Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commi sion if you sign up through our links. Read our for more information. Its wild to think that a year ago the Royals finished with 106 lo ses in the juxtaposition of them now challenging the top-seeded Yankees in their first trip since 2015. Ill admit I underestimated Kansas City throughout the year. What makes the Royals dangerous is that aside from the mighty Bobby Witt Jr., you really cant prepare for this quietly adaptable offense while the pitching depth shows up when it counts. Kansas Citys 2-0 sweep of the Orioles in the AL Wild Card Series was a starting pitching clinic followed by textbook bullpen management on both sides. Explore More The difference was who could jump ahead first and protect the lead. The Yankees are an upgrade over the Os in power hitting, but not by a vast margin. Michael Wacha will be the first of this rotation to face the games top two contact hitters in Aaron Judge and Juan Soto; his Statcast metrics reveal hes fit for the task. Wacha suppre sed hard-hit Brian Winters Jersey balls (95 mph exit velocity or above) to a 32.5 rate, which boosted him into the top-eight percentile of pitchers. Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha pitches against the Nationals during a regular season game. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con The long-tenured journeyman did not start against the Yankees in his first season as a Royal. He has pitched moderately in Yankee Stadium with a 3.38 in 32/ innings there throughout his career. Gerrit Cole didnt see the Royals this year, either. Hes 4-1 and owns a 2.77 ERA in 52 innings against them, but even numbers aside, every year that pa ses on the reigning AL Cy Young winners $324 million contract is an hourgla s on proving himself in the playoffs. Betting on the NBA? Check out the Read our guide on His velocity took some regre sion acro s the board in 2024, however he enters the playoffs with momentum after securing two wins in two starts for a 0.57 ERA, including a complete-game performance. As aggre sive as this Yankees lineup can be, its proved it can get hoodwinked by hot pitching through rough patches this year. With Wacha and Cole projecting to joust long enough, this rested Royals bullpen that posted a No. 4 overall 3.76 FIP can continue producing soccer scores. The play : Yankees-Royals Game 1, Under 7.5 ( , +100). Why Trust New York Post Betting Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk. Kyle Korver Jersey