Yankees Unveil Starting Pitchers for Weekend Series vs. Rival Red Sox, Including a Wild Card Rematch

This week's series against the Guardians didn't go the Yankees' way, but that can't be dwelled on forever. It's time to move on and look forward, as the Yankees' focus needs to be on this weekend's series against the rival Red Sox, who are currently occupying last place in the American League East.

The Friday-to-Sunday gathering will mark the second series between New York and Boston of the 2026 MLB season. The Yankees barely broke a sweat when the foes collided for three games at Fenway Park towards the end of April, as Aaron Boone's club swept the Red Sox while outscoring them 12-3 on aggregate.

The Yankees were the better team then, and that seems to still be the case now, but anything can happen on a baseball diamond. One thing we know for sure, though, is who'll be starting in each of the three upcoming games after New York revealed its weekend starters on Thursday afternoon.

Friday, June 5 (7:05 p.m. ET): Ryan Weathers (NYY) vs. Sonny Gray (BOS)

Ryan Weathers might be a potential bullpen candidate when the Yankees' starting rotation is fully healthy. However, that isn't happening anytime soon, which means the 26-year-old lefty will look to continue his strong play when he goes one-on-one with Sonny Gray on Friday night.

Weathers is looking to rebound after allowing five earned runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings in a 6-4 loss to the Athletics last weekend. Although his 10 strikeouts were impressive, the fact that he allowed five ERs in two of his last three outings is somewhat of a concern. That last outing was on the road, though, and now Weathers will be at home, where he's 2-2 with a 3.27 ERA in seven starts this season.

It's worth pointing out that the Red Sox have played well against lefties this season, though, batting .273 (2nd) with a .342 on-base percentage (2nd) and only 119 strikeouts (26th).

Ryan Weathers walks off the field. — Ryan Weathers was shaky in his last start; however, his recent success at Yankee Stadium could put him back on track this weekend. | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, the Yankees will see what they can get off Gray, who's turned back the clock this season. After an uneventful March and April, the three-time MLB All-Star looked like a legitimate Cy Young threat in May, going 4-0 with a 2.00 ERA while striking out 28 batters in five starts (27 innings). He finished with one or zero earned runs allowed in four of those outings.

Gray's history vs. the Yankees has been a mixed bag (2-3, 4.15 ERA in eight starts), including allowing six earned runs and two homers across five innings in the last meeting on Aug. 16, 2025. He's also winless in two previous trips to the Bronx.

Although Gray doesn't have the best track record against New York, his recent play suggests that fans could be in for a pitching duel on Friday, especially if Weathers has a much-needed bounce-back performance.

Saturday, June 6 (7:35 p.m. ET): Will Warren (NYY) vs. Ranger Suarez (BOS)

Will Warren is as consistent as they come, and the 26-year-old starter will aim for his eighth win of the campaign on Saturday night. That's a big deal for the 6-foot-2 righty, who finished with nine wins in 33 starts last season, meaning there's a chance for Warren to match and surpass that total in less than half the time if he continues on his current trajectory.

Warren is typically good to give the Yankees five or six innings of solid baseball. Although he had a brief hiccup at the start of May, he's turned things around in spades. In his last four starts (which New York won each of), Warren is 3-0 with a 2.78 ERA, having struck out 17 batters while issuing eight walks in 22 2/3 innings. He also held opposing batters to a .218 batting average and a 32% hard-hit rate during that stretch, per Baseball Savant.

Will Warren pitching. — The Yankees' Will Warren is on a heater, showing few signs of slowing down anytime soon. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

After back-to-back 12-win seasons with the Phillies, Ranger Suárez is on pace to miss that mark by a long shot. The Red Sox's $130 million signing is a pedestrian 2-3 through 11 starts this season and has not won since April 27. He ended up going winless in May, and while the month started strong, his last two appearances yielded nine earned runs scored on 14 hits over 10 innings.

Making matters worse for Suárez is that he's already felt the Yankees' wrath this season. The former All-Star was shelled to the tune of four earned runs, a homer and five hits across 4 2/3 innings in a 4-1 road win for New York on April 22. That result could motivate the Yankees enough to repeat history, especially if Suárez's recent outings still weigh heavily on his mind.

Sunday, June 7 (1:35 p.m. ET): Cam Schlittler (NYY) vs. Connelly Early (BOS)

All eyes will be on Cam Schlittler this weekend to see how he responds to his worst performance of the 2026 season. The American League Cy Young favorite (+210 on FanDuel Sportsbook) surrendered a season-worst four earned runs over 4 1/3 innings in Tuesday's 9-4 loss to the Guardians, which was also his shortest appearance of the year.

The good news is that Schlittler has yet to record back-to-back losses in 2026. The Weymouth, MA native has allowed only one earned run on seven hits in 12 innings in the games following his two previous losses, which should give Yankees fans a sense of hope. Additionally, he pitched eight innings with five strikeouts and one ER allowed in a 4-2 win over the Red Sox on April 23.

Cam Schlittler throwing a pitc — Cam Schlittler has beaten the Red Sox once this season. Can he do it again? | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Schlittler will be facing Connelly Early, who's been a steady arm in his first full-time Red Sox season. The former Virginia Cavalier is 5-3 with a 3.26 ERA in 12 starts, holding opponents to a .695 OPS and only 7.5 hits per nine innings. With that being said, Early could be in a vulnerable spot after giving up two HRs, four earned runs and six hits across 5 1/3 innings in a 4-2 loss to the Orioles on Tuesday.

Early hasn't faced the Yankees in the regular season yet; however, he did get a rude awakening from the Bronx Bombers during last year's AL Wild Card Series.

He was chased after just 3 2/3 innings in a must-win Game 3 scenario, allowing three earned runs on six hits. The Yankees went on to win 4-0, eliminating the Red Sox and ending their season. Interestingly enough, Schlittler started opposite Early that night, striking out 12 batters over the course of his eight-inning appearance.

Odds update periodically and are subject to change.

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