MLB matchup analysis

Astros vs Yankees Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at Yankee Stadium · 7:05 PM ET

Pass

LyDia decision: Pass on Astros vs Yankees

Lab Rating
3.2/10
Model lean
Yankees 50.8%
Market probability
56.9%
Model edge
-6.1%
Best moneyline
-138
Sportsbooks checked
9
LyDia model
50.8%
Market
56.9%

The case for New York Yankees

Late-inning bullpen advantage
Houston Astros relievers have a 5.46 ERA over the last 7 days; New York Yankees relievers have a 1.35. If this is still close after six innings, that gap favors New York Yankees.

The case for Houston Astros

The case is thin
The model finds little going Houston Astros's way — it trails on the pitching plan, bullpen, and recent form. The main path to a Houston Astros win is variance.

Why it is not official

Below the 61.0% official gate
Win probability is 50.8%. LyDia does not make a game official below 61.0%, no matter how good the price is. This is a value spot, not a high-confidence winner.
Setup quality below the bar
Lab Rating is 3.2/10, under the 7.2/10 required for an official pick.
Cold stretch at the plate
New York Yankees is -0.015 wOBA below its own season form.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 0/10
LyDia's own win probability for New York Yankees (50.8%) is close enough to a coin flip that the rating credits little or no conviction -- credit only starts above 55%.
Pitching plan: 0/30
No meaningful starting-pitcher edge favors New York Yankees in this matchup.
Bullpen: 7.63/10
New York Yankees's bullpen carries a real edge over Houston Astros's tonight.
Offense: 24.46/50
New York Yankees's recent form does not clearly outpace Houston Astros's.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 57.3%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's team-strength model alone makes New York Yankees 57.3% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 2 points
The pitcher-score gap favors Houston Astros by 2 points. This is the biggest single mover of the price -- a large gap moves it a lot, a small gap barely moves it.
Bullpen adjustment: +0.072
The bullpen-fatigue gap between the two pens nudges the price toward New York Yankees. This moves the price less than the starting pitchers do, since a starter covers more of the game than the bullpen.
Net effect: 57.3% -> 50.8%
Team strength alone had New York Yankees at 57.3%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 50.8% -- the same number shown as Model Lean above.
The verdict LyDia passes. The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.
Read the full model output

The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.

Game information

MatchupHouston Astros at New York Yankees
DateTuesday, August 25, 2026
First pitch7:05 PM ET
VenueYankee Stadium
Starting pitchersEthan Pecko vs Will Warren
WeatherGame-time forecast: 77°F, 1% precipitation chance, 7 mph wind from W.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
Ethan PeckoAstros · RHP
vs
Will WarrenYankees · RHP
MetricAstrosYankees
Pitching planLimited starterTraditional starter
Expected innings3⅔5
ThrowsRR
LyDia pitcher score (higher is better)4159
ERA (lower is better)4.914.43
WHIP (lower is better)1.641.40
K/9 (higher is better)9.89.0
K-BB% (higher is better)5.6%14.8%
K% (higher is better)22.2%22.8%
BB% (lower is better)16.7%8.0%
BB/9 (lower is better)7.43.2
HR/9 (lower is better)0.01.4
Ground-ball rate0.0%51.7%
Fly-ball rate100.0%48.3%

Pitching plan edge: LyDia gives the Houston Astros pitching plan the edge over Will Warren (2 points on LyDia's pitcher score). Ethan Pecko is projected for only 3⅔ innings, with the Houston Astros bullpen covering the rest -- this compares the Houston Astros blended starting-pitcher-and-bullpen quality against Will Warren's own line, not two starters directly.

Blended read: For the Houston Astros, the bullpen is projected to throw more of the game than Ethan Pecko (about 3⅔ innings for the starter), so LyDia grades that side on a whole-game effective ERA of 4.43 rather than Ethan Pecko's own 4.91. Whole-game, that is 3.06 for the New York Yankees against 4.43 on the other side, so the blended read leans New York Yankees.

