Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen (L-R) and managing general partner Ken Kendrick hold a jersey with new starting pitcher Corbin Burnes during an introductory press conference at Chase Field. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Arizona Diamondbacks will travel to New York to take on the Yankees in a three-game series beginning Tuesday. After a 2-2 split with the Chicago Cubs in the opening series, the D-backs will face a tough challenge in the American League’s hottest club.
The Yankees are 3-0, with a 36-15 run differential over their first three contests. The Diamondbacks are 2-2, and outscored the Cubs 27-21 in their first four games.
The Diamondbacks looked to fill the loss of Christian Walker with the trade for first baseman Josh Naylor. Naylor was 6-for-15 with two doubles, three RI and three walks over the course of the opening series, and has yet to strike out at the plate in 2025.
Arizona also made a premier addition to their rotation, signing ace Corbin Burnes to a six-year, $210 million deal. Burnes has yet to make his Diamondbacks debut as a result of his strict routine and Zac Gallen getting the Opening Day nod. Burnes will appear in this series.
The Yankees have loaded up and added to their roster after falling just short of a World Series victory in 2024. While the loss of Juan Soto might be tough to overcome, they did add former Arizona great Paul Goldschmidt to be their starting first baseman. Goldschmidt is 5-for-12 with a double and a homer so far with the Yankees.
New York also signed left-handed starter Max Fried, with ace Gerrit Cole unfortunately down for the season with Tommy John Surgery. The Yankees’ rotation is suffering from injury, with both Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt also dealing with issues of their own.
New York added a bona fide closer in Devin Williams, signing him away from the Milwaukee Brewers, and brought in Carlos Carrasco to add depth to a thinning rotation. Arizona native Cody Bellinger was another notable addition.
D-backs’ newly-acquired ace Corbin Burnes will make his first start as a member of the club. Burnes brings a 2021 Cy Young Award, a 3.19 career ERA, and a devastating arsenal to the mound. He’ll get his first start as a member of the Diamondbacks, in a tough offensive environment in New York.
Right-hander Will Warren made his MLB debut in 2024, pitching 22.2 innings over five starts and throwing to a 10.32 ERA. He had a 5.91 ERA over 109.2 innings in the minors. He gave up 13 runs over 23 innings in Spring Training.
Zac Gallen’s Opening Day start didn’t go exceptionally well. He threw only four innings, and allowed four hits, four walks and four runs en route to a 10-6 loss. Gallen’s fastball command and overall efficiency looked poor. He dealt with some injury issues in 2024, but still threw 148 innings, and posted a 3.65 ERA in that span.
Lefty Carlos Rodón was excellent in his Opening Day start. He struck out seven over 5.1 innings, allowing just one run on four hits. He pitched to a 3.96 ERA over 32 starts in 2024, while striking out 195 batters over just 175 innings.
Right-hander Merrill Kelly didn’t get much of a 2024 season, as he was limited to just 73 innings over 13 starts due to a shoulder injury. He threw to a pedestrian, yet still respectable 4.03 ERA this past year. In Kelly’s first start of 2025, he struggled with command early and walked four, but ended with just one earned run on his line over 5.1 innings.
Carrasco pitched to a 5.64 ERA over 103.2 innings with the Cleveland Guardians in 2024. The 38-year-old veteran has yet to make a start for the Yankees, but he did make a two-inning relief appearance against Milwaukee on March 29. He gave up three runs on five hits, including a homer.
The Yankees have belted 15 homers in their first three games of the season – tying an MLB record. They also lead MLB in slugging percentage (.803) so far. The D-backs rank second in MLB in that category (.543), and led all of baseball in runs scored in 2024.
With an eight-run eighth-inning downpour to come back from a 6-2 deficit in Sunday’s game, Arizona’s offense looks to be in a similar spot. The dangerous Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll sit atop the lineup, and National League player of the week Eugenio Suarez brings his power bat to the lower half of the order, providing balance.
The Yankees have belted 13 homers through three games, the most in MLB. The ever-talented Aaron Judge boasts four of them, matching D-backs’ third baseman Eugenio Suárez’s total.
Judge crushed three homers on March 29, while Suárez managed two on March 28. But Suárez has yet to record a base hit that is not a home run, while Judge is 6-for-11 thus far in the season.
New York hung 20 runs on the Brewers in their second game. The Yankees do boast one of the shortest home run distances in their home ballpark, and the advent of one of baseball’s biggest intrigues — the “torpedo” bat — has added another dimension to a lineup full of sluggers.
Regardless of who comes out victorious, expect a high number of runs in this three-game set.
The Yankees boast a pair of excellent high-leverage relievers in recently-acquired closer Devin Williams, and former Diamondbacks starter Luke Weaver. Williams figures to get the save opportunities, but Weaver is certainly excellent in high leverage.
Lefty sidewinder Tim Hill reminds one of Arizona’s Ryan Thompson, delivering sinking fastballs from a low arm angle.
The D-backs are dealing with an injury to one of their primary setup men in righty Kevin Ginkel. That’s a big blow, but Arizona will likely turn to a combination of Thompson, Justin Martinez, A.J. Puk, and perhaps even Shelby Miller to fill their their late innings.
Related Content
Published Mar 31, 2025|Modified Mar 31, 2025
