Yankees schedule turns tough as Rice, Schlittler earn A's
The Yankees open a brutal second-half Yankees schedule still three games behind the Rays at 54-42, with Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice earning A-plus midseason grades while Austin Wells sits near the bottom of the lineup report card. Playoff odds remain high, but the Dodgers series and a stacked July-August slate leave little room to coast.
According to The Athletic, New York is 54-42 and three games back of Tampa Bay in the AL East. FanGraphs still puts their postseason odds at 97.2 percent in a weak American League, yet the club has looked both elite and deeply flawed.
Key Takeaways
- Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice both received A-plus midseason grades from The Athletic beat writers.
- Austin Wells graded F and D-minus as his offense ranked among the worst in baseball.
- The second-half Yankees schedule opens at home against the defending champion Dodgers.
- A soft pre-break stretch ended 1-9 before a tougher July and August run of contenders.
- Aaron Judge and Max Fried returns remain central to any late-season surge.
Why does the Yankees schedule matter right now?
The second half resumes with a weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers—a summer measuring stick that has exposed New York in recent years. Yanks Go Yard notes the club already botched an easier runway, going 1-9 against the Red Sox, Tigers, and Twins before facing tougher tests.
After Los Angeles, the slate includes the Pirates (with Paul Skenes expected), then road stops in Philadelphia, against the White Sox, and against the Cubs. A later Cardinals-Braves-Mariners homestand offers breathing room, but little of the early summer slate looks soft. For more game-night viewing alerts, see our Streaming & TV Alerts desk.
Who earned the top midseason grades?
Schlittler is The Athletic’s early AL Cy Young favorite, drawing A-plus grades as a player-development success story. Rice also earned dual A-plus marks, described as delivering in the biggest spots and carrying the lineup like a 2024 Juan Soto stand-in.
Other strong marks include Brent Headrick (A+/A), Fernando Cruz (A/A), Paul Blackburn (A/A), and Paul Goldschmidt (A/A-). Max Fried graded B and A-minus before his elbow absence, while Aaron Judge’s B/A marks reflect a relative dip to a 149 wRC+ before his May 31 exit.
What went wrong for Austin Wells and other Yankees?
Wells’ offense has been “downright disastrous,” with Kirschner grading him F and Kuty D-minus. Framing still earns trust from the pitching staff, but no amount of it offsets one of the franchise’s worst offensive paces. Jazz Chisholm Jr. (D/D+) and Camilo Doval (F/D-) joined the disappointment list.
Manager Aaron Boone said the club has “given ourselves a chance” at a championship, calling it a long, tough road. Pinstripe Alley’s midseason pulse check echoes that tension: optimism in a light AL field, but clear needs for deadline upgrades and healthy returns from Judge and Fried.
Bottom line: stars like Rice and Schlittler give New York a ceiling, yet Wells’ collapse and a merciless Yankees schedule mean the second half will not forgive another swoon.