Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees hit the road to take on the Tampa Bay Rays in a four-game series starting on Thursday…
Preview
Familiar park
The Yankees and Rays have had plenty of battles at Tropicana Field, but this season will see the teams face off in a different park: George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Yes, the Yankees' spring training field is being used for Rays home games this season after their stadium was damaged by a hurricane during the offseason. How will this play for the Yanks? Their team is used to playing there, especially since the dimensions are identical to Yankee Stadium.
Will Warren, Carlos Carrasco encores?
Both Warren and Carrasco — who were on the cusp of being replaced when Clarke Schmidt returned — had their best outings of the season last weekend.
Now, each starter will have another shot to prove they deserve to remain in the rotation when Marcus Stroman (knee) eventually returns from the IL.
Warren will try and set the tone in the series-opener on Thursday. He'll be opposed by impressive right-hander Taj Bradley, so this will be a big test for Warren. Is he able to string quality starts together after picking up his first win in the big leagues his last time out?
As for Carrasco, the veteran's great spring training didn't carry over in the early going, but he pitched five innings of one-run ball in the series-opener with Kansas City, the best of his short Yankees career. New York needs Carrasco to continue his effectiveness if the Bombers want to improve on having one of the worst ERAs from a starting staff this season.
Aaron Judge power surge incoming?
The captain was quietly having a power outage. Entering Wednesday's series finale against the Royals, Judge had not hit a home run in 10 games. Although he was still getting on base and getting hits, that power was not showing. Luckily for the Yanks, the power emerged just when the team needed it most as his seventh-inning blast lifted New York to a series sweep over the Royals.
Now that Judge has finally gone yard, perhaps more are soon to follow. Judge has a habit of hitting his homers in bunches, and going down to the warm climate of Tampa in a familiar park can't hurt.
Can Carlos Rodon stop giving up homers?
I've been a staunch defender of Rodon this season. Despite not pitching up to the $162 million contract, the potential to be a No. 3 starter is there.
In just his last two starts, he's allowed nine runs, but six of them came on two three-run home runs that completely decimated what otherwise would be quality starts. But the long ball has been Rodon's bugaboo since he donned the pinstripes. He has allowed 51 homers in his first 50 games with the Yanks, which tied him with JA Happ for the most home runs allowed by a Yankees pitcher in his first 50 games with the team. That includes the five jacks he's allowed in his four starts this year.
Rodon will pitch the second game of the series against a Rays team that has hit 19 home runs in their 18 games, which is tied for 15th in the majors. Perhaps this could be a get-right game for the southpaw.
More Martian development
Arguably, the biggest development coming out of the Royals series is how well Jasson Dominguez has played in the outfield and hit at the plate. His bases-clearing double on Tuesday lifted the Yankees to a win and came as a right-handed hitter — it was only his second hit against a lefty this season.
New York will face a quartet of right-handed starters in this series, so any at-bats hitting right-handed will have to come against relievers, but Dominguez is looking more comfortable at the plate and he's produced. Against the Royals, he went 3-for-8 with two walks and drove in three RBI.
Let's see if he can carry that over into this series.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Ben Rice
The young slugger got a much-needed day off Wednesday and will likely lead off against the aforementioned quartet of righties in this series.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Max Fried
Until the other starters step up consistently, Fried (1.88 ERA) will always be the odds-on favorite to pitch the best.
Which Rays player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?
Yandy Diaz
The first baseman enters this series on a six-game hitting streak, and is a career .270 hitter in 81 games against the Yankees.
