The Rays’ biggest World Series trap may be one of baseball’s oldest: pulling a starter simply because the order is turning over.
That’s the mistake Tampa Bay has to dodge when the 2026 World Series opens Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Manager Kevin Cash needs the bullpen ready, sure, but he can’t let a lineup flip automatically trigger a hook if the starter is still dealing.
The better question is simpler: who gives the Rays the best chance to get the next out?
Tampa Bay has already shown it can lean on its starters for real length. Drew Rasmussen opened the ALDS by throwing eight scoreless innings against the New York Yankees, then came back with seven innings of one-run ball against the Cleveland Guardians in ALCS Game 5.
On the other side, Freddy Peralta took ALCS MVP honors after giving up one run over 12 innings. Those performances are proof enough that Cash has trusted his starters to carry him deep.
That trust should not disappear just because the pressure is bigger now.
If Rasmussen, or any Tampa Bay starter, is still hitting spots, landing secondary pitches and limiting hard contact, there’s a strong case to let him keep going. That doesn’t mean he owns the inning forever. It means Cash should weigh the starter’s current stuff against the reliever waiting behind him, not treat the decision like a reflex.
Milwaukee can make that choice messy. Jake Bauers drew a 12-pitch walk in NLCS Game 2 and then worked an 11-pitch home run in Game 3.
That kind of at-bat is exactly why finishing hitters matters so much. A bullpen arm doesn’t magically solve that problem either - the new pitcher still has to throw strikes and get the out.
Picture the sixth inning with Rasmussen cruising, a slim lead in hand, and a reasonable pitch count. If the main reason to go to the pen is handedness, Cash has to ask whether the switch actually improves Tampa Bay’s odds.
That answer has to come from the matchup, the starter’s condition and the reliever available. Handedness by itself isn’t enough.
None of that is a knock on the bullpen. Bryan Baker has been nails, allowing one hit across seven scoreless postseason innings.
The Rays have every reason to trust their relief group. The issue is timing.
An early change that isn’t necessary can ripple later in the game, force another reliever into action sooner than planned, or leave Tampa Bay short for the rest of the series. That matters most when the starter is still capable of navigating another stretch of the lineup.
At the same time, Cash can’t get stubborn. If a pitcher’s velocity drops, the command disappears or the contact starts getting louder and more dangerous, the move has to be made.
A scoreless inning can hide trouble. A harmless single can’t be treated as proof that a pitcher has lost it.
So the plan has to stay grounded in what’s actually happening on the mound: current effectiveness, pitch count, health and the specific matchup in front of them. The bullpen should be active, but not twitchy.
Against Milwaukee, the Rays can’t afford to hand away outs they’ve already earned. If they make a pitching change, it needs to be because the situation calls for it - not because the inning number changed.
In Other News...
Rays Payroll Debate Just Got Harder To Ignore
The payroll conversation around the Rays has only gotten louder because the gap between Tampa Bay and the leagues heavy spenders keeps showing up in the standings and in October. The Brewers sit in the middle of the pack by comparison, but both clubs are still built around value, with most of the roster coming through on bargain contracts rather than the kind of high-priced core that has defined recent World Series winners.
For Tampa Bay, that model is still the defining feature of the roster, and it is easy to see why the debate keeps coming back whenever the playoff field gets smaller and the richest clubs remain in it. The Rays have been able to stay competitive by squeezing production from young, inexpensive talent and maximizing every dollar, but the broader question is whether that approach can keep matching up against teams that can simply absorb mistakes and add more impact talent when they need it. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Face A World Series Problem Their Speed May Not Solve
The Rays have made speed part of their identity all season, and that has carried straight into October. Tampa Bay and Milwaukee both pushed the running game to the front of the scouting report during the regular season, finishing first and second in stolen bases, and neither club has backed off in the playoffs. It figures to be one of the most interesting subplots of the World Series, especially with the Rays trying to use quickness as a way to create pressure in a matchup where every extra base can matter.
Chandler Simpson has been a central figure in that approach, giving Tampa Bay a true threat once he reaches. The bigger question is whether the Rays can also handle the other side of the equation, because Milwaukee comes in with a reputation for controlling the running game better than almost anyone. If Tampa Bay cannot keep that from becoming a factor, the Series may end up turning on whether its speed can create enough chaos to offset what the Brewers do best. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Fans Heading To The World Series Face A Brutal Parking Problem
With the World Series landing at Tropicana Field, the biggest headache for fans may not be inside the ballpark but outside it. Parking and transportation are expected to be a problem with large crowds converging on St. Petersburg, and local transportation companies say demand is already rising as they get ready for the event.
St. Pete Police are urging attendees to plan ahead and look at alternative ways to get there rather than counting on a simple drive-and-park routine. The advice is straightforward: give yourself extra time, consider rideshare or other transit options, and think about a drop-off plan before heading out, because getting in and out of the area is likely to be the part of the trip no one remembers fondly. [Read more 🡒]