Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
First pitch: 7:05 p.m. ET
Broadcast: YES Network / SCHN)
Starting Pitchers
Astros: RHP Ethan Pecko (0-0, 4.91 ERA, 1.64 WHIP in 3.2 IP). Rookie making his second MLB start after a debut of 3.2 innings, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 K, 3 BB vs. Angels. Limited sample; high pitch count (89) in debut.
Yankees: RHP Will Warren (8-6, 4.43 ERA, ~1.40 WHIP, 122 IP, 122 K, 43 BB, 19 HR). Recent form uneven (1-5, 5.77 ERA over last 13 appearances); last outing: 4 IP, 2 ER vs. Orioles (no-decision). Career vs. Astros: 1-0, 3.27 ERA in two starts.
Yankees hold a clear edge in experience and team pitching (NYY 3.20 ERA rank 1st; HOU 4.63 ERA rank ~25th).
Venue & Weather Forecast
Yankee Stadium (capacity ~54,000), Bronx, NY.
Forecast for first pitch/evening: Partly cloudy/sunny, temperatures around 75–82°F (high ~80–82°F daytime, cooling into the 70s), low precipitation chance (0–17%, mostly dry), winds ~7–14 mph (variable, often W/NW or light). Comfortable conditions with minimal weather impact expected.
Current Rosters / Projected Lineups
Astros (key active hitters): Jeremy Peña (SS), Yordan Alvarez (DH/LF, .320 AVG, 36 HR, 90 RBI – team leader), Isaac Paredes (3B), José Altuve (2B), Christian Walker (1B, 23 HR), Daulton Varsho (CF), Cam Smith (RF), LaMonte Wade Jr./others (OF), Christian Vázquez (C). Recent addition: Nelson Velázquez signed.
Typical projected order leans on Alvarez in the 2-hole or cleanup.
Yankees (key active hitters): Trent Grisham (CF), Ben Rice (DH/1B, ~.249 AVG, 34 HR, 82 RBI), Luis García Jr. (1B), Cody Bellinger (LF – recently activated from IL), George Lombard Jr. (SS), Spencer Jones (RF), Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2B), Austin Wells (C), José Caballero (3B). Power from Rice and others; team ranks high in HR (179).
Injury Reports
Astros: Carlos Correa (SS, 60-day IL, ankle surgery – season-ending); Brice Matthews (OF, 60-day IL, knee); Mike Burrows (SP, 15-day IL, elbow – rehabbing, possible return soon); Brandon Walter (SP, 60-day IL, elbow – out for season). Peña has had recent hand issues but has been active.
Yankees: Aaron Judge (RF, 60-day IL, rib stress fracture); Giancarlo Stanton (DH, IL, calf – lengthy absence, questionable for rest of season); Ryan McMahon (3B, 10-day IL, thumb); Ryan Weathers (SP, 15-day IL, forearm); Max Fried (SP, 15-day IL, elbow bone bruise – progressing); Clarke Schmidt (SP, 60-day IL, elbow recovery). Cody Bellinger recently activated and playing.
Both clubs missing star power (Judge/Stanton for NYY; Correa for HOU).
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Yordan Alvarez vs. Will Warren: Alvarez’s elite power/OBP (.320/.436/.613) is the biggest threat; Warren has allowed 19 HR in 122 IP and faces lefty power risk.
Ben Rice / Luis García Jr. / Cody Bellinger vs. Ethan Pecko: Rookie Pecko has limited data; Yankees’ lefty-heavy middle order (Rice 34 HR, Bellinger recently back) could exploit any command issues (Pecko walked 3 in debut).
Jazz Chisholm Jr. / Trent Grisham speed/power vs. Astros defense/pitching.
Bullpens: Astros lean on Josh Hader; Yankees have strong late arms (e.g., Bednar types). Warren’s home HR tendency at Yankee Stadium is a factor against Alvarez/Walker.
Team offenses are comparable in power (HOU 173 HR, NYY 179) but Yankees allow far fewer runs.
Recent Team Forms
Astros: 4-6 last 10; L2 streak. Recent: L 7-6 vs. ATH, L 4-3 vs. ATH, W 4-0 vs. ATH, L 18-3 vs. LAA, W 3-2 vs. LAA. Inconsistent; tied for AL West lead (.496) with Rangers. Away: 32-31.
Yankees: 6-4 last 10; W1. Recent: W 8-3 vs. TOR, L 4-3 vs. TOR, W 3-1 vs. TOR, W 6-1 @ BAL, W 5-3 @ BAL. Solid surge; 2nd in AL East (behind Rays). Home: 33-28. Strong pitching staff overall.
Series History
2026 season series so far: Yankees lead 2-1 (April in Houston: NYY 12-4, NYY 8-3, HOU 7-4).
Recent years mixed; Yankees hold overall edge historically (regular-season lead roughly 54-37 in modern era contexts). Over has hit frequently in recent meetings (e.g., overs in several 2025-26 games). This is Game 1 of a three-game series (followed by Aug 26–27).
Betting Trends
Yankees strong as favorites and vs. sub-.500 teams recently; public heavy on NYY. Overs common in H2H (several recent overs). Astros better as underdogs at times; Yankees under in some series openers. Yankees pitching dominance and home park favor lower-scoring lean relative to some high-total H2H, but power bats keep total near 9.
Game Odds
Houston Astros 8.5
New York Yankees – 140
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, August 24, 2026
