Updated:
May 26, 2026 , 11:50 AM ET
• 4 min read
Hatfield’s prediction: It’s Schlittler’s world & we’re just living in it.
Photo By – Reuters Connect. New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) throws during the first inning.
The New York Yankees will look to extend a lengthy streak tonight when they face the Kansas City Royals in the second of a three-game set.
The Bronx Bombers have simply owned the Royals. Yesterday’s comeback win gave New York its 12th straight win over Kansas City, and I like them to make it 13 straight tonight in impressive fashion.
Read all about it in my Yankees vs. Royals predictions and MLB picks for Tuesday, May 26.
Who will win Yankees vs Royals today: Yankees -1.5 (-120)
As has become the case in Cam Schlittler starts, I’m not overthinking this. The New York Yankees are my runline play, and I’d take them to -144.
Schlittler owns a 2.60 expected ERA, top 9% of MLB, and he forces hitters into mistakes with a 95th percentile chase rate.
The path against him is discipline plus loud contact, but the Kansas City Royals don’t profile that way. They are average in barrel rate at 8.5% and chase rate at 30.2%.
Against a starter with few obvious holes, average is not enough. The Yankees roll.
COVERS INTEL: Cam Schlittler has managed a 1.50 ERA despite having a breaking ball run value in the bottom 32 percentile of the sport which tells you just how impressive the rest of his arsenal has been.Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account 
Yankees vs Royals Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-115)
For the second straight game in this series, I’m nearly identical to the market with a projection of 8.8 runs, but I still lean Over 8.5 and would play it to -122.
Bailey Falter serving as an opener creates a spot where the Yankees can attack early. The only top-10 barrel rate team Falter has faced this season was the Atlanta Braves who hit him hard with two earned runs in three innings.
The Royals’ rested bullpen arms do not scare me either, with hard-hit issues across the group. Yankees do the heavy lifting, Royals find two.
Chris Hatfield’s 2026 Transparency Record
- ML/RL bets: 22-19, +2.56 units
- Over/Under bets: 26-15, +13.34 units
Yankees vs Royals odds
- Moneyline: New York -210 | Kansas City +170
- Run line: New York -1.5 | Kansas City +1.5
- Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Yankees vs Royals trend
The New York Yankees have covered the Run Line in 28 of their last 50 away games (+10.85 Units / 20% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Royals.
How to watch Yankees vs Royals and game info
| Location | Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO |
| Date | Tuesday, May 26, 2026 |
| First pitch | 7:40 p.m. ET |
| TV | YES, Royals.TV |
| Yankees starting pitcher | Cam Schlittler (6-2, 1.50 ERA) |
| Royals starting pitcher | Bailey Falter (0-1, 9.82 ERA) |
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