We still have a long way to go in the MLB season before we get to see which team is the best in each conference, but it’s still fun to watch teams vie for the bragging rights at this early point in the season. The New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals currently sit atop their respective AL divisions, and they will meet in Kansas for a 3-game series that will start on Friday with the Yankees as -114 favorites on MLB lines.
New York Yankees vs Kansas City Royals MLB Lines Analysis
Date: Friday, May 15th, 2015 Time: 8:10PM ET Venue: Kauffman Stadium Opening line: Yankees -114
Former Yankees catcher Jorge Posada says Alex Rodriguez shouldn’t get into the Hall of Fame. » http://t.co/LyrPCpzDFg
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 13, 2015
The Yankees (21-14) are still one of the surprise teams in all of baseball, but it’s beginning to look as though they are heading back to earth a little. They are just 5-5 in their last 10 games, and are losing 2-1 in a 4-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays, with the final game set for Thursday night. Should they drop another to Tampa, their lead atop the AL East will be down to a single game. Things certainly don’t get any easier with their next road stop in Kansas City. On the positive side of things, the Yankees have actually been better on the road than they have been at home this season, going 12-7 versus 9-7. In order to stay atop the standings, the Yankees will need to continue getting great offense, as well as excellent service from their bullpen. Michael Pineda (5-0, 2.72 ERA) will start for the Yankees on Friday. That is good news for the Yankees, as they have won 6 of the 7 games that Pineda has started.
The Kansas City Royals (21-13) have an almost identical record as the Yankees, and have had the exact same record as them over the last 10 games. A series win over the Detroit Tigers helped the Royals take top spot in the AL Central, but they followed that up by losing 2 of 3 to Texas. The good news is that this Royals team appears to be slightly better than the one than came within an inch of winning it all last season. They are one of the most balanced teams in the league, as can be seen by their +39 run differential. The Royals are a solid 11-5 at home this season, so it’s fair to say that they will like their chances against an overachieving Yankees team in this series. Chris Young has split time between the bullpen and the starting rotation this season, and has been excellent in both. He allowed just 3 hits and 1 run in 6 innings versus the Tigers in his last start.
