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Baseball fans will be treated to one of the best matchups of the season on Sunday night as the New York Yankees finish a three-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers on national television. This is a rematch of the 2024 World Series, a 4-1 Dodgers win, but much has changed in the Bronx, and these Yankees look like a serious threat to flip the script in 2025.
It’s the two top offenses in baseball, both leading their respective divisions and rich with star power. But the biggest storylines may come on the mound: Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been brilliant, while New York counters with soft-tossing lefty Ryan Yarbrough, a familiar face in LA. Add in Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge and some red-hot bats, and it’s clear this game has the potential to deliver fireworks.
Despite losing Gerrit Cole for the season, the Yankees enter this weekend with the best run differential in baseball and the second-best record in the American League. Their dominance starts with the bats: they’re first in OBP (.343), first in slugging (.466), and first in OPS (.809) – the only team in MLB with an OPS north of .800. They also lead the majors in home runs.
But what makes New York especially dangerous is that they’re not simply out-slugging opponents, they’re out-pitching them too. The Yankees boast a team ERA of 3.25 (6th) and a league-best 1.15 WHIP, with a bullpen that ranks 5th in ERA despite throwing a modest number of innings. That means stability and fresh arms late in games, which is something the Dodgers can’t say right now.
Individually, Aaron Judge has been the best hitter in baseball. He leads MLB in average (over .390), OPS (over 1.200), and WAR (above 4). Offseason additions Paul Goldschmidt (.340+) and Cody Bellinger (.300+ in May with a .900+ OPS) have been key, while young contributors like Trent Grisham, Anthony Volpe, Ben Rice and Jasson Dominguez have added power and depth.
On the mound, Max Fried has been the ace, leading all pitchers in ERA and WAR, while Luke Weaver has chipped in with a sparkling 0.73 ERA. Even with some bullpen hiccups, the Yankees have the most balanced team in the majors.
The Dodgers’ record and first-place status in the NL West mask what’s been a rocky road through injuries and inconsistency, especially on the mound. Their offense remains elite, but the pitching staff has been severely depleted. As of late May, 14 pitchers are on the IL, including Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Brusdar Graterol and Kirby Yates.
Despite those absences, the Dodgers remain a top-tier team. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has a 1.97 ERA over 11 starts and has dominated both lefties and righties. But the team ERA sits at 4.09 (21st in MLB), and their bullpen has been taxed more than any other in the league: 239.2 innings pitched.
Offensively, they’ve been able to hold it together and then some. The Dodgers enter the weekend 1st in batting average (.263), 2nd in OBP (.341), 2nd in slugging (.458), and 2nd in OPS (.799). At home, their OPS is a blistering .860, which is the best in baseball. Shohei Ohtani leads MLB with 20 home runs and owns a 1.042 OPS, while Freddie Freeman is batting .359 with a 1.044 OPS.
Beyond the stars, Andy Pages, Teoscar Hernández and Will Smith have been crucial, especially in clutch situations. Smith, Pages and Teoscar all rank among the top hitters in MLB with men on base and two outs. Rookie Hyeseong Kim and recent call-up Dalton Rushing are adding even more versatility and spark.
Still, the pitching woes remain the biggest question mark for L.A. If Yamamoto doesn’t go deep, things could unravel quickly.
This game hinges on the two starters. Yamamoto has looked like a Cy Young candidate and has dominated the Yankees in both of his prior starts, including six-plus innings of one-hit ball in Game 2 of last year’s World Series and seven shutout innings in the Bronx earlier that season. In 13.1 total innings vs New York, he’s allowed just one run (a Juan Soto homer) and struck out 13. The Yankees lineup, now Soto-less, has yet to solve him.
Yamamoto has owned left-handed hitters this season, holding them to a .136 average and .410 OPS, which could spell trouble for Bellinger, Grisham, Rice and Austin Wells. Even Judge has struggled against him in limited action.
Meanwhile, Ryan Yarbrough gets the ball for the Yankees. The Dodgers know him well after his stint with the team in 2023–24. While Yarbrough has been solid in May (3 straight 5+ IP, 2 ER or fewer outings), he lacks overpowering stuff and faces one of the league’s best offenses against lefties (.785 OPS, 3rd in MLB). LA’s depth and balance, especially at home, could make this a difficult night for the Yankees’ southpaw.
One matchup to watch: Teoscar Hernández vs Yarbrough. Teoscar has 13 hits in 36 at-bats vs the lefty with 7 home runs, a .361 average and a jaw-dropping 1.395 OPS.
Given his track record against Yarbrough and how he’s swinging it (.300+ average and 900+ OPS), Teoscar is in a great spot to do damage on Sunday night. With the Yankees likely to mix and match arms after Yarbrough, Hernandez should see multiple at-bats vs lefties and remain a threat throughout the game.
Zach has been a published sports writer since 2018 specializing in college football & basketball, MLB and NFL content for multiple publications.