In this Royals at Yankees prediction, the Royals continue their visit to the Bronx in the third and final game of the series. The Royals are in pursuit of their first AL Central Division crown since 2015 and a return trip to the playoffs after earning a wildcard spot in 2024. The Yankees are trying to repeat as AL East Division champions this season. The pitching matchup for the series finale features Royals' southpaw Kris Bubic (2-1, 0.96), facing Yankees' returning righty Clarke Schmidt (0-0, 0.00). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM EST. Read on for more in this Royals/Yankees prediction, and grab our top MLB predictions to increase your bankroll!
Kansas City primed for a playoff push
The Kansas City Royals are off to a modest start this season as they try to return to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. Heading into Tuesday night's game two against the Yankees, the Royals are 8-9 on the season. They dropped the series opener, 4-1, to the Bombers, their third loss in four games. Starter Seth Lugo allowed four runs, three of which were solo home runs, to fall to 1-2 on the season. The Royals' lone run came courtesy of a Bobby Witt Jr. solo blast.
*This article was written before the completion of Tuesday night's Royals/Yankees game.
The Royals will try to close the series with a victory behind starter Kris Bubic. Bubic returned as a starter this season for the first time since 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He has been the Royals' most consistent starter thus far, going 2-1 with a stellar 0.96 ERA and a WHIP of 0.96. He has allowed 13 hits in 18.2 innings of work while walking five and striking out 21. In his last start, Bubic took his first loss of the season. He allowed six hits and three runs in six innings in a 7-0 loss to the Guardians in Cleveland.
Key Injuries: RP Hunter Harvey, 1B Mark Canha, LF Dairon Blanco, and RP Christian Chamberlain are out.
Yankees powering past the competition
The New York Yankees are once again living up to their nickname as the Bronx Bombers this year. The Yankees have 32 home runs as a team heading into Tuesday night's game against the Royals. That includes three solo blasts on Monday night against the Royals to improve to 9-7 on the season. Starter Carlos Carrasco had his best start as a Yankee, allowing just one hit and one run in five innings of work to pick up the win. Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, and Austin Wells all hit home runs in the victory.
*This article was written before the completion of Tuesday night's Royals/Yankees game.
The Yankees will hand the ball to righty Clarke Schmidt on Wednesday night. This will be Schmidt's first appearance of the season after spending the first three weeks on the injury list. Last season, Schmidt was 5-5 with an ERA of 2.85 and a WHIP of 1.18 in 16 starts for the Yankees. Schmidt allowed 71 hits in 85.1 innings of work while walking 30 and striking out 93. In eight starts at Yankee Stadium. Schmidt went 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA. He'll likely be on a short leash in his first start of 2025 on Wednesday night.
Key Injuries: 3B DJ LeMahieu, SP Marcus Stroman, and RP Clayton Beeter are out.
Best Bets for Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
Schmidt will be making his first start of the 2025 campaign on Wednesday night. He'll be opposed by Bubic, who has pitched like an ace thus far this season. Bubic has an ERA and WHIP under 1.00 while striking out 21 batters in 18.2 innings of work. The lefty will thrive at Yankee Stadium, slowing down the power of the Yankees' lefty batters. Schmidt will have to contend with a Royals team that has yet to explode this season but could have a big night against Schmidt in his first performance of the season. Bubic will pitch the Royals to a series finale win on Wednesday night.
Take the Royals with the money line.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
The Royals will do enough to pick up a win on Wednesday, but the game will stay under the number. Bubic has been solid in his three starts and has an ERA under 1.00. The Royals' offense has struggled to get on track this season with a team batting average of just .211. They have gone under the number in four of their last five games heading into Tuesday night's contest. That trend will continue with Bubic on the mound to limit the Yankees' attack.
Take the under.
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