Bryan Armetta offers up a preview, prediction and pick for Saturday\u2019s MLB game between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros.<\/p>\n
For the past decade, New York and Houston have been among the American League\u2019s best. That\u2019s continued for the Yankees in 2026, as they lead the AL East with a 17-9 record. It\u2019s a different story for the Astros, currently last in the AL West at 10-17. Following a dominant win for the Pinstripes last night, which of these two rivals has the edge on Saturday?<\/p>\n
The Yankees are favorites (-156)<\/a> over the Astros, with the over\/under set at 9.5 runs<\/a>. Below, I\u2019ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Saturday\u2019s showdown between New York and Houston on DraftKings Sportsbook<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yankees vs. Astros prediction, preview<\/p>\n It was all Yankees on Friday, as they churned out 12 runs. That includes a homer from Jazz Chisholm, his second in two games. The two-time All-Star has been cold for most of April; if his bat gets going, this lineup becomes much deeper. As things stand, New York has two of the top four home run hitters in baseball, Aaron Judge and Ben Rice. The pair have both recorded nine jacks to start the season. Unfortunately, fellow slugger Giancarlo Stanton left last night\u2019s game with calf tightness. While it wouldn\u2019t be an insurmountable loss, the Bronx Bombers are far more formidable with the veteran healthy.<\/p>\n New York\u2019s hitters should be licking their chops going into Saturday\u2019s matchup. The Astros have dealt with a slew of injuries this season, especially on the mound. Houston\u2019s remaining starters have been unimpressive, to say the least. That\u2019s especially true for Mike Burrows, acquired this offseason from Pittsburgh. Through 26.2 innings with his new team, the third-year pro has posted a ghastly 6.75 ERA and 1.69 WHIP. To make matters worse, the Yankees own baseball\u2019s fifth-highest OPS against right-handed pitching (.762). Burrows also possesses a lackluster 1.7 HR\/9 ratio, not ideal against such a powerful lineup.<\/p>\n For all of Houston\u2019s pitching woes, this club can certainly swing it. The Astros are fourth in runs (141), third in slugging (.436) and sixth in home runs (33). Leading the charge has been Yordan Alvarez. The oft-injured superstar is a force when healthy, and this season has served as a reminder. Through 98 at-bats, the Cuban leads the league with 11 homers, 26 RBIs, a .357 batting average and 1.247 OPS. With that being said, four other regulars in this lineup have a wRC+ above 100 right now. Houston has scored at least five runs in 16 of its 27 games so far.<\/p>\n Toeing the slab for the visitors this evening will be Ryan Weathers, just activated off of the paternity list. The former Marlins hurler is a bit of a wildcard, as he can struggle with his command. Still, when he\u2019s in a groove, the hard-throwing righty can flummox any hitter. That\u2019s been the case as of late; Weathers has notched a 2.66 ERA and 25 strikeouts over his last three appearances. Most recently, the 26-year-old tossed 7.1 scoreless innings at home against the Royals. His two most used off-speed pitches are the changeup (22%) and sweeper (18.5%). Against those offerings, the Astros are batting .195 this season.<\/p>\n Yankees vs. Astros pick, best bet<\/p>\n On paper, the Yankees have a clear edge on the mound with Weathers. Even if better days are ahead for Burrows, facing Aaron Judge and company doesn\u2019t inspire confidence. New York\u2019s offense, the highest-scoring unit in baseball last season, might be better than the Astros as well. Given the amount of injuries for Houston right now, this doesn\u2019t seem like a fair fight.<\/p>\n