Yankees Continue Dominance of Royals With Series Sweep

Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images

April 21, 2026

For the 20th time since 2015, the New York Yankees took a regular-season series from the Kansas City Royals by sweeping them over the weekend. The Yankees now have sole possession of the American League East for the first time since April 11, with the team one full game in front of the Tampa Bay Rays. These are the key takeaways from the Yankees’ second series sweep of the year.

Bounce Back on the Mound

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Against the Los Angeles Angels, the Yankees gave up 13 home runs and allowed 32 runs. It was a disappointing performance for a Yankee pitching staff that had dominated up to that point, but the group got back on track against the Royals.

On Friday, Cam Schlittler threw six innings of one-run baseball, although the run was unearned. He allowed three hits and struck out six batters, helping the Yankees to a 4–2 win.

The following day, Will Warren pitched seven innings, allowed two earned runs, and tied his career-high in strikeouts with 11. The Yankees won 13–4, giving Warren his second win of the year.

In the series finale, Ryan Weathers rebounded nicely from his previous start against the Angels. After allowing four home runs in that outing, Weathers threw 7 1/3 scoreless innings against the Royals, striking out eight batters in the process and helping the Yankees win 7–0.

The Yankees now have a team ERA of 3.40 on the year, the sixth-best mark in baseball.

Chisholm Without a Rhythm

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Like many players in the Yankees’ lineup, Jazz Chisholm Jr. got off to a slow start. However, while several of them have rebounded, Chisholm has continued to struggle.

Against the Royals, Chisholm failed to collect a single hit. He has one hit in his last five games, although he has walked six times in that span.

Still, Chisholm is hitting .162 on the season. He’s struck out 26 times in 21 games, driving in three runs in the process. Most concerning, however, is the fact that he hasn’t hit a home run yet. Before the season, Chisholm said his goal was to post a 50-stolen-base, 50-home-run season.

This made sense, considering Chisholm hit 31 home runs and stole 31 bases in 2025. However, while the stolen base mark is certainly in play, the home run mark is looking bleak.

Ben Rice’s Southpaw Success

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During his breakout 2025 campaign, Ben Rice dominated right-handed pitchers with an .860 OPS. However, he struggled mightily against southpaws as he posted a .208 batting average.

Before the 2026 season, Yankees manager Aaron Boone made it clear that backup first baseman Paul Goldschmidt would platoon with Rice against left-handers. The decision made sense, as Goldschmidt hit .336 against lefties in 2025. But after Rice’s blistering hot start to the season, Boone had no choice but to play Rice every day.

Against the Royals, Rice proved his manager right. In the Yankees’ 13–4 win on Saturday, Rice took lefty Noah Cameron deep for a home run. The following day, Rice took lefty Cole Ragans deep, giving a home run in four straight contests.

Against left-handed pitchers this season, Rice is hitting .353 with three home runs and a 1.332 OPS. His overall OPS of 1.276, meanwhile, leads the league.

Next Up

For the first time this season, the Yankees will face off against the Boston Red Sox when the two sides do battle at Fenway Park on Tuesday. That game will be the first of a three-game series, with Luis Gil making the start at 6:45 pm Eastern.