Pittsburgh Pirates vs New York Yankees

Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Yankees (2026-07-22). Mitch Keller vs Gerrit Cole at Yankee Stadium.

Starters — Keller has a 5.14 ERA and 1.33 WHIP over 103.1 innings, with 6.71 K/9, 3.05 BB/9, and 1.13 HR/9. His last three starts were 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 K, 2 BB; 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 1 K, 0 BB; and 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 K, 1 BB. The recent form points up, but the run prevention remains shaky. Cole has a 3.93 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 55.0 innings, with 9.0 K/9, 1.96 BB/9, and 1.47 HR/9. His last three starts were 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 8 K, 1 BB; 6.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 K, 1 BB; and 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 K, 0 BB. The trend is down, and the strikeout-to-walk profile is clearly stronger than Keller’s.

Teams — Pittsburgh brings a .768 OPS, .263 average, and 538 runs, with a 4.30 team ERA and 1.32 WHIP. The Pirates are 6-4 in their last 10, and the offense has been the stronger unit relative to the pitching staff. New York has a .739 OPS, .237 average, and 475 runs, backed by a 3.42 team ERA and 1.19 WHIP. The Yankees are also 6-4 in their last 10, and their edge comes more from overall staff prevention than from pure offensive output.