After a cold and not-so-great series in Detroit, the Yankees are headed back home for a dance with the Giants. It will be their fourth interleague series of the young season, and we’ll be into the middle of April before the Yankees play their fourth American League game. The Giants are coming into town playing some good baseball, sitting at 9-3, though they did just lose two-of-three to the Reds earlier this week, getting shut out in the two losses. They are in the heat of what could be a thrilling race in the NL West throughout the 2025 season. Against the Yankees, they’ll have some of their best arms on the bump.
Friday: Marcus Stroman vs. Robbie Ray (7:05pm ET)
With the crushing blows to the Yankees’ starting rotation before the season even began, Marcus Stroman was thrust into a key role with this team, at least for the early part of the season. This comes after a spring that had his future in pinstripes at a murky position — and “going well” is not how I’d describe things so far. His first start came in one of the blowouts against the Brewers in the opening series, though he did still allow three earned runs in his 4.2 innings of work, which included a home run. In his second start, against Pittsburgh, he actually looked sharp through three innings, but followed in the fourth inning by walking three Pirates and surrendering four earned runs in what was his final inning of work. The league’s fifth-lowest fastball velocity has not gotten it done thus far, but he’ll look to improve on his 7.27 ERA in the series opener
The Yankees will take on Robbie Ray to open up the three-game set, as he looks to get back on track after a few lost seasons. After winning the American League Cy Young in 2021, he had a fine ‘22 season in Seattle, but has since been hampered by injury trouble, appearing in just one game in 2023, and pitching only 30.2 innings last season. He is now healthy to begin the year, and has been fine in his two starts thus far, four earned runs across 11.1 innings against the Reds and Mariners, though that does include three homers and six walks.
Saturday: Will Warren vs. Jordan Hicks (3:05pm ET)
Will Warren is another pitcher thrust into the spotlight amid all the injuries, and it has been a mixed bag thus far for the Yankees’ preseason top pitching prospect. In his first start, the young righty only allowed two runs on a single hit in his five innings of work, though he struggled with command, issuing four walks. In his second outing, he kept the ball in the zone, and still struck out more than a batter per inning, though it came with four earned runs. He’ll look to put the good parts together against San Fran.
Warren will be facing off with a former flame-throwing reliever turned starter in Jordan Hicks. His transition to the rotation last season went reasonably well, managing a 4.10 ERA and 4.37 FIP in 109.2 innings, and he’s begun this year on the right foot. The start of the ‘25 season has been highlighted by his debut, when he went six scoreless against the Astros, allowing just one hit and striking out six. His most recent start was a bit shakier, when he gave up a pair of homers to the Mariners.
Sunday: Carlos Rodón vs. Logan Webb (1:35pm ET)
Year three in Pinstripes for Carlos Rodón has gotten off to a somewhat shaky start. After a strong performance on Opening Day (1 ER in 5.1 IP), the veteran has since posted rocky-at-best outings for the Yanks. The good aspects of his game have been there, obviously with that solid debut against Milwaukee, and he’s also struck out 20 batters in his 17.1 innings of work so far this season. The bad has also been front and center at times, as the lefty has allowed a homer in each of his three starts, and has walked nine between his two most recent outings. He’ll hope to get some of that fluctuation settled down against his former club on Sunday.
For the finale, the Yankees will be facing a pitcher who quietly has a very reasonable claim as one of the sport’s best three or four starters — Logan Webb. His claim is only growing stronger so far in 2025, too, as he’s managing a sub-2 ERA and FIP in his three 2025 starts. He’ll be coming off some of his finest work, during which he went seven scoreless against the Reds, amassing 10 strikeouts along the way. Webb has been a four-win pitcher by fWAR every season since 2021, and hasn’t posted a FIP higher than 3.16 in that span. The Bombers will have their hands full.
