The Yankees and White Sox are having disappointing seasons for many reasons.

But the former’s struggles are due to their lack of run production. 

Over the past month and against right-handed pitching, the Yankees rank 26th in OPS (.680), while the White Sox rank 28th (.659). Aaron Judge is back for the Yankees, but that won’t solve the fact that every other guy in the lineup is underperforming.

If you pitch around Judge, you’re pitching to the A’s.

Meanwhile, the White Sox sold off Jake Burger at the deadline, one of the four players on the roster with an above-average OPS. 

So, theoretically, right-handed starting pitchers Gerrit Cole and Dylan Cease will have no problem navigating these bare-bones lineups Monday evening in Southside Chicago.

Cole is still the All-Star pitcher we’ve grown to love over the years.

He boasts a 2.64 ERA and is off back-to-back stud performances against the Rays (7 IP, 2 ER, 8 SO) and Orioles (7 IP, 0 ER, 5 SO). 

Dylan Cease enters Monday’s start against the Yankees with a 4-5 record and a 4.61 ERA.

Cease is having a more troubling year, but he’s shown flashes of the Cy Young caliber talent he holds.

He’s shut down the Braves, Twins and Angels on the road over the past month, so I think he can survive against the underperforming Bombers.

The same holds for each bullpen, especially the Yankees, which has been sublime recently (1.87 ERA over the past two weeks). Expect run prevention in the later innings, even after the starting pitchers are pulled. 

Ultimately, bank on a low-scoring affair. I don’t see any of the bats waking up in this one. 

THE PLAY: Yankees-White Sox Under 8 runs (-115, BetRivers)