Two first-place teams, two notable absences, and a starting-pitcher matchup of left-handers headline Wednesday night in the Bronx, where the New York Yankees host the Chicago White Sox. New York’s Carlos Rodón takes the ball against Chicago’s Anthony Kay in the middle game of the series.
How To Watch
Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.
Stream: Amazon Prime Video — exclusive, free for Prime members in the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania markets
TV (Chicago): CHSN
Radio: WFAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM (New York) · WMVP 1000 AM (Chicago)
Pitching matchup: Chicago’s Anthony Kay (6–1, 4.34) vs. New York’s Carlos Rodón (2–2, 3.19)
Champions on the Mound
The night opens with a jolt of Knicks-championship electricity: NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson and teammate Josh Hart, fresh off the franchise’s first title in 53 years, are both set to throw out ceremonial first pitches. There’s a deeper Yankee thread to it, too — Hart is the great-nephew of Elston Howard, the first African-American player in Yankees history and a Monument Park honoree. With the championship parade up Broadway scheduled for Thursday, the Bronx should be roaring early.
New York Knicks’ Josh Hart, left, and Jalen Brunson, right, wait to throw out a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Knicks’ Josh Hart, right, and Jalen Brunson throw out a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Knicks’ Josh Hart, left, and Jalen Brunson, right, wait to throws out a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
If you’ve got Prime Video, scrub back to the 25:48 mark of the broadcast and rewatch the whole thing — Brunson and Hart on the mound in pinstripes, fresh off the title. It’s a small thing, but if you bleed Yankees and Knicks blue, it’s a pretty cool moment.
Prediction
The Yankees are heavy home favorites at -186 on the moneyline, with the total set at 8.5 runs. The case for New York is straightforward: this lineup punishes left-handed pitching better than any team in baseball — an MLB-best .792 OPS against lefties — and Kay, for all his 4.34 ERA, has been one of the season’s more fortunate arms (his expected ERA sits closer to the mid-5.00s). Rodón, meanwhile, has settled into a groove since returning from injury, with a 3.19 ERA over six starts and no outing worse than three earned runs. His one wart is walks, so the White Sox path is patience. But on paper this is a tough spot for a fly-ball lefty in a hitter’s park. The pick: Yankees, with the run line (-1.5) the sharper play if you want value over the steep moneyline.
Chicago White Sox’s Anthony Kay throws during a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Chicago.
Chicago White Sox starter Anthony Kay delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball against the Detroit Tigers in Chicago, Saturday, May 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón (55) throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, June 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón (55)throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, June 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Two Lineups, Two Big Bats Missing
What makes this matchup more even than the records suggest is that both clubs are without their most dangerous hitter. The Yankees are navigating an extended absence from captain Aaron Judge, who is sidelined roughly six weeks with a stress fracture in his right rib and isn’t expected back before mid-July. Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger have carried the load in his place, but there’s no replacing a reigning MVP in the middle of the order. Chicago, for its part, is missing rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami, out with a Grade 2 hamstring strain since late May, though he’s running again and trending toward a return. Two contenders, both shorthanded — which is exactly why a “lesser” pitching matchup can still tilt the night.
The Battery to Watch
Chicago White Sox catcher Edgar Quero greets pitcher Anthony Kay, left, after the third inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Kevin Ng)
Catching Kay tonight, and hitting sixth, is Edgar Quero — the 23-year-old Cuban-born switch-hitter who profiles as Chicago’s catcher of the future. Quero has scuffled at the plate of late, but the White Sox rebuild runs through young, internationally sourced talent like him, and how he handles a veteran lefty against the sport’s best lefty-mashing lineup is a quiet subplot worth tracking.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, left, drives past San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle, center, tries to shoot between New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) and guard Josh Hart (3) during the first half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A Note on the Visitors
One last bit of color the Bronx faithful may appreciate, or not: the team in the visiting dugout is the favorite club of Pope Leo XIV, the Chicago-born pontiff and lifelong South Sider who was famously caught on camera at the 2005 World Series. The White Sox don’t have much going for them in the standings this year, but they may have the most powerful fan in the world. (We wrote about that improbable story here.)
All times Eastern.
Odds via DraftKings, accurate as of Wednesday and subject to change. Gambling content intended for those 21 and older. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
