New York Yankees vs. Washington Nationals: James Paxton vs. Erick Fedde

The Yankees had a great win on Opening Day; I think they should do it again. Quality starting pitching, power hitting, and the occasional lightning-speed baserunning. That checks all the boxes I look for in a good game.

James Paxton gets the ball for the Yankees in game two of the season. Big Maple had a fine debut season in pinstripes last year, pitching to a 3.82 ERA (3.86 FIP) over 150.2 innings. The southpaw went on a tear down the stretch, though, logging a 2.51 ERA (3.26 FIP) across his final 11 starts. Paxton, 31, would have missed the start of the season after undergoing surgery to remove a peridiscal cyst, but the delayed start has him on the bump for the first series.

Stephen Strasburg was supposed to start against the Yankees, but a nerve issue has him temporarily sidelined. Erick Fedde, instead, will square off against the Bombers. In 78 innings last season, the 27-year-old pitched to a 4.50 ERA (5.34 FIP). The right-hander struggled with the long ball last year, managing a 1.27 HR/9. He also had middling strikeout numbers, but that’s to be expected as a groundball pitcher.

As far as the Yankees’ lineup goes, DJ LeMahieu returns and bats leadoff. Brett Gardner drops to ninth, leaving the Bombers with a remarkably deep bench. It’s hard to note find this lineup awesome.

And here’s who the Nationals have going to bat against Paxton:

First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 PM. You can watch on FOX, and stream on the FOX Sports Go app. If you’re tuning in on the radio, WFAN and WADO have the call. Go Yankees, go baseball!