Pittsburgh Pirates vs New York Yankees Prediction, Preview and Odds - 07/22/2026

Game Time: 1:35 pm ET, Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Venue:  Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY 

Where to Watch:  MLB TV

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Pirates +134, Yankees -162; Over/Under:  9 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Pirates +135, Yankees -165; Over/Under:  9.5 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Pirates +135, Yankees -165; Over/Under:  9.5 runs

Pittsburgh Pirates:  52-49 (4th place, NL Central)

New York Yankees:  56-44 (2nd place, AL East)

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Pittsburgh Pirates:  6-4 last 10

New York Yankees:  6-4 last 10

The Pirates are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 52-49 record overall and have a road record of 25-25. This is the 2nd game of a 3-game series with the Yankees on Wednesday and they have Tuesday off as a day of rest due to rain. The Pirates lost the series opener on Monday. Their offense ranks 2nd in the MLB with a .768 OPS. Braxton Ashcraft was their starting pitcher on Monday while Mitch Keller is making his start in this game on Wednesday. He is 6-7 with a 5.14 ERA this season. His team lost their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season appearance, he allowed 3 ER, 1 HR, and 2 BB with 3 SO on 4 hits through 3 IP against the Atlanta Braves.

The Yankees are entering this series off a win and lost their 3-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 56-44 record overall and have a home record of 25-22. This is the 2nd game of a 3-game series with the Pirates on Wednesday and they have Tuesday off as a day of rest due to rain. The Yankees won the 1st game of this series on Monday. Their offense ranks 6th in the MLB with a .739 OPS. Ryan Weathers was their starting pitcher on Monday while Gerrit Cole is making his start in this game on Wednesday. He is 3-5 with a 3.93 ERA this season. His team lost their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 2 earned runs, 1 homer, and 1 walk with 8 strikeouts on 4 hits through 6 innings pitched against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The current betting odds have the Yankees listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Pirates have looked good in their games this season with their 52-49 record overall, but that record has them right near the bottom of the NL Central in a competitive division. They haven't been a great road team though with their 25-25 road record this year. Meanwhile, the Yankees have looked really good in their games this season with their 56-44 record overall which has them right near the top of the AL East. They have looked good in their own ballpark too with their 25-22 home record this season. The Pirates have been rolling lately and they are 6-4 in their last 10 games now, but the Yankees are also 6-4 in their last 10 games and they are going to have the better pitching matchup here. The Pirates are going with Keller in this one and he hasn't looked good this season. He is 6-7 with a 5.14 ERA and he has been giving up a ton of runs lately. He gave up 3 earned runs in his last start which has been one of his better starts as of late and the team has been having a lot of trouble with him too, losing 2 games in a row with him starting. The Yankees are going with Cole in this one and he hasn't looked great this season. He is 3-5 with a 3.93 ERA, but he hasn't looked bad either and has been a really reliable starter for them over the years. The team has lost 2 games in a row now with him starting, but he looked a lot better in his last start, only giving up 2 earned runs. The Pirates have one of the best offenses in MLB at the moment, but the Yankees also have a really good offense that is going to take advantage of this pitching matchup. The best way to place a bet here is on the Yankees to win this game. 

Pirates Yankees Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Wednesday, July 22, 2026 (1:35 pm ET start time) is Yankees 7 Pirates 3.

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Pittsburgh Pirates: 18-10 (+8.4 units) on the moneyline in an inter-league game. 43-30 (+10.2 units) on the moneyline against right-handed starters. 14-10 (+4.4 units) on the moneyline vs. an AL team with an on base percentage .330 or worse. 33-16 OVER when playing against a team with a winning record.

New York Yankees: 2-5 (-4.5 units) on the moneyline against NL Central opponents. 25-22 (-9.4 units) on the moneyline in home games. 34-31 (-5.9 units) on the moneyline vs. good fielding teams - averaging 0.6 errors/game or less. 19-9 UNDER after 3 or more consecutive home games.

Pittsburgh Pirates:  O. Cruz (CF) Sixty Day IL - Hand. K. Griffin (SS) Sixty Day IL - Finger. E. Rodriguez (C) Ten Day IL - Lower Body. E. Sisk (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Elbow. S. Horwitz (1B) Ten Day IL - Hamstring. C. Devenski (RP) Sixty Day IL - Illness.

New York Yankees:  A. Judge (RF) Sixty Day IL - Rib. C. Rodon (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Elbow. M. Fried (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Elbow. G. Stanton (DH) Ten Day IL - Leg. C. Schmidt (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.

“He threw some good ones, but they didn’t have the depth they normally have. He didn’t seem like he was finishing off the breaking balls like he typically does.” - Don Kelly on Braxton Ashcraft after his team’s loss against the Yankees in their game on Monday. 

“It’s important to have that diligence of preparing and doing everything you need to do to be successful, but also not being wound so tight when you get between the lines that you’re stressing yourself out. It’s a kid’s game. It’s a fun game. You need to every now and then remind yourself of that.” - Aaron Boone after his team’s win against the Pirates in their game on Monday. 

Nick Gonzales (R) 3B

Brandon Lowe (L) 2B

Bryan Reynolds (S) LF

Esmerlyn Valdez (R) RF

Ryan O'Hearn (L) 1B

Marcell Ozuna (R) DH

Jared Triolo (R) SS

Henry Davis (R) C

Billy Cook (R) CF

Trent Grisham (L) CF

Ben Rice (L) DH

Paul Goldschmidt (R) 1B

Cody Bellinger (L) LF

Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L) 2B

Jasson Domínguez (S) RF

Ryan McMahon (L) 3B

Austin Wells (L) C

José Caballero (R) SS

Batting Average:  Rafael Flores (.333)

Hits:  Nick Gonzales (110)

Home Runs:  Brandon Lowe (21)

RBI:  Brandon Lowe (65)

Stolen Bases:  Oneil Cruz (21)

Wins:  Braxton Ashcraft (9)

Saves:  Gregory Soto (12)

ERA:  Khristian Curtis (0.00)

Batting Average:  Ben Rice (.281)

Hits:  Ben Rice (99)

Home Runs:  Ben Rice (29)

RBI:  Ben Rice (68)

Stolen Bases:  Jazz Chisholm (26)

Wins:  Cam Schlittler (9)

Saves:  David Bednar (18)

ERA:  Yovanny Cruz (0.00)

Managers:

Pittsburgh Pirates: Don Kelly (2nd season)

New York Yankees: Aaron Boone (9th season)