Chicago Cubs vs New York Yankees – Series Preview (July 31-August 2): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4
The Cubs (62-47) posted a 5-2 record on a road trip to Pittsburgh and St. Louis thanks to some excellent pitching and a couple of explosive offensive performances. They have now reached their high-water mark for the season at 15 games over .500, and they return home this weekend for a battle against a Yankees team that is one of the best in the American League.
The Yanks (61-48) were as high as 18 games over .500 in mid June but have been treading water since, with a 15-20 record in their last 35. The offense has a lot of power with the second-most homers (153) in baseball, but their .725 team OPS is just 13th in MLB. Injuries to key contributors Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and now Cody Bellinger have certainly hurt their offensive production.
One member of the Bronx Bombers who has stayed healthy is big first baseman Ben Rice, who is having a monster year with 31 homers, 73 RBI, and a .921 OPS. Perennial Cubs killer Paul Goldschmidt is still dangerous with 16 dingers, and infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. has some pop in his bat with 16 longballs of his own.
The Yanks have the best pitching staff in baseball in 2026 with a 3.31 team ERA that is well ahead of the second-place Brewers (3.51). The starting rotation ranks fifth with a 3.54 ERA, and that is with a limited contribution from Gerrit Cole and Max Fried, who both missed a couple of months recovering from arm injuries.
New York really shines in the bullpen, which has a sterling 2.98 ERA that is tied for the best in MLB. Former Pirates closer David Bednar has been excellent in the same role in the Big Apple with 22 saves. Paul Blackburn, Brent Headrick, and Fernando Cruz have been nails as setup men in the back end of the ‘pen.
The week ahead is very challenging for the Cubs with the Dodgers following the Yankees to Wrigley, so it’s a chance to show what they’re made of. It will be a very exciting atmosphere with the added drama around Monday’s trade deadline increasing the emotions even more. Let the madness begin.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Friday, July 31 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
- Saturday, August 1 at 6:15pm CT on FOX.
- Sunday, August 2 at 1:20pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 7/31 | Shōta Imanaga | 32 | L | 3.72 | 7-8 | 4.40 | 3.90 |
| Will Warren | 27 | R | 4.41 | 7-5 | 4.17 | 2.83 | |
| 8/1 | David Peterson | 30 | L | 5.80 | 6-7 | 4.22 | 1.93 |
| Max Fried | 32 | L | 3.23 | 4-3 | 2.58 | 2.77 | |
| 8/2 | Colin Rea | 36 | R | 4.67 | 8-7 | 4.87 | 2.08 |
| Gerrit Cole | 35 | R | 3.57 | 4-5 | 3.73 | 5.21 |
What to Watch For
- Alex Bregman went off against the Cardinals with 10 hits, seven of which went for extra bases.
- Nico Hoerner had 12 hits during the seven-game trip.
- Peterson has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his five starts for the Cubs.
- Ian Happ continues to struggle, going 5-for-29 on the trip.
