Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees Picks and Prediction for Saturday, August 29, 2026

The Boston Red Sox visit the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Saturday for Game 1 of a doubleheader, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:05 PM ET. Boston is 73-60, third in the AL East and six games behind Tampa Bay, while holding an American League Wild Card position. The Red Sox are 4-1 over their last five after Wednesday’s 4-0 loss to Miami ended a four-game winning streak. New York is 75-58, second in the AL East, four games behind Tampa Bay and also currently holding a Wild Card position. The Yankees are 2-3 over their last five after Thursday’s 5-1 loss to Houston. Boston leads the season series 5-4. Build your bankroll Saturday with our free MLB picks.

Boston Red Sox Bring Strong Pitching Numbers to New York

Boston has won seven of its last 10 games and owns a 39-28 road record entering Saturday. The Red Sox won four consecutive games before being shut out by Miami in their latest contest, beating San Francisco twice before taking the first two games of their series against the Marlins. Boston ranks sixth in MLB with a .250 batting average and has scored 600 runs while recording a .324 on-base percentage and .405 slugging percentage.

Willson Contreras has been Boston’s top power producer with 26 home runs, 78 RBIs and a .281 average, along with a .390 on-base percentage and .526 slugging percentage. Ceddanne Rafaela leads the Red Sox with a .285 average and 145 hits while adding 16 home runs, 66 RBIs and 17 stolen bases. Wilyer Abreu has 22 home runs and 69 RBIs. Boston’s pitching staff ranks third in MLB with a 3.47 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and .239 opponent batting average.

Injuries: Adley Rutschman is day-to-day. Roman Anthony, Trevor Story and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are on the 60-Day IL, while Garrett Whitlock is on the 15-Day IL.

New York Yankees Depend on Power and Pitching

New York is also 7-3 over its last 10 but has alternated wins and losses across its last five games. The Yankees beat Toronto 8-3 and Houston 9-3 during that stretch but lost their other three contests, including Thursday’s four-run defeat. New York is 34-30 at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees rank 28th in MLB with a .231 batting average, but their 183 home runs show the power available throughout the lineup.

Ben Rice leads New York with 35 home runs, 83 RBIs and 120 hits while posting a .253 average, .351 on-base percentage and .531 slugging percentage. Cody Bellinger is batting .256 with 12 home runs and 59 RBIs, while Jazz Chisholm Jr. has 18 homers and 38 stolen bases. New York’s biggest statistical strength is pitching. The Yankees rank first in MLB with a 3.23 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and .225 opponent batting average while recording 1,183 strikeouts.

Injuries: Max Fried is on the 15-Day IL, Ryan McMahon is on the 10-Day IL, while Clarke Schmidt, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are on the 60-Day IL.

Pitching Matchup

Boston Red Sox - Jake Bennett

Bennett is 8-6 with a 3.49 ERA and 1.07 WHIP through 87.2 innings. The left-hander has allowed 76 hits, 18 walks and seven home runs while recording 67 strikeouts. Bennett’s low walk total has helped him keep baserunners limited throughout his workload.

New York Yankees - Carlos Rodon

Rodon is 4-2 with a 3.15 ERA and 1.21 WHIP across 54.1 innings. The left-hander has allowed 36 hits, 30 walks and four home runs while striking out 58. Rodon has allowed fewer hits and home runs than Bennett, although his walk total is considerably higher despite pitching 33.1 fewer innings.

Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees Game Pick

• New York Yankees

New York has the pitching numbers to take Game 1 at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees rank first in MLB with a 3.23 ERA and .225 opponent batting average, while Rodon owns a 3.15 ERA with 58 strikeouts. Boston has won seven of its last 10, but the Red Sox were shut out in their latest game. New York also has 183 home runs compared with Boston’s 136. With home-field advantage and stronger season-long pitching numbers, the Yankees are the pick in Saturday’s opener of the doubleheader.

Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees Over/Under Pick

• Under

The pitching numbers make the Under the stronger direction for Game 1. New York leads MLB with a 3.23 ERA, while Boston ranks third at 3.47, putting two of baseball’s best staffs in the same matchup. Bennett owns a 3.49 ERA and 1.07 WHIP, and Rodon has posted a 3.15 ERA while allowing only four home runs. Boston was also held scoreless Wednesday, while New York managed one run Thursday. Strong starting pitching supports a lower-scoring game Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.