Sports Today Friday, September 18
← Back to today’s slate MLB matchup · September 18, 2026
New York Yankees
88-64 · 2nd in AL East, 5 GB
Bats heating up
RHP Gerrit Cole · High-strikeout arm · plus control
@
Arizona Diamondbacks
80-73 · 3rd in NL West, 13 GB
Bats heating up
LHP Eduardo Rodriguez · Pitches to contact
MLB · Chase Field · 6:40 PM PT

Team Identity

New York Yankees
Season-to-date, 152 games, 5,912 PA.
A power-hitting, patient offense that does damage on extra-base hits, though it can be strikeout-prone. The bats have been heating up lately.
Power
Above Avg78
Contact
Well Below13
Plate Discipline
Above Avg73
Speed
Above Avg68
RISP
Below Avg34
Recent Form
Trending Up
Hit rate is up 14% over the team's last 10 games versus its season baseline.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Season-to-date, 153 games, 6,002 PA.
An aggressive offense that runs and pressures defenses on the bases. The bats have been heating up lately.
Power
Below Avg41
Contact
Average57
Plate Discipline
Average56
Speed
Above Avg68
RISP
Average46
Recent Form
Trending Up
Total bases per PA is up 12% over the team's last 10 games versus its season baseline.

What This Game Is About

Biggest Advantage

D-backs bring the more aggressive profile, while Yankees lean on being power-hitting.

Swing Factor

Eduardo Rodriguez strikes hitters out at a 18.1% clip (25th percentile); Yankees carry a 23.5% strikeout rate.

Momentum

Yankees are trending up and D-backs are trending up over their last 10 games.

Key Matchups

Can Eduardo Rodriguez miss enough bats?
Eduardo Rodriguez strikes hitters out at a 18.1% clip (25th percentile); Yankees carry a 23.5% strikeout rate.
Edge · YankeesEduardo Rodriguez: 18.1% K rateYankees: 23.5% K rateHigh confidence
Can Gerrit Cole miss enough bats?
Gerrit Cole strikes hitters out at a 24.2% clip (72nd percentile); D-backs carry a 18.8% strikeout rate.
Edge · D-backsGerrit Cole: 24.2% K rateD-backs: 18.8% K rateHigh confidence
Can Gerrit Cole limit D-backs' power?
D-backs rank in the 41st percentile in extra-base production, while Gerrit Cole sits in the 15th percentile at suppressing total bases.
Edge · D-backsD-backs: 0.341 TB/PAGerrit Cole: 0.400 TB/PA allowed (483 PA)High confidence
Can Eduardo Rodriguez limit Yankees' power?
Yankees rank in the 78th percentile in extra-base production, while Eduardo Rodriguez sits in the 53rd percentile at suppressing total bases.
Edge · YankeesYankees: 0.348 TB/PAEduardo Rodriguez: 0.331 TB/PA allowed (747 PA)High confidence
Can Eduardo Rodriguez command the strike zone?
Yankees walk in 9.2% of trips; Eduardo Rodriguez allows walks sparingly (7.8%).
Edge · Eduardo RodriguezYankees: 9.2% walk rateEduardo Rodriguez: 7.8% walks allowedHigh confidence

Pitcher Trends

Gerrit Cole
Gerrit Cole
New York Yankees · 8 starts
SP
Strikeouts5.5/start
Hits allowed6.0/start
6+ Hits Allowed — 4 of last 65 or fewer Strikeouts — 5 of last 6
24% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.
Eduardo Rodriguez
Eduardo Rodriguez
Arizona Diamondbacks · 8 starts
SP
Strikeouts5.9/start
Hits allowed5.8/start
5+ Strikeouts — 4 of last 64 or fewer Hits Allowed — 3 of last 6
18% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.

Player Trends

Nolan Arenado
Nolan Arenado
Arizona Diamondbacks · 0.317 hit rate · 0.732 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L54 / 5L108 / 10L2516 / 254-game hit streak
Total bases per PA is up 102% over his prior baseline, with hits in 8 of his last 10 games.
Cody Bellinger
Cody Bellinger
New York Yankees · 0.372 hit rate · 0.721 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L54 / 5L109 / 10L2521 / 253-game hit streak
Total bases per PA is up 106% over his prior baseline, with hits in 9 of his last 10 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 9%.
Heliot Ramos
Heliot Ramos
New York Yankees · 0.250 hit rate · 0.500 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L105 / 10L2510 / 25
Total bases per PA is up 142% over his prior baseline, with hits in 3 of his last 5 games.
Ryan Waldschmidt
Ryan Waldschmidt
Arizona Diamondbacks · 0.053 hit rate · 0.053 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L51 / 5L103 / 10L2510 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 84% over his prior baseline, with hits in 1 of his last 5 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 47%.
Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge
New York Yankees · 0.167 hit rate · 0.292 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L105 / 10L2513 / 25
On-base rate is down 42% over his prior baseline, with hits in 3 of his last 7 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 54%.
Ryan McMahon
Ryan McMahon
New York Yankees · 0.129 hit rate · 0.161 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L105 / 10L2513 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 48% over his prior baseline, with hits in 4 of his last 8 games.

Players Positioned to Succeed

84
Gabriel Moreno
Gabriel Moreno
1+ Hit
Arizona Diamondbacks
Why it stands out
Batting 3rd, confirmed lineup
No notable risk
82
Ketel Marte
Ketel Marte
1+ Hit
Arizona Diamondbacks
Why it stands out
Batting 2nd, confirmed lineup
No notable risk
78
Cody Bellinger
Cody Bellinger
1+ Hit
New York Yankees
Why it stands out
Batting 2nd, confirmed lineup
No notable risk
76
Ben Rice
Ben Rice
1+ Hit
New York Yankees
Why it stands out
Batting 4th, confirmed lineup
No notable risk
71
Geraldo Perdomo
Geraldo Perdomo
1+ Hit
Arizona Diamondbacks
Why it stands out
Batting 4th, confirmed lineup
No notable risk
69
Spencer Jones
Spencer Jones
1+ Hit
New York Yankees
Why it stands out
Batting 6th, confirmed lineup
Main risk
Recent hit rate has cooled

Expected Game Shape

BalancedLow confidence

Competitive profile without a clear stylistic tilt. Yankees bring more power.

Early edge Yankees Driver No single dominant factor Volatility Moderate
  • Both probable starters grade around the 50th percentile in combined suppression.
  • Yankees are trending up; D-backs are trending up.

Storylines to Watch

Does Yankees' power tilt the game?
Yankees bring a clearly stronger extra-base profile into this matchup.
Yankees power pct 78 vs D-backs 41
Can Yankees handle Eduardo Rodriguez's strikeout stuff?
Yankees have been a below-average contact team while Eduardo Rodriguez misses bats at an above-average rate — a swing factor early.
Yankees contact percentile: 13
Is Nolan Arenado the one to watch?
Nolan Arenado enters as D-backs' hottest bat. Total bases per PA is up 102% over his prior baseline, with hits in 8 of his last 10 games.
0.317 hit rate · 0.732 TB/PA · 0.202 hit rate · 0.363 TB/PA
Based on plate appearances before 2026-09-18, with today's posted lineups when available. Injuries, weather, bullpen availability, and park factors are not yet included.