New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals Prediction: Can Alec Marsh Quiet the Bronx Bombers?
The New York Yankees host the Kansas City Royals tonight. Can Alec Marsh quiet the Bronx Bombers and rack up the strikeouts? Ben Rajavuori answers.
Ben Rajavuori - July 21, 2023, 3:52 PM EDT
5 minNew York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals Prediction: Can Alec Marsh Quiet the Bronx Bombers?
The Kansas City Royals come to the Bronx for a weekend series against the New York Yankees. Believe it or not, both teams are actually in last place in their respective divisions, with the Yankees just one game behind the Boston Red Sox for last place in the AL East. Maybe a weekend series against the Royals can get the Yankees back on track and out of last place, and they will face rookie pitcher Alec Marsh in the series opener to try and do so.
Yankees vs. Royals Date, Time, Where to Watch
- Date: July 21, 2023
- Time: 7:05 pm ET
- Where to Watch: MLB.TV, SNY
New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals Prediction
Alec Marsh was not a highly-touted prospect by any means entering the season, but after an 11-strikeout outing against the Tampa Bay Rays last time out, he is making some waves early in his MLB career. Marsh struggled a bit in his MLB debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers, which is understandable, but he still managed to get five strikeouts in four innings while giving up five runs. He then put up five strikeouts in his second start against the Minnesota Twins while giving up just two runs in five innings. Then, he had his biggest outing, racking up 11 strikeouts against the mighty Rays last time out, which was on the 15th. He now starts on nearly a week's rest against the Yankees with a strikeout line of 4.5.
Although it's a small sample size early in his career, Marsh has 1.4 strikeouts per inning, which is in the 96th percentile. Two of those starts were against the Dodgers and Rays, too, who have been two of the best lineups in the league this season. He has a good opportunity to hit 5+ strikeouts again against the Yankees tonight.
The Yankees' offense has been struggling big time without Aaron Judge, and it seems like the absence of Judge has just brought down the whole lineup as a whole. The Yankees have the 10th-highest strikeout rate against right-handed pitchers in the last 30 days at 21.3%, and they are 26th in wRC+ as well. There are a few specific spots in the lineup that are good strikeout opportunities for Marsh.
On Wednesday, Oswald Peraza led off, and he has a 24.5% strikeout rate. If he leads off again or is near the top of the order, he is good for one strikeout against Marsh, at least. Franchy Cordero was also in the lineup Wednesday, and if he is in the lineup again, he has a 35.9% strikeout rate and is also good for at least one strikeout against Marsh. Anthony Volpe has also been striking out quite a bit, and his 29.4% strikeout rate is the lowest among qualified players on the team. Kyle Higashioka caught on Wednesday, and if he is behind the dish again, his 27.8% strikeout rate is much higher than Jose Trevino's at 13.1%, so if he catches again, he is good for at least one strikeout.
Looking at the Yankee's probable order up and down, it's not hard to see how Marsh can get to five strikeouts. There are some weak spots in the lineup that strike out quite a bit, and Marsh has shown very good swing-and-miss stuff early on in his MLB career. He has hit 5+ strikeouts in all three of his outings, and I like him to do so again tonight.
New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals Pick
Pick: Alec Marsh Over 4.5 Strikeouts -134 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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