The Rays have spent this ALDS doing exactly what they wanted at Tropicana Field, and now they head into Yankee Stadium with a 2-0 cushion and a chance to finish the job. One more win sends Tampa Bay into the ALCS, where either the Chicago White Sox or Cleveland Guardians will be waiting.
Against Max Fried in Game 3, manager Kevin Cash is expected to make a few lineup tweaks, and the shape of Tampa Bay’s order looks built for flexibility. Here’s how the Rays could line up:
- Yandy Diaz, Designated Hitter
- Jonathan Aranda, First Base
- Junior Caminero, Third Base
- Liam Hicks, Catcher
- Ryan Vilade, Right Field
- Chandler Simpson, Left Field
- Ben Williamson, Second Base
- Jonny DeLuca, Center Field
- Taylor Walls, Shortstop
A left-handed starter on the mound changes the math a bit, and Cash is set to adjust accordingly. That means left-handed platoon bats like Victor Mesa Jr. and Richie Palacios would start on the bench, at least initially. Both could still factor later if the game turns to the bullpens and Tampa Bay needs a left-handed swing.
Cash does have options. Cedric Mullins and Jorge Mateo are among the pieces available if he wants to change the look of the game late.
The biggest lineup call is behind the plate, where the Rays appear ready to stay with Liam Hicks after acquiring him at the deadline. Nick Fortes has seen plenty of left-handed pitching and has handled it well, but Tampa Bay looks poised to keep Hicks in there anyway.
Ryan Vilade would slide into right field for Mesa Jr., while Ben Williamson gets the nod at second base over Palacios. That gives the Rays a little more balance and adds two right-handed bats into the mix.
It also changes the way the lineup can play as the game goes on. With more right-handed options in the order, Tampa Bay can create better platoon matchups and give Junior Caminero some protection in the middle of the lineup.
Cash has been making the right calls throughout the series, and Tampa Bay will try to keep squeezing New York from the first pitch on. If the Rays can land early punches and take the noise out of the building, they’ll put themselves in position to finish off a sweep.
In Other News...
Taylor Walls Has Become Too Important For Rays Fans To Ignore
Taylor Walls has settled into a role the Rays have come to treat as more than just a glove-first convenience. Since his debut in 2021, his presence at shortstop has been tied to the kind of run prevention Tampa Bay has long built around, and the clubs confidence in him speaks to how much it values defense as part of its identity. The numbers around his time in the lineup only reinforce the point, with the Rays winning more often when he starts than when he does not.
What makes Walls so central is the way he plays the position, with anticipation and positioning that teammates and the organization see as a real edge even if some metrics do not fully capture it. For a team that puts a premium on keeping runs off the board, that kind of reliability matters, especially in the middle of the infield where one step or one read can change an inning. It is why Walls has become harder to overlook, and why his importance has grown well beyond the usual defensive specialist label. [Read more 🡒]
Junior Caminero Just Showed Why The Rays Believe This Run Is Different
Junior Camineros rise gave the Rays one of the clearest signs yet that this stretch of their season is built on more than a hot week or two. The 22-year-old finished atop all major league third basemen in home runs and RBIs, a remarkable season that also included the MLB Baja Blast Champion title for his 21 home runs of 420-plus feet. Along the way, he kept piling up milestones, including becoming the youngest player since 1900 to homer in six straight games.
For a Rays club that has spent years looking for the next layer of impact talent, Camineros development has become a symbol of how this group is coming together. He pointed to the influence of veteran teammates and the coaching staff as part of that climb, and his confidence in where the team is headed has only grown as the postseason picture has tightened. The bigger question now is how far this run can go once the games start to matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Have Pushed The Yankees To A Desperate Game 3 Choice
The Yankees bats have gone cold at exactly the wrong time, and after two games of the ALDS against the Rays they have just five hits and two runs to show for it. Aaron Boone is looking at lineup changes for Game 3, hoping to jolt an offense that has been muted by Tampa Bays pitching and has not found a steady rhythm through the first two games.
Boones thinking appears aimed at improving the matchup against Rays pitcher Nick Martinez, with specific batting-order tweaks under consideration based on recent form and historical results. For a Yankees team already searching for answers, the next lineup card carries real weight because it will say a lot about how aggressively Boone wants to chase offense against a Rays staff that has already put his club on the back foot. [Read more 🡒]