I probably didn't need to tell you this, but the 2026 AL East is shaping up to be one of the most competitive divisions in the history of baseball, particularly with the weakness of the rest of the American League. Entering Wednesday night, the last-place Orioles are 61-65, which would be just two games behind the AL West-leading Astros. No division has ever had five teams with a winning record, coming closest in 1991 with the Angels in the AL West and the 2005 Nationals in the NL East, both finishing exactly .500.
It'd be one thing if this were an outlier, but it isn't. This will almost certainly be the fifth consecutive season without a 90-loss team in the AL East, with the rebuilding 2021 Orioles being the last ones to fit that criterion. In the last seven full seasons, only one other division has had a single season like this (NL Central, 2024), while the AL East is doing it for a fifth consecutive year. It shows, now more than ever, that there are no pushovers in these divisional games, so winning a series here just feels bigger than it would otherwise.
Looking to secure a series victory for the Yankees will be Will Warren, who got a new lease on life in the starting rotation after Max Fried's potentially precautionary IL stint corresponded with Carlos Rodón's return last night. Making his 25th start, Warren has pitched to a 4.42 ERA (95 ERA+) and 4.20 FIP in 118 innings. His struggles over the better part of two months have eliminated his great start and dragged him back to where he was statistically last season. Fortunately for Will, he'll be facing a team he's fared well against in 2026, allowing three runs in 12 innings with 15 strikeouts.
Recent Yankees nemesis Chris Bassitt continues his age-37 season tonight for the O's in his first season with Baltimore after three years in Toronto. He's struggled in 13 appearances and 11 starts this season, pitching to a 5.11 ERA (81 ERA+) and 4.65 FIP across 61.2 innings. He never faced the Yankees in the first six years of his career, but has dominated them across nine starts since 2021, pitching to a 2.06 ERA in 56.1 innings, although the results slightly improved last year.
Bassitt no longer has the stuff to generate whiffs and strikeouts, but has stayed serviceable through managing hard contact and barrels while keeping the ball on the ground. He's able to do that with his seven-pitch mix that keeps hitters off balance, although he's refined it more this year. He essentially only uses four of them against righties, throwing his sinker half the time, while using the curveball as his main secondary along with more cutter and changeup usage.
The red-hot Trent Grisham will lead off once again, followed by the usual three of Ben Rice, Luis García Jr., and Heliot Ramos. A bold strategy of using three straight high-strikeout bats then ensues with Jazz Chisholm Jr., Spencer Jones, and Ryan McMahon before George Lombard Jr. and Austin Wells round out the lineup. I guess a guy who strictly manages contact won't exploit them as much?
Jackson Holliday leads off again for Baltimore with Pete Alonso flanking him. Gunnar Henderson bumps up to third in the order, followed by a returning Samuel Basallo at first base, the lefty-killing Coby Mayo, and Dylan Beavers. A pair of fallen prospects follow with Leody Taveras and Colton Cowser before former Yankee Carlos Narvaez rounds it out at the bottom.
How to watch
Location: Oriole Park at Camden Yards — Baltimore, MD
First pitch: 6:35 pm ET
TV broadcast: MASN, MLB Network (out-of-market only)
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), 98 Rock 97.9 FM, WBAL 1090 AM
Online stream: Amazon Prime Video, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)
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