By Derek McAdam
February 7, 2024
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The 2024 regular season is less than two months away from its start, and Spring Training is right around the corner. However, looking ahead at the New York Yankees’ 2024 schedule, there are some intriguing series scattered throughout the season. Of course, every team will face each other in a series at some point this year, but there are several matchups on the calendar that caught my attention. The matchups that I choose will be based in chronological order, rather than a ranking system.
1. Yankees vs. Astros (March 28-31)
As many would expect, the Opening Day/Weekend series will make most lists. What makes this even more interesting is that it’s taking place against the Astros in Houston. The Yankees have not had great history with the Astros over the past seven or eight seasons, particularly in the playoffs. And with both teams having high expectations for the 2024 season, they will want to get off to quick starts, which may create a fun four-game battle.
What makes this series even better is that both teams will be sending out their best starters to face off against each other, which is never a guarantee once a couple of weeks have gone by in the season. And, to make things even better, there will not be any cancelations due to weather. This will be a great series to start off the new season.
2. Yankees vs. Orioles (April 29 - May 2)
Going into the new season, the Orioles are the Yankees’ biggest threat in the AL East. The Orioles have a solid young core of players that are only likely to improve and recently bolstered their starting rotation in acquiring Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers, who is likely to be their ace. However, the Yankees have also been fairly active this off-season, with their acquisitions of Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo and Marcus Stroman, among several others.
The Yankees were 6-7 against the Orioles last season, and will need to take advantage of the AL East games for upcoming seasons, especially since these teams aren’t playing each other as much. After this series, they will still see each other nine more times, but it could be a glimpse as to what the future matchups hold.
3. Dodgers vs. Yankees (June 7-9)
It’s always an interesting series when these two teams play each other, but the stakes are even higher for this series. Yankee fans will see, in person, Shohei Ohtani in a different uniform for the first time in his MLB career, and possibly Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In addition to these two players, the Dodgers are still loaded with talent, including Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, both of whom were candidates for the NL MVP award last season.
Betts has already said that for many teams, playing the Dodgers this season will feel like a “World Series” atmosphere. There’s no question that Yankee Stadium will sell out for all three games, and it will absolutely be a fun series. But, the Yankees should treat it just like any other series, since it is just the regular season. Many Yankee fans probably have this weekend circled on their calendars, and I can understand why.
4. Braves vs. Yankees (June 21-23)
There’s no better way to enter summer than to have what I consider to be the most talented all-around team in the entire league come to New York to face off against the Yankees. The Braves are a fun team to watch, and I have no doubts that this will be another fun series to watch, especially if the Yankees are fully healthy and doing well.
This will be a tough series for the Yankees, even if they are at relatively full strength. The pitchers will have their work cut out for them, as the Braves can put together a nine-man lineup where every single hitter is a dangerous threat. And to think that this series only comes a couple of weeks after the Dodgers’ series is even more exciting.
5. Rangers vs. Yankees (August 7-9)
Although these teams will play each other in two separate series, this is the first time in 2024 that the Yankees will play against the defending World Series champions. The Yankees were 3-4 against the Texas Rangers last season, so they at least want to finish at least .500 against this team.
By this point in the season, both teams will have already determined whether or not they’re going all in for a playoff run. If both teams make some trades close to the deadline, we will now see them on their new teams. Obviously, I don’t want to get ahead of myself, because we haven’t even played a single game yet. But, this could be a potential playoff matchup just a couple months down the road from this series.
What series are you looking forward to in 2024? Let us know in the comments below!
I think any series against an AL East opponent is a series of interest. Toronto and Tampa Bay are still very formidable opponents and serious candidates for a division title (along with the Yankees and Orioles), or at least serious candidates to make it into the post season with the current format. Boston is the only "doormat" in the division now, but even when the Red Sox are in last place and the Yankees are a contender, (or vice versa), it's somehow still an exciting event when these two teams meet.
Not be too negative, but how many of those 17 games will they realistically win? 7-10 record does not seem too much of a stretch, based on this "rotation". I see plenty of runs scored, but not too many shut down outings.
I can see Cole winning 2-3 of his starts, After that who beats those teams? Stroman? Rodon? Cortes (how is his shoulder?) Warren?. This is the first year in a long time, I am not buying into the hype. I need to see 60 solid well pitched games before I am getting my hopes up.
Going into the new season, the Orioles are the Yankees’ biggest threat in the AL East.
that's the way it appears to be.
Baltimore has a strong young squad
after years of playing the punch-drunk patsy, the Orioles are now formidable and more soundly constructed than any other AL East team
whether the Yankees can muster the strength to top the birds and cop the East will be the question for the season
I am surprised that the Yankees at Padres on Memorial Day Weekend didn't make the list. There will be at least 4 pitchers on the Padres staff who were Yankees in 2023, and Drew Thorpe, could make it 5. It could also be every Padre starting pitcher in that series was a Yankee or Yankee farmhand in 2023. Throw in Soto, Grisham, & Higgy. Then throw in that they played exactly the same weekend in 2023, but in New York, where Tatis Jr. spiked (not on purpose) Anthony Rizzo, ruining his year.
To bad Ohtani is not a pitcher in 2024, he never could seem to pitch in Yankee Stadium, where MLB made up the rule that the SP can…