The New York Yankees stroll into Camden Yards on Friday night riding the high of a statement win, but the mood is less about celebration and more about preparation. Their 7-0 shutout of the Baltimore Orioles in Thursday’s opener was emphatic, yet looming ahead is a far tougher obstacle: Trevor Rogers.
Rogers has been nothing short of unhittable this season. The Orioles’ southpaw owns a microscopic 1.43 ERA and allows just 0.3 home runs per nine innings — both the best marks in baseball among qualified pitchers. His dominance is the kind that changes the energy in a ballpark before the first pitch is even thrown. If Thursday was a joyride, Friday will feel more like climbing Everest without oxygen.
The Yankees, however, aren’t walking in unarmed. They lead the league with a .790 OPS against left-handed pitching, and this lineup was built to crush southpaws. Whether that firepower is enough to dent Rogers’ armor is the looming question.
A lineup designed to attack lefties
Manager Aaron Boone revealed a lineup that mirrors Thursday’s group but with subtle tweaks. Paul Goldschmidt stays in the leadoff role, as he has given lefties nightmares for years and 2025 has been no exception.
Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton follow, forming a thunderous heart of the order. If anyone can flip a game with a single swing against a pitcher like Rogers, it’s those three. Judge has been punishing balls all season, Bellinger has been outstanding, and Stanton remains a threat to turn a mistake into a souvenir.
One of the more intriguing wrinkles is Amed Rosario batting fifth and starting at third base in place of Ryan McMahon. Rosario has quietly posted a scorching 190 wRC+ in his brief Yankees stint. McMahon has been reliable against righties, but Boone knows Rogers is not the matchup to test him on.
Key role players look to spark the offense
Austin Slater also slots in for Trent Grisham in left field, another nod to the Yankees’ preference for right-handed punch against elite lefties. Slater owns a strong track record of feasting on southpaw pitching, and Boone will hope he can spark something from the sixth spot.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. returns to second base and will bat seventh, bringing his trademark energy and ability to change a game with one swing or a mad dash on the bases.
Anthony Volpe, meanwhile, is quietly becoming a pivotal X-factor. He’ll hit eighth and play shortstop as he works back from a partially torn labrum that flared up last week. Volpe has responded with three hits in two games since returning, including two doubles and a stolen base. He also scored three runs over that stretch.
Rounding out the order is catcher Austin Wells. Though his 92 wRC+ is underwhelming, his 21 home runs underscore the kind of raw power that could flip a tight pitcher’s duel in one swing. Against a pitcher as stingy as Rogers, that kind of sudden thunder could prove invaluable.
The Yankees’ uphill climb
Facing Trevor Rogers is like trying to solve a puzzle while the pieces are actively reshaping themselves. He doesn’t just dominate—he disrupts rhythm, smothers rallies, and forces lineups to rethink their approach. The Yankees know they’ll need to be relentless, disciplined, and opportunistic.
Thursday showed how dangerous this offense can be when it’s clicking. Friday will reveal if they can maintain that edge when every mistake carries the weight of the game.
The Yankees still have a chance to win the AL East, but they will need to be ruthless in their precious few remaining games.
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