Pittsburgh Pirates vs New York Yankees

Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Yankees (2026-07-20). Braxton Ashcraft vs Ryan Weathers at Yankee Stadium.

Starters — Braxton Ashcraft enters with a 3.49 ERA and 1.11 WHIP across 113.1 innings, backed by 10.16 K/9, 2.14 BB/9, and 1.11 HR/9. His strikeout-to-walk profile is strong, and the workload is substantial. Over his last three starts, he has allowed 11 earned runs in 16.2 innings, with lines of 5.0 IP/5 ER, 5.2 IP/1 ER, and 6.0 IP/5 ER, while recording 21 strikeouts against 5 walks. The listed trend is up, but the recent game log shows some volatility from start to start. Ryan Weathers carries a 4.15 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 97.2 innings, with 10.14 K/9, 2.49 BB/9, and 1.47 HR/9. The swing-and-miss ability is comparable to Ashcraft, but the home-run rate is notably higher. In his last three starts, he has worked 11.0 innings and allowed 7 earned runs, with outings of 5.1 IP/1 ER, 4.0 IP/4 ER, and 1.2 IP/2 ER. The listed trend is down, though his most recent start was his sharpest of the three.

Teams — Pittsburgh has been the better offensive club by the numbers, posting a .769 OPS, a .263 average, and 533 runs scored. The Pirates are also 7-3 over their last 10 games, which supports the idea that the lineup is carrying momentum into this matchup. Their pitching staff has been more middle-of-the-pack overall, with a 4.26 team ERA and 1.31 WHIP. New York has a .738 OPS, a .236 average, and 467 runs scored, so the season-long offensive production trails Pittsburgh. The Yankees have gone 6-4 in their last 10, and their edge comes more from run prevention, with a 3.40 team ERA and 1.19 WHIP. That creates a contrast between Pittsburgh’s stronger lineup profile and New York’s stronger full-staff pitching profile.