The Yankees are heading into another familiar test in the ALDS, and this one comes with plenty of regular-season evidence to sort through. After getting past a division rival in the wild-card round, New York now turns to the Tampa Bay Rays, a team that won seven of the 12 meetings between the clubs in the regular season.
That head-to-head split offered a clear look at who made the biggest noise for Tampa Bay. Yandy Diaz was a force again against New York, finishing the season series 17-for-47 with a .362/.412/.532 slash line, two doubles, two homers, 10 RBI and four walks.
Chandler Simpson also gave the Yankees trouble, hitting .304 with three triples, three RBI and two stolen bases. On the mound, Drew Rasmussen handled his business too, logging a 2.86 ERA over four starts, with one home run allowed and 26 strikeouts in 22 innings.
New York had its own standouts in the matchup, and Ben Rice was at the center of the Yankees’ damage. He put together a .356/.431/.889 line against Tampa Bay, good for a 1.320 OPS, while blasting seven home runs - his most against any opponent.
The Yankees also got strong work from the rotation in the season series. Cam Schlittler made three starts and posted a 2.81 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 14 innings. Carlos Rodon was even sharper in his lone outing against the Rays, throwing eight shutout innings, giving up just three hits and striking out eight.
If this series comes down to one thing, it looks like starting pitching. Both teams have hitters who can swing a game and have already shown they can deliver in pressure spots, but the arms are likely to decide which club moves on. New York finished the regular season with the best pitching ERA in the league, while Tampa Bay’s staff ranked seventh.
That gives the Yankees a narrow edge on paper, especially with their pitching depth. Still, this is October, and the Rays have already shown enough against New York to make this a dangerous matchup. It would not be a shock if Tampa Bay found a way through and reached the ALCS.
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Yankees Make A Crucial ALDS Rotation Call Against The Rays
The Yankees are leaning into experience as the ALDS opens at Tropicana Field, choosing Gerrit Cole for Game 1 against the Rays even though the numbers might have pointed them in a different direction. It is the kind of decision that says plenty about how New York is approaching this series, with postseason pedigree carrying real weight when the margin for error is so thin.
The matchup comes with some added intrigue because the clubs are meeting in the postseason for just the second time in franchise history, and the schedule does the Yankees a small favor with a day off between Games 1 and 2. That break gives both sides room to manage arms and adjust plans, but it also raises the stakes on the opener, where New York is trusting its top starter to set the tone before the series shifts and the pitching choices get even more interesting. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Quietly Sent A Message About A Pitcher They Just Called Up
Alexander Cornielles first taste of the majors was brief, but it still gave the Yankees a look at a live arm they had developed in-house. The right-hander debuted last week and worked one inning, picking up his first two big league strikeouts before the roster squeeze that followed Giancarlo Stantons return forced New York to make a move.
Cornielle was designated for assignment and then passed through waivers, allowing the Yankees to keep him in the organization by outrighting him to their Florida Complex League affiliate. It is a small procedural note, but it also suggests the club still sees enough there to keep him close, even if his path back to the majors now goes back through the minors. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Enter Rays Series With One Big Edge Fans Will Love
The Yankees are moving on from the tension of the Wild Card round and into a Division Series matchup with Tampa Bay that feels familiar for more than one reason. New York got past Boston and now heads into the ALDS against a Rays club that earned home-field advantage by finishing ahead in the AL East, while Tampa Bay also comes in with a rested pitching staff after waiting for the bracket to sort itself out.
Still, there is reason for Yankee optimism, starting with the possibility that Aaron Judge returns for the series. The clubs just saw plenty of each other not long ago, too, and New York took three of four at home in that season set, a reminder that even with the Rays holding the higher seed, the matchup may not feel nearly as one-sided as the schedule suggests. [Read more 🡒]