Monday night’s opener between the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium kicks off a four-game series with two teams in vastly different places as the midpoint of the season approaches. The Yankees, sitting at 42–28, are back home following a 3–3 road trip capped by a disappointing series loss to the Red Sox, but their overall trajectory remains strong, particularly at Yankee Stadium where they’ve covered the run line in six of their last ten. The Angels, meanwhile, are 33–37 and struggling to maintain consistency in both pitching and offense, having covered the spread in just three of their last ten games. New York sends right-hander Clarke Schmidt (3–3, 3.60 ERA) to the mound, a steady presence in the rotation who has delivered quality starts by keeping walks low and working deep into games with a 3.73 FIP and a WHIP just above 1.20. Opposite him will be José Soriano (4–5, 3.86 ERA), a hard-throwing righty for Los Angeles who has shown flashes of brilliance but has yet to develop the command or consistency needed to dominate deep into games, especially against top-tier lineups like the Yankees’. Offensively, New York is led by the red-hot Aaron Judge, who has been among the league’s most dangerous hitters all season, now sitting at 26 home runs with a .378 batting average and consistently torching both right-handed and left-handed pitching.

The lineup is expected to receive a major boost this week as Giancarlo Stanton returns from the injured list, restoring a second legitimate power threat and improving the depth of a roster that has leaned heavily on Judge and a rotating cast of contributors. The Yankees’ defensive metrics continue to impress, and they’ve done a solid job supporting their pitchers, while the bullpen—anchored by Clay Holmes—has held up well in high-leverage situations. For the Angels, the return of Mike Trout has not yet translated into offensive momentum, as the team continues to rank near the bottom of the league in both contact rate and on-base percentage, often relying on solo home runs or isolated rallies to stay in games. Soriano will need to keep the ball in the park and limit damage early, as the Angels have not shown much ability to come from behind, especially against bullpens as deep as New York’s. Defensively, Los Angeles has struggled with both range and fielding consistency, often creating unnecessary pressure on their pitchers by extending innings with avoidable errors. With the total going UNDER in four of the last six meetings between these teams, this could turn into a lower-scoring affair if Schmidt continues to pitch efficiently and Soriano holds his command. However, if the Yankees’ offense capitalizes early on Soriano’s occasional control issues, they could tilt the game quickly in their favor and cruise behind a rested bullpen. Ultimately, with momentum, roster depth, and home-field advantage on their side, the Yankees enter the series opener as clear favorites, while the Angels will need near-perfect execution to avoid being overmatched by one of the American League’s most complete teams.