[Aug 1, 2026 (Sat)] MLB Analysis Yankees vs Cubs Preview - BeaverStats

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I run a site analyzing MLB data, and here's a quick breakdown of one game.

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Quick preview of Yankees vs Cubs (Aug 1, 2026 (Sat)).

*Lineups aren't confirmed yet! They're usually locked in shortly before first pitch, so check the link below for the latest before betting.

The screenshots below are captured straight from the site's data.

You can see the full, more detailed data on the game list.

This post was analyzed/written by AI based on data from beaverstats.com. Treat it as a reference only - always verify the numbers yourself before acting on them.

Yankees vs Cubs (Aug 1, 2026 3:20 AM, Wrigley Field)

Starters: Yankees Will Warren / Cubs Shota Imanaga

Record-wise this one's close, with a slight edge to the Cubs. Chicago sits at 62-47 (.569) for 4th in the NL, while the Yankees are 61-48 (.560) for 2nd in the AL - only about a point separating them, so the standings alone don't tell you much. The recent trend is a bit more telling though: the Cubs are riding a 1-game win streak while the Yankees have dropped their last two, so the Cubs carry a touch more momentum into this one.

The two teams haven't faced off yet this season as far as the data shows, so there's no head-to-head history to lean on here.

Velocity trends for the two starters tell different stories in terms of raw stuff, but both are stable. Imanaga has sat in the low-90s over his last five outings (91.9, 92.0, 91.5, 90.8, 91.1 mph) without much variance, while Warren has been noticeably harder-throwing in the low-to-mid-90s (93.5, 93.9, 93.2, 93.0, 93.1 mph), also holding steady. Neither shows real signs of fatigue or decline.

On season ERA, Imanaga's 3.72 is clearly better than Warren's 4.41. Both are respectable numbers on their own, but there's a real gap between low-3s and mid-4s.

That gap widens when you look at recent form. Imanaga has been outright dominant over his last five starts - 29 innings, 5 earned runs, a 1.55 ERA - while Warren has struggled in the same stretch, allowing 15 earned in 18 innings for a 7.50 ERA. Combine season-long and recent numbers and Imanaga's the one clearly trending in the right direction.

Neither starter has a track record against today's opponent to speak of, so that angle doesn't apply here.

Both lineups are still listed as unconfirmed (currently projected off each team's most recent starting lineup), so keep in mind the batting order could shift once locked in.

There's also no meaningful batter-vs-pitcher history built up yet for this specific matchup, so that data point isn't available either.

Looking at team offense, season average versus the last five games tells a clear story: the Cubs have heated up from a .251 season average to .301 over their last five games, while the Yankees have actually cooled off, dropping from .240 to .221 in the same stretch. The offensive momentum favors Chicago as well.

Bullpen usage and recent form are essentially even - workload sits at 11.0 innings for the Cubs versus 11.7 for the Yankees over the recent stretch, and their bullpen ERAs are nearly identical (2.72 vs 2.77) - so this shouldn't be much of a swing factor either way.

In summary, both starting-pitcher form (especially that gap in recent ERA) and offensive momentum are leaning toward the Cubs here. The overall records are basically even, but based on current form alone, Chicago looks like the side with the slightly better setup heading into this one.