judge has been on a tear of late, going 12/30 with six homers over his last eight games. For the season, he is batting .334 with a league-leading 118 RBIs. Juan Soto is also having a big season for the Yankees, as he is 2nd on the team with 36 homers and is 5th in the league with 93 RBIs.

Yankees Gear Up for Rockies Series with Aaron Judge on Fire

As the New York Yankees get ready to host the Colorado Rockies for a three-game series starting Friday, all eyes are on Aaron Judge, who’s currently in the middle of a scorching hot streak. With 48 home runs and only 34 games left in the regular season, Judge is on pace for another 60-home run year, sending waves of excitement through Yankees fans.

Aaron Judge’s Power Surge

Aaron Judge is once again proving why he’s one of the most feared hitters in baseball. After hitting homers in three consecutive games against the Cleveland Guardians, Judge is now sitting at 48 home runs, sparking buzz that he might just reach 61 homers by the end of the season. If he does, it would be his second 60-homer season in three years, following his epic 62-home run campaign in 2022 that shattered Roger Maris’ American League single-season record.

Judge’s recent form has been nothing short of amazing. Over his last seven games, he’s smashed six home runs, driven in 13 RBIs, and is hitting a blistering .459. He’s currently on a season-high 10-game hitting streak, with his teammate Giancarlo Stanton saying that Judge’s performance has reached “another level.”

Judge’s dominance at the plate isn’t just about home runs, either. He’s leading the majors with 118 RBIs and has a 1.191 OPS, with a .334 average that’s second-best in MLB.

Yankees’ Offensive Outlook

While Judge is definitely the centerpiece of the Yankees’ offense, other players are stepping up too. Giancarlo Stanton added to the Yankees’ firepower with a three-run homer in Thursday’s 6-0 win over the Guardians. The team is also looking forward to the return of Jazz Chisholm Jr., who’s been out with a sprained left elbow since August 14. Chisholm’s return could bring even more depth to an already dangerous lineup.

Rockies Face Uphill Battle

The Colorado Rockies are heading into the Bronx after an 8-3 loss to the Washington Nationals, which dropped them to a tough 18-48 record on the road. With their sixth consecutive losing season looming, the Rockies have struggled mightily away from Coors Field, hitting just .220 on the road and striking out 690 times.

Despite the team’s struggles, Brenton Doyle has been a bright spot. Doyle hit his team-leading 21st home run in Thursday’s loss and has been on fire, batting .364 during an 11-game hitting streak. Rockies manager Bud Black praised Doyle for his consistency, saying that he “seized the opportunity last year and hasn’t stopped.”

Pitching Matchup: Rodon vs. Freeland

The series opener will feature a showdown between two lefties: Carlos Rodon for the Yankees and Kyle Freeland for the Rockies.

Carlos Rodon (13-8, 4.34 ERA) has had a season full of ups and downs. After a rough patch in June and July, Rodon has bounced back, going 4-1 with a 3.25 ERA over his last five starts. However, his last outing was shaky, lasting just 3 1/3 innings while giving up four runs against the Detroit Tigers. Rodon has a 2-2 record and a 4.78 ERA in five career starts against the Rockies.

Kyle Freeland (3-5, 5.97 ERA) has also struggled, with a 7.43 ERA over his last three starts. His only career start against the Yankees was back in 2019, when he gave up five runs, including a grand slam, in an 8-2 loss. Freeland will need to bring his A-game to keep the Rockies in the hunt against a Yankees lineup that’s been firing on all cylinders.

Series Outlook

The Yankees are riding a wave of momentum, with Aaron Judge leading the charge as he chases another historic home run milestone. With the Yankees playing at home and the Rockies struggling on the road, New York is heavily favored to take the series. But baseball is unpredictable, and the Rockies will be leaning on players like Brenton Doyle and Kyle Freeland to try and pull off an upset.

For the Yankees, this series is about more than just winning games. It’s about seeing if Judge can keep up his incredible pace and get closer to another 60-home run season. Fans will be glued to every at-bat, hoping to witness history in the making.

Our lean for an over/under pick would be to take the over, as this is projected to be the 4th lowest-scoring game of the day, but the line is sitting at 8.5 runs. As for who is going to take this one straight up, we have our lean on the Rockies to pick up the win. The Yankees have the 2nd worst team hits projection in the league today, and Carlos Rodón is our 2nd highest projected starter of the day in terms of strikeouts.