Guardians vs Yankees Pick: Longtime Rivals Start 3-Game Series in the Bronx (Jun 3)

• Our Guardians vs Yankees pick takes a look at two longtime MLB rivals meeting for a 3-game series in the Bronx
• New York just lost 2 of 3 in LA to the Dodgers; Cleveland won 2 of 3 in Anaheim over the Angels
• The Yankees are safely in 1st place in the AL East, while the Guardians have fallen well behind the Tigers in the AL Central
• The Bombers send Carlos Rodon to the hill; the Guardians respond with Tanner Bibee

Reliable Starter Bibee Takes the Mound for the Guardians

Tanner Bibee might not be spectacular, but the Guardians can send him to the hill with a reasonable expectation of a solid performance to put them in a position to win. The 2023 AL Rookie of the Year runner-up has a 3.86 ERA this season in 11 starts.

Over his last four outings, he has alternated good and bad. In the good starts against the Phillies and Tigers, he threw 14 innings, gave up 8 hits, and 1 earned run. For the poor starts, against the Reds and Dodgers, he threw 11 innings, gave up 17 hits, and 8 earned runs. He’s vulnerable to the home run ball, having given up 12 in 63 innings.

Bibee has had great success against the Yankees’ hitters. Only Aaron Judge (3 for 6 with a double) and Anthony Volpe (3 for 8 with a home run) have done much against him. Cody Bellinger is 1 for 5 with a double.

Cleveland is struggling at the plate with a .234 team batting average. Carlos Santana is rebounding from a woeful start, and his OPS is up to .772. Jose Ramirez is back to his normal production with a .938 OPS, 11 home runs, and 14 stolen bases in 18 attempts.

Nolan Jones and Kyle Manzardo are hitting in the low .200s. Bo Naylor is below .200.

Rodon Is Back to His All-Star Form

In what was supposed to be a chance for revenge for the World Series beating they took at the Dodgers’ hands, the Yankees only managed to salvage the final game, losing 2 of 3. It was somewhat important for them to get that final game, particularly since they started Ryan Yarbrough against Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Yankees had been rag-dolled in the first two games, doing nothing to combat the narrative that they beat up on bad teams and can’t handle good teams.

They return home to play the Guardians, 5.5 games ahead of the Blue Jays in the AL East. Carlos Rodon takes the start after getting extra rest.

Rodon has been brilliant, but overshadowed by Max Fried in the Yankees’ rotation. In 12 starts, he has a 2.60 ERA and leads MLB with the fewest hits allowed per 9 innings at 5.2. The lefty has 90 strikeouts in 72.2 innings. He’s given up 1 run in his last three starts.

For the Guardians, Ramirez is 11 for 50 against Rodon. He has 4 doubles and a triple, but no home runs. Santana is 15 for 42 with 2 doubles and 2 home runs.

New York’s Aaron Judge has an MLB-leading 4.7 bWAR, 21 homers, a .391 batting average, a .485 on-base percentage, a .764 slugging percentage, and a 1.248 OPS. Ben Rice and Trent Grisham helped Judge carry the offense early in the season, but have both slowed down considerably. Paul Goldschmidt is batting .333 with an .874 OPS.

Guardians vs Yankees Pick: Rodon Keeps His Hot Streak Going

Although Bibee has pitched well against the Yankees in the past, Rodon has been on an excellent run all season. He will maintain his streak as the Yankees beat the Guardians in the first game of their series.