Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays play a three-game series at Yankee Stadium starting on Friday night…
5 things to watch
AL East crown in sight
This weekend series is the final time the Yanks and Blue Jays face each other in the regular season, and it's a big one. Entering Friday, the Blue Jays hold just a 3.0 game lead over New York for first place in the AL East.
A sweep by New York would leave the Yankees and Blue Jays in a relative tie — Toronto has the tiebreaker — but it would put the pressure on the Jays with just a few weeks left in the season. The AL East crown is important because it will likely be one of the top two seeds in the American League playoffs, thus avoiding the three-game Wild Card round.
Can the Yankees win the series to get even closer to Toronto? Or will the Jays put the Bombers in the rearview?
What's Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s status?
Chisholm exited Thursday's series finale with the Astros with contusions in both knees, which puts his availability for some, if not all, three games of the series in jeopardy.
If Chisholm does miss time, Jose Caballero will likely be his replacement in the starting lineup. Caballero has been very good since being traded to the Yankees at the deadline. In 24 games, he's hitting .270 with two home runs — he had two in 86 games with the Rays in 2025 — with eight stolen bases. But Chisholm's power and athleticism would be missed, especially as a left-handed hitter against the Blue Jays' right-handed starters.
Can the bullpen get right?
The Yankees' bullpen has been an Achilles heel for the team all season and this week especially. The Yanks were on the verge of winning their series against the Astros on Wednesday, but the bullpen blew a three-run lead. Devin Williams' meltdown — with the help of a certain home plate umpire — led to their defeat.
It was a bit shaky on Thursday. Luke Weaver allowed a run on three hits in his 0.2 innings of work, and the Astros almost came back on David Bednar after the closer allowed the tying run to the plate with a five-run lead heading into the ninth.
The bullpen will need to be better against a dangerous Toronto lineup.
What version of Anthony Volpe will we see?
Remember when Volpe was killing it at the plate in Chicago? In the four-game set on the Southside, Volpe went 6-for-14 with a home run and five RBI. In the three games against Houston, the young shortstop went 1-for-11 with five strikeouts.
The Yankees' offense is good enough that Volpe's offense isn't needed, but when he's on, it lengthens the lineup. He's also coming up with runners in scoring position a lot and falling short. When the longball isn't working for the Yanks, they need to manufacture runs, and even moving runners over with productive outs seems to be tough for Volpe at the moment.
For a huge series like this, the Yanks will hope the Chicago version of Volpe shows up.
Cam Schlittler setting the pace
The Yankees will have Schlittler, Luis Gil and Max Fried starting for them in this series, and a good start from Schlittler could set the tone for the weekend. Schlittler has been on fire, pitching at least six innings in three straight starts while allowing just one run in that span (18.2 IP). The young right-hander has jumped Will Warren as the team's third-most reliable starter, and a strong performance on Friday could cement him as a potential Game 3 starter in a playoff series.
Although that potential is a ways away still, the Yankees hope the youngster can give them the best chance to win the series opener and put the pressure on Toronto.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Trent Grisham
After going against a trio of right-handers and driving in seven runs in Houston, Grisham will continue his hot stretch.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Max Fried
The southpaw has been excellent in his last few starts and that will continue when he takes the mound on Sunday.
Which Blue Jays player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?
George Springer
Springer has been a thorn for the Yankees since his Astros days. But this season, he's been amazing. In his last seven games against the Yankees, he's 12-for-24 with four home runs and 12 RBI.
