New York Yankees vs Philadelphia Phillies Pick and Odds (Feb 27)

• The New York Yankees travel to Clearwater to play the Philadelphia Phillies
• Both teams have high hopes for 2025
• Veterans Carlos Rodon and Zack Wheelers start for New York and Philly, respectively

Yankees’ Veteran Acquisitions Are Hitting in the Spring

New York won its previous game over the Cardinals 7-0. On a positive note for New York, two of their marquee acquisitions Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt have started hot. So far, Goldschmidt is batting .286 with a .715 OPS. Bellinger is at .429 with an OPS of .858. Veteran non-roster invitee Dom Smith homered against St. Louis.

Rodon pitched 2.2 innings in his first spring start. He surrendered 3 runs on 5 hits. While this is not something to be overly concerned about this early in the spring, Rodon has been inconsistent and injury-prone in his MLB career.

The Yankees are without slugger Giancarlo Stanton who has tendinitis in both elbows and was getting tested in New York to determine the extent of the injuries and a path forward.

Philly’s Spring Objective is Health and Preparation

A veteran team like the Phillies does not worry much about spring training performance in anything more than a minor way. Since they have so many players 30 and above, it is important to pace themselves as the spring progresses.

Wheeler starts his first game of the spring. The veteran is coming off a 16-7 2024 season in which he struck out 224 in 200 innings and finished second in the NL Cy Young Award voting. He will presumably throw 2-3 innings against New York or be removed after a predetermined number of pitches.

In their previous game, the Phillies beat the Blue Jays 9-6. Bryson Stott has started well at the plate in the spring and is batting .500 with a 1.167 OPS.

Yankees vs Phillies Pick: Philly Takes the Spring Win Over New York

Rodon struggled in his first start and the Phillies’ lineup is tough. Wheeler, in his first spring start, will try to get off to a solid start in his brief time on the mound. Expect Philly to take the win in their spring home of Clearwater.