Ny Yankees Yankees vs Kansas City Royals Picks and Predictions September 9th 2024

Carlos Rodon and the Yankees will host the Royals on Monday, with the game set to start at 7:05 PM ET from Yankee Stadium in New York. The forecast for the game calls for temperatures in the mid to upper 70s and partly cloudy skies. YES is carrying the game on TV, and the Yankees are the heavy favorite on the money line at -182. The Royals are +154, and their four-game winning streak will be on the line. They are 2nd in the AL Central, while the Yankees are 1st in the AL East.

The over/under line is sitting at 8.5 runs, and the Royals will be looking to Brady Singer to keep their win streak alive. The Yankees are starting Carlos Rodon.

Kansas City vs. New York Key Information

• Teams: Royals at Yankees
• Where: Yankee Stadium New York
• Date: Monday, September 9th
• Betting Odds NYY -182 | KC +154 O/U 8.5

The Royals Can Win If…

Brady Singer is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Guardians, as he gave up two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. He ended up taking the loss in that game. Against the Yankees today, Singer will be looking to pitch more like he did on August 18th vs. the Reds, where he pitched six scoreless innings and picked up the win. Singer’s ERA for the season is 3.35, along with a record of 9-10. Out of his 28 starts, he has turned in 12 quality starts and is averaging 8.53 strikeouts per nine innings.

For the season, the Royals are averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 9th in the league. They have been even better at home, averaging 5 runs per game. As a team, they are batting a collective .253, which is 7th in the league, and are also one of the league’s best teams at avoiding strikeouts. The Royals’ team on-base percentage is just 26th in the league.

Bobby Witt Jr. has been one of the league’s best hitters this season, with a batting average of .336 and 30 home runs, which is 12th in the MLB. However, he has struggled a bit over his last 10 games, hitting just .184. Salvador Perez is also near the top of the league in RBIs, as he is 8th in the league with 95 RBIs.

• The Royals are 4-6 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Royals are 4-1 vs. the run line.
• Kansas City has an over/under record of 2-7-1 in their last ten games.
• The Royals have an average of 3.2 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten road games, the Royals are 5-5
• Looking back across the Royals last five games as the favorite, they are 4-1
• Kansas City has gone 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Royals have averaged 5.4 runs per game on offense

The Yankees Can Win If…

Carlos Rodón gets the start for the Yankees today and comes in with a record of 14-9 and an ERA of 4.20. So far, he has made 28 starts and 14 of them have been quality starts. Rodón has a WHIP of 1.22 and is averaging 10.16 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Rodón finished with a no-decision, going six innings and giving up one earned run on 11 strikeouts. Before that, he had lost two straight starts. The left-hander has been much better at home, coming in with a record of 8-2 and 3.68 ERA compared to 6-7 with a 5.56 ERA on the road.

For the season, the Yankees are the top home run hitting team in the league and are 2nd in runs scored, averaging 5 runs per game. Not only are they near the top of the league in runs scored, but they also have the league’s top OPS and are 2nd in on-base percentage. As a team, they are batting .251, which is 8th in the league.

Heading into the game, the Yankees have two of the league’s top home run hitters in Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. Judge leads the league with 51 homers and is batting .321, while Soto is batting .291 with 38 homers. Gleyber Torres is on a nine-game hitting streak and is 10/28 in his last seven games.

• The Yankees are 4-6 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Yankees are 2-3 vs. the run line.
• New York has an over/under record of 6-4 in their last ten games.
• The Yankees have an average of 3.2 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten home games, the Yankees are 4-6
• Looking back across the Yankees last five games as the favorite, they are 2-3
• New York has gone 2-1 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Yankees have averaged 3.5 runs per game on offense

The Lean

For an over/under pick, our lean is on the over, as this is projected to be the 5th highest-scoring game of the day. As for who is going to take this one straight-up, we have our lean on the Royals to pick up the win. Kansas City has the 7th highest team run projection, and Brady Singer is 3rd in our projections in innings pitched. On the other side, Carlos Rodón is 6th in our projections in strikeouts.

Yankees vs. Royals: High Stakes Showdown for Playoff Position

The New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals are about to kick off a massive three-game series, and the pressure’s on. Both teams are locked in a tight battle for playoff spots, and every game matters as the season comes to a close.

Yankees Chasing the AL East Crown

The Yankees (82-61) come into the series with a razor-thin half-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East. With only a few weeks left in the regular season, they need every win they can get to stay on top and secure a good playoff seed.

