The Yankees are 45-28, sitting comfortably on top of the AL East, and tonight they bring one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball to the Bronx. The Cincinnati Reds are coming to town — and they might not love what's waiting for them.
First pitch is at 7:05 PM ET on YES Network, and if you're looking for a reason to tune in, here it is: this Yankees offense is genuinely fun to watch right now. They're averaging over five runs a game, they've already hit 110 home runs on the season, and the lineup is stacked even without Aaron Judge, who's currently on the shelf.
Ben Rice is leading the charge. He's slashing .291/.388/.606 with 20 home runs — which is absurd production for a guy who a lot of casual fans are still figuring out — and he's penciled in at the top of the order tonight. Cody Bellinger has settled in nicely at .275/.369/.479, and Paul Goldschmidt (.300/.365/.553) has looked like a vintage version of himself all season. Add Jasson Domínguez sliding up to the two-hole, and this lineup has pop from top to bottom.
"The Yankees' offense owns a .774 OPS and 110 home runs — and that's without their best player."
On the mound for New York, Cam Schlittler has been one of the best stories in baseball this year. He's 7-3 with a 1.82 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP, and his last two starts have been especially dominant — he held Toronto to one run over seven innings just last week. At 96 strikeouts with only 18 walks on the year, his command is as sharp as anyone in the league right now.
The Reds' side of things
Cincinnati is sending Rhett Lowder to the hill — a 24-year-old right-hander with a fascinating backstory. He burst onto the scene in 2024 with a 1.17 ERA across 30-plus innings, missed all of 2025, and has been working his way back this year. His last start was actually his best of the season: 5.2 innings, one earned run, six strikeouts against Arizona. The problem is that his overall numbers (3-3, 4.60 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) tell a rougher story, and he's walked 25 batters in just 47 innings. That kind of walk rate is dangerous against any lineup. Against this one, it's a recipe for a long night.
Without Elly De La Cruz in the lineup, the Reds are going to have a hard time generating the kind of offense they need to keep pace. Sal Stewart bats third and Matt McLain brings some upside, but the roster is thinner than it was built to be right now.
What to watch for tonight
With wind blowing out to right field at around 12 mph and what should be solid hitting conditions at the Stadium, the setup is there for the Yankees offense to do damage early. If Lowder falls into his walk tendencies against a patient New York lineup, this game could get out of hand by the fourth inning. Watch how Bellinger and Goldschmidt approach at-bats early — both are disciplined enough to work counts, and if they start getting on base, Rice will see good pitches behind them.
Schlittler is the kind of pitcher who makes bad teams look worse. Expect him to go deep into this game. The Reds are a scrappy club that has surprised the Yankees before, but tonight the matchup heavily favors the home team. First pitch at 7:05. Don't miss it.