Everything has come easy for the Yankees out of the gate in 2026 with a 4-1 start to 162 games fueled largely by a pitching staff that’s been nothing short of dominant.
Through the first five games, Yankees pitchers have tossed to the tune of a 0.61 ERA and have yielded zero home runs. No staff has projected better results via contact quality as the Yankees lead MLB with a 2.46 xERA.
And that’s with a four-man rotation.
Cam Schlittler (1-0, 0.00 ERA) gets the ball in Wednesday’s rubber match against Seattle. The Bombers’ flamethrower kicked off his 2026 campaign with 5 ⅓ shutout innings of one-hit ball and eight strikeouts in a 3-0 win over the Giants last week.
After Max Fried spun a 7-0 gem on Opening Night, this marked the first time in history a team opened a season with back-to-back shutouts.
Yankees vs. Mariners prediction and best bet
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Schlittler’s performance was everything the organization could have desired from a young pitcher whose sky-high expectations are critical in cementing this rotation.
Schlitter weathered a tight duel against a former Cy Young winner in Robbie Ray for five innings. He showed command, throwing 51 strikes in 68 pitches, and the heat was there, touching 98.5 mph on his fastball.
The Mariners, 3-3, expect to contend again this season, and their pitching isn’t too far off the Yankees, ranking third in xERA (2.72).
George Kirby (1-0, 1.50 ERA) faces Schlittler hot off a 5-1 win over Cleveland where he allowed one run and two hits in six innings.
Kirby is a perennial Cy Young candidate who finished 2025 on a high note after working his way through a shoulder injury in the first few months. He’s proven himself as one of the game’s most durable No. 2 pitchers via outstanding command, finishing in the game’s top 1 percent in walk rates in two of his four seasons.
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With that said, neither offense has been pulling its weight in these infancy stages.
Most of the Yankees’ lineup has yet to hit a home run, while Aaron Judge is striking out at a 47.6 percent clip.
Cal Raleigh has 13 strikeouts in 27 plate appearances, and Julio Rodriguez has just two hits.
Both bullpens are fully available in support of Schlittler and Kirby, so a close, quick-moving game makes the Under worth a play at plus-money.
THE PLAY: Under 7 (+100, bet365)
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Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.
