Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees and Houston Astros play a three-game series at Yankee Stadium starting on Friday night…
Preview
Can Aaron Judge return to form and right field?
Judge has played two games since returning from the IL and hasn't looked like himself at the plate. In those games, Judge went 1-for-6 with three strikeouts. His season batting average has dropped to .339 and the Yankees' offense has suffered for it. But there's nothing like a little home cooking to get you back on track.
Judge is slashing .333/.445/712 with a 1.157 OPS in 50 games this season to go along with 17 home runs and 40 RBI. While the Astros will have tough pitchers on the mound this weekend, the homestand could be the turnaround Judge needs.
There's also how Judge handles his throwing program. Will we see Judge in right field in this series? There's a distinct possibility it happens, which would also open up Giancarlo Stanton — who was the Yankees' hottest hitter before Judge returned — to return to the lineup.
Astros starters could be a problem
The Astros are having a great season even though many predicted they'd take a step back, and a big part of that is the starting rotation. That rotation could give the Yankees fits this weekend.
Hunter Brown (9-5, 2.47 ERA) will take the mound in the series opener and Framber Valdez (11-5, 2.83 ERA) follows on Saturday. While the Astros haven't announced a starter for Sunday's series finale, those two arms are enough to win a series.
Interestingly enough, Judge is 2-for-3 with a home run against Brown but is just 2-for-10 against Valdez. The Yankees who have the best track record against Valdez are Stanton (5-14, HR, 2B) and Jose Caballero (4-10, HR). Ryan McMahon (2-4) is the only other Yankee who has more than one hit against the Astros' southpaw.
Can Luis Gil bounce back?
Gil had a tough season debut last weekend. He allowed five runs across 3.1 innings against the Marlins, but it was good to see the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year get back on the mound. His home/road splits from a year ago were very similar, so it's not necessarily an advantage to pitch at Yankee Stadium but like Judge, it could benefit the young rookie as he prepares for his biggest test since last October.
Gil does have a start against the Astros in his career. In one start, he allowed just one run across six innings. He's starting Saturday's game opposite Valdez, and it'll be one to watch, if for nothing else, to see if Gil can be a viable starter for this team down the stretch.
Who will be closing?
Devin Williams should not see a save opportunity anytime soon.
David Bednar's five-out save in Wednesday's series finale against the Rangers likely won him the job, but Aaron Boone could try and be cute in this series. He does have options, as Luke Weaver and Camilo Doval both have experience closing games, so how Boone deploys his relievers is something to watch; it'll give a good indication of how it will be in the final months.
But if Bednar is successful, it'll be his job to lose.
Win and stay in
The Yankees avoided the unthinkable, falling out of the playoff picture, with Wednesday's win.
If they were swept by the Rangers, the Yankees would have been 0.5 games behind Texas for the final wild card spot. Now that that was avoided, it's time for the Yankees to stack wins and prepare for October. While the Astros are a tough opponent, it's a good test to see if they can take the series against a playoff team.
If the Yankees can take care of business, they can root for some teams to give them some help in the standings. The Guardians and Rangers, two teams that trail the Yankees, take on the White Sox and Phillies, respectively. The two teams the Yankees are chasing, the Mariners and the Red Sox, take on the Rays and the Padres, respectively.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Anthony Volpe
Volpe has been sneaky good since the All-Star break. Over his last 15 games, Volpe is hitting .264 with five home runs and eight RBI.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Luis Gil
Gil needed his first start to get into the flow of the major leagues. Second time's the charm for the young righty.
Which Astros player will be a thorn in Yankees' side?
Jose Altuve
There's a reason he gets the Bronx cheers. In his career, Altuve is hitting .269 with 13 home runs against the Yankees.
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