Perennial MVP contenders meet as Yanks, Royals clash (ESPN, Monday at 3:40 p.m. ET)
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Any time the Yankees and Royals meet, it means a chance to see two of the American League’s biggest stars going head to head. Aaron Judge, the winner of back-to-back MVP Awards, vs. Bobby Witt Jr., the runner-up finisher in 2024 and fourth-place finisher in ’25.
The two clubs and their perennial MVP contenders will meet this week in Kansas City. Their Monday series opener will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN, with first pitch scheduled for 3:40 p.m. ET.
The Royals-Yankees rivalry was renewed in 2024 when they met in the American League Division Series (their first postseason matchup since 1980) and had their stars go toe-to-toe in the AL MVP race, when Judge's 58-homer season edged out Witt's batting title.
Their paths have largely diverged since then. The Yankees had a less successful playoff run in 2025 after making it all the way to the World Series in ’24; the Royals won just 82 games and finished well clear of a Wild Card spot. The Yankees are once again in contention for a playoff spot while the Royals have some work to do to get back in the picture. Since May 6, both teams are on a bit of a downswing, with New York going 6-11 and the Royals 5-12.
So at least as of now, they're on the same page, trying to turn this month around. Both are coming off wins on Sunday, the Yankees' via Judge's walk-off two-run home run against the Rays (which accounted for his first RBIs since May 10) and the Royals' thanks to a breakout eight-run effort against the Mariners' stingy pitching staff.
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On the mound for the Yankees on Monday will be 26-year-old right-hander Will Warren (6-1, 3.61 ERA), who has so far been quite the pleasant surprise; even with his ERA inflated by a six-run outing against the Rangers earlier this month, it's hard to argue with 62 strikeouts against 13 walks in 52 1/3 innings.
The Royals will turn to veteran Michael Wacha (4-2, 2.70 ERA), a real source of stability for the rotation in the absence of Cole Ragans (left elbow impingement) and Kris Bubic (left elbow soreness). Wacha has also pitched to a 3.12 ERA in 13 career appearances against the Yankees (11 starts).