MLB Baseball
2026-06-18 - Chicago White Sox at New York Yankees
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : Major League Baseball
Thursday 18th June 2026 - Scheduled 7:05pm EST
12:05am (British Time)
Preview
The New York Yankees (45-27) showcased plenty of big hitting at the plate and reached double digits in runs for a second time in a row against the Chicago White Sox (38-34) and it is no surprise they are now in a position for the sweep in this series.
Both teams are Divisional leaders in the American League in the East and Central respectively, but the New York Yankees are showing they can find a way to win games without one of their most important players.
Injuries are perhaps highlighting that the Chicago White Sox depth is not quite as strong as the Yankees, but the road team will feel they have deserved a bit more luck at the plate having put fifteen Hits in the two games already played.
Next up the White Sox batting lineup will take aim at Ryan Weathers who has a 2-5 record and 4.36 ERA in thirteen starts in his first season with the New York Yankees. Injuries limited him to twenty-four starts for the Miami Marlins over the previous two years, but Ryan Weathers had flashed enough for the New York Yankees to bring him in via a trade.
However, Ryan Weathers will also be well aware that this is a quality Yankees starting rotation and one that is going to be bolstered by Max Fried sooner than later. This puts pressure on his place having not quite reached the levels shown over the previous two years and his recent run will have dented his confidence.
Ryan Weathers has been given the decision loss in each of the last three starts for the Yankees and he has allowed sixteen runs in those. He has moved through 17 Innings for those runs, but Weathers has been handed the loss with at least five runs allowed in each of those three starts.
The starter is facing the Chicago White Sox for the first time and Weathers needs to show something to the Yankees management team if he is going to retain his spot in the rotation.
Chicago White Sox had arrived in the Bronx filled with confidence having won four of five games- even more impressive is that those have been against the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers who are the two leading teams for wins produced in 2026! However, it has been a tough test for them at Yankee Stadium and they are going to hand the ball to Sean Burke in the hope the starter can lay a more positive foundation than the previous two.
Sean Burke has a 3-4 record and 4.15 ERA in fourteen appearances in 2026 and eleven of those have been in starts for the third year Major League pitcher.
He had been unbeaten in five appearances for the Chicago White Sox and four of those had been in starts, but Sean Burke had to take the decision loss last time out when allowing four runs in 4 Innings thrown against the Los Angeles Dodgers. His performances have been steady enough, but not at a level that Sean Burke and the team would hope and the pitcher will be facing the New York Yankees for the first time.
The last start saw Sean Burke give up six Hits for the four runs allowed, but two of those Hits ended up in Home Runs.
The pressure will be on his Burke's shoulders if the Yankees come out firing again having put up twenty-nine Hits in scoring twenty-two runs over the past couple of days.
Prediction
Both teams looked to be seeing the ball pretty well on Wednesday and that may continue for the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox against the two pitchers going to the mound.
Ryan Weathers and Sean Burke have struggled to contain the Home Run ball and that is going to be an issue at Yankee Stadium.
The New York Yankees are favourites to sweep this series, but the Chicago White Sox can play their part in the game and the teams should be capable of surpassing this total set.
The Pick :
New York Yankees 8-5 Chicago White Sox
