The Yankees and Rays open the American League Division Series on Saturday at Tropicana Field, and this Yankees vs Rays preview starts with a Game 1 duel between Gerrit Cole and Drew Rasmussen. First pitch is 6:30 p.m. EDT on TBS, truTV and HBO Max, according to MLB.com.
Tampa Bay won 98 games, took the AL East title and earned a first-round bye as the top seed. New York, the No. 4 seed, swept Boston in the wild-card round, outscoring the Red Sox 18-2 in two games.
Yankees vs Rays preview: Cole against Rasmussen
Cole, 36, went 10-9 with a 3.61 ERA in 22 starts after missing the 2025 season following Tommy John surgery, The Associated Press reported. Rasmussen, 31, went 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA and made his second straight All-Star team. Against New York, he is 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA in 10 starts and one relief appearance.
Rasmussen downplayed the rivalry angle. “I’m a pretty big believer it’s me versus execution, not me versus the New York Yankees,” he said.
Yankees vs Rays preview: Players to watch
Ben Rice led the Yankees with 41 home runs and 97 RBIs, and he homered twice in Game 1 of the wild-card series, a 9-0 win over Boston. Junior Caminero hit 42 home runs for Tampa Bay and topped 100 RBIs for the second straight season, MLB.com reported.
Aaron Judge has not played since Sept. 16 because of a right calf strain. He took live batting practice Thursday and worked out Friday, and New York had to set its ALDS roster by Saturday morning, according to the AP.
Injuries and context
Rays manager Kevin Cash said left-hander Shane McClanahan is unlikely to be ready for the series. Pitchers Tyler Wells and Garrett Cleavinger are expected to be available. For the Yankees, right-hander Clarke Schmidt is out for the postseason.
Tampa Bay has not won a playoff series since 2020, when it reached the World Series, and this is its first postseason appearance since 2023. Tampa Bay’s payroll is $90.5 million, 27th in baseball. New York’s $302.8 million payroll is the third-highest.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised the Rays, saying they “do a lot of things really well.” That wraps up this Yankees vs Rays preview. Game 2 is Monday at 8 p.m. EDT at Tropicana Field. For more, see our wild-card clincher recap and MLB coverage.