How to read this: the scorecards above name the starters; every number lives in this table. Highlighted cells mark a gap big enough to matter. K% and BB% are strikeout and walk rate as a share of batters faced -- K-BB% is the two combined into one skill number. HR/9 is home runs allowed per nine innings. Ground-ball and fly-ball rate are neither good nor bad on their own: high ground-ball pitchers trade strikeouts for double plays and fewer home runs, and on this data source the two rates are complementary (they add to 100%), not independent reads.

Strikeout Projections Full strikeout projections →

Ethan Pecko strikeouts
Not available LyDia projected Ks
Market 4.5K · O +124 / U -143 · 6 books
Will Warren strikeouts
5.1 LyDia projected Ks
No K play · +0.6K difference is below LyDia's 0.7K threshold
Market 4.5K · O -143 / U +122 · 6 books

Same data source as the Pitcher Matchup Tool, where every starter on the slate is compared side by side.

Astros are 4-6 in their last 10 and averaging 3.8 runs per game over the last 15 days; Yankees are 6-4 in their last 10 and averaging 4.0 runs per game over the last 15 days. On the season Yankees carry the better run differential per game (+0.77 against -0.34).

MetricAstrosYankees
Last 104-66-4
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)6-4 on the road6-4 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.6400.675
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.2770.300
Runs per game, last 15 days3.84.0
K% last 15 days (lower is better)23.6%28.0%

Last 15 days only. Hot and cold streaks for all 30 teams live on the Stats page.

30-day offense

Full offense tool →
Last 30 daysAstrosYankees
OPS0.7250.654 (-0.062 vs szn)
Runs per game4.40 (-0.150 vs szn)3.65 (-0.800 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.3170.291 (-0.025 vs szn)
K% (lower is better)22.0%27.4% (+2.5% vs szn)

Over the last 30 days the Astros have been the better offense, 0.317 wOBA to 0.291. Yankees are striking out at 27.4% over the window — something the opposing starter can lean on.

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricAstrosYankees
Record65-6674-56
Run differential / game (team quality)-0.34+0.77
Runs scored / game (offense, season)4.554.45
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)4.893.68
Season OPS0.7270.716
K% season (lower is better)21.6%24.9%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.7360.713

Season-long team quality, not recent form. Run differential and run environment come from the season standings; splits for all 30 teams live on the Stats page, including the run environment table.

Every team on today's slate, on any two axes you pick. Astros and Yankees are highlighted.

Astros
Combined risk
7.7 Tired
Fatigue
7.3 Tired
Efficiency
4.3 Below average
Yankees
Combined risk
5.3 Normal
Fatigue
6.5 Tired
Efficiency
7.4 Effective

Risk is what the model actually uses: fatigue blended with how well the pen has pitched. High fatigue with high efficiency is a tired pen that is still getting outs.

MetricAstrosYankees
Fatigue7.3/10, Tired6.5/10, Tired
Efficiency4.3/10, Below average7.4/10, Effective
Combined risk7.7/10, Tired5.3/10, Normal
Relief innings, last 7 days28.026.7
Back-to-back arms56
7-day ERA5.461.35
7-day WHIP1.250.86

Fatigue measures workload. Efficiency measures recent run prevention. Combined risk is what the moneyline and totals systems use.

Run total projection

Full Totals Projections →
LyDia projection
7.2
Market total
8.5
Projected away runs
3.2
Projected home runs
3.5
Over price
-113
Under price
+102
Houston Astros team total
3.2 projected
Line 3.5 · O -132 / U +110
No team-total lean
New York Yankees team total
3.5 projected
Line 4.5 · O -105 / U -105
Under research lean (-1.0)

The model projects 1.3 runs below the market total. A research lean still requires a setup rating of at least 7.0/10. Team totals remain research-only until their graded sample is established.

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