After taking two out of three against the Chicago Cubs over the weekend, the Yankees are hoping to keep the momentum going and strengthen their grip on first place.

Royals Eyeing a Wild-Card Spot

The Royals (79-65) are riding high on a four-game win streak, including a sweep of the Minnesota Twins. Their recent hot streak has given them a 2.5-game lead over the Twins for the second wild-card spot in the AL Central.

Despite a rough patch where they lost seven straight games, Kansas City has bounced back at the perfect time. A big part of their resurgence? Tommy Pham. Since joining from the St. Louis Cardinals, Pham has been on fire, hitting .296 with four RBIs in just seven games. He’s injected energy into the Royals’ lineup and has been a key reason for their recent success.

“He’s been a real spark,” said Royals second baseman Michael Massey. “He brings swagger, sets the tone, and gets innings going. He’s been huge for us.”

Key Players to Watch

• Aaron Judge (Yankees): Judge, the Yankees’ power-hitting star, is going through a bit of a home run drought, going 12 games without one. Even without the long ball, Judge is still a threat at the plate, and manager Aaron Boone believes he’s about to break out. “He’ll hit them in bunches. He’s not far off,” Boone said after Judge’s 1-for-3 performance on Sunday.
• Tommy Pham (Royals): Pham has been electric at the top of the Royals’ lineup. His ability to set the tone early will be crucial in this series as Kansas City tries to keep their playoff push alive.
• Juan Soto (Yankees): Soto had a rough weekend against the Cubs, going 1-for-10 at the plate. The Yankees need him to step up and provide more consistent support for Judge and Anthony Rizzo in the lineup.
• Salvador Perez (Royals): Perez has a history of success against Yankees starter Carlos Rodon, hitting .435 in their previous matchups. He’ll be a key piece of Kansas City’s offense in this series.

Pitching Matchup: Singer vs. Rodon

This series opener brings a duel between two talented but inconsistent pitchers: Kansas City’s Brady Singer and New York’s Carlos Rodon.

• Brady Singer (Royals): Singer’s had a decent season with a 9-10 record and 3.35 ERA, but he’s been plagued by a lack of run support. Despite 35 strikeouts and only seven walks over his last six starts, he’s 1-4 in that span. He’ll need to be sharp against the Yankees, a team he’s struggled against in the past, with a 0-2 record and 5.19 ERA in five starts.
• Carlos Rodon (Yankees): Rodon has been solid lately, coming off a great start against the Texas Rangers where he fanned 11 and allowed just one run in six innings. At home, he’s been even better, boasting an 8-2 record with a 3.08 ERA at Yankee Stadium. However, he’s had some trouble with the Royals, holding a 4-6 record and a 4.82 ERA over 12 career appearances. One of the biggest challenges for him in this game will be keeping Salvador Perez in check.

Yankees Get a Boost with Jon Berti’s Return

The Yankees are also getting some reinforcements, as utility man Jon Berti is expected to return from the injured list for Monday’s game. Berti, who’s been sidelined since late May with a calf injury, brings valuable versatility. He’s a solid infielder and outfielder with speed to burn, which will give the Yankees some extra flexibility in late-game situations.

“His versatility is huge for us,” Boone said. “He gives us speed, can play multiple positions, and is a great guy to have in big moments.”

Keys to the Series

• Judge’s Power: Aaron Judge needs to break out of his home run slump. If he can get back to his slugging ways, it will give the Yankees a huge boost in this series.
• Royals’ Momentum: Kansas City is hot right now, and if they can keep the offense balanced—especially with key contributions from Pham and Perez—they’ll be a tough opponent for New York’s pitching.
• Pitching Duel: Both Brady Singer and Carlos Rodon have something to prove. Rodon’s dominance at home could give the Yankees the upper hand, but Singer’s ability to keep hitters off balance will be crucial if the Royals want to pull off an upset.
• Yankees’ Utility Depth: With Jon Berti back, the Yankees have more flexibility, especially in tight games. His speed and versatility could be a game-changer.

Conclusion: Playoff Drama Looms

As the Yankees and Royals face off, both teams have a lot on the line in this series. The Yankees are trying to hold off the Orioles for the AL East crown, while the Royals are in the thick of the wild-card race.

For New York, it’s all about finding consistency, particularly from sluggers like Aaron Judge. The Royals, on the other hand, will need to keep their momentum rolling and lean on key players like Tommy Pham and Salvador Perez.

With so much at stake, expect a hard-fought series with playoff implications hanging in the balance.