Milwaukee, May 8, 2026, 18:11 (CDT)
The Yankees head back to Milwaukee on Friday, facing the Brewers for the first time since last year’s opening weekend “torpedo-bat” fireworks. There’s a fresh angle this time—Spencer Jones steps into the lineup, making his major-league debut. Mlb
First pitch at American Family Field lands at 6:40 p.m. CDT. What’s different now: New York returns with a 26-12 record—matching Atlanta and the Chicago Cubs for the top spot in MLB—and leads all clubs with 61 home runs. It’s not just about the 2025 subplot this time.
Milwaukee sits at 19-16, working to squeeze some value out of a chilly night—leaning on pitching, putting the ball in play, hoping the lineup holds together. The sting lingers: to start 2025, the Yankees swept the Brewers, pounding them 36-14 and launching 14 homers. That stretch lit up talk about the torpedo bat all over the league.
The torpedo bat shifts its barrel nearer the hitter’s hands, packing extra wood right where players most often make contact. MLB reviewed the model last year and cleared it under league rules, which set size limits but don’t dictate how wood is arranged within an approved bat profile.
This one doesn’t match the 2025 set. New York goes with lefty Max Fried, sitting at 4-1 and carrying a tidy 2.39 ERA. Milwaukee hands the ball to righty Jacob Misiorowski, who’s 2-2, holding a 2.84 ERA.
Misiorowski is changing things up for the Brewers compared to last season. According to MLB.com, he leads all qualified starters in 2026 with a 38.1% strikeout rate. In his most recent outing, he fired off 43 pitches clocked at 100 mph or above before exiting due to a cramp in his right hamstring.
Jones slots in as the Yankees’ designated hitter at No. 6, following Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. The adjustment comes on the heels of Jasson Domínguez suffering a left shoulder AC joint sprain—CBS lists Domínguez with the other Yankees injuries as the team scrambles to rearrange the lineup ahead of the road opener.
Milwaukee’s batting order carries a late-season vibe, even though it’s early in the year. Jackson Chourio is up first—he’s 6-for-9 since coming back from a fractured left hand. Andrew Vaughn slots in fifth, fresh off a homer Wednesday in St. Louis. Brewers manager Pat Murphy credited Vaughn with “that type of impact” since his return. CBS Sports
New York remains the favorite. The Yankees sit at -125 on the moneyline at Action Network, which puts $125 at risk for every $100 gained. Milwaukee finds itself at +105. The total is set at 7.5 runs.
Sean Zerillo, a senior betting analyst at Action Network, didn’t agree with the listed odds. He called it a “wrong team favorite game,” putting Milwaukee as a slight favorite on his own numbers. Zerillo highlighted Misiorowski’s strikeout-minus-walk rate—describing it as “absolutely elite”—as a key edge. Action Network
Peter Dewey at Sports Illustrated took a pitcher-focused approach, pointing out that Fried and Misiorowski rank among MLB’s top arms this season. He flagged the potential for a quiet first five innings, using Fried’s 2.32 expected ERA and Misiorowski’s 38.1% strikeout rate as key stats in his analysis.
The risks are obvious. Misiorowski just had that hamstring cramp, Yelich is still nursing a groin issue for Milwaukee, and the Yankees have Domínguez sidelined as they debut Jones against a Brewers arm none of their hitters has faced in-season.
Action picks right back up after Friday. MLB.com has Cam Schlittler matched with Kyle Harrison for Saturday, then Carlos Rodón’s season debut slated against Logan Henderson on Sunday. Milwaukee, meanwhile, is set to honor CC Sabathia on its Wall of Honor and recognize Dave Parker.
