Here are five important points regarding the regular-season matchups between the Yankees and Rays, highlighting Tampa Bay’s seven victories in their 13 games played, as they prepare for the ALDS:
1. Rice’s Hot Streak
If Ben Rice steps back into a leading role during the ALDS, which might depend on Aaron Judge’s availability, it could give the Yankees some much-needed confidence. Rice was exceptional against the Rays throughout the season. His OPS of 1.320 against Tampa Bay ranked as his third-best against teams he faced at least five times.
He notched seven home runs and 12 RBIs, emerging as one of the Yankees’ most reliable hitters against the Rays—right alongside José Caballero, who collected eight RBIs in 13 games, and Ryan McMahon, who had seven RBIs and eight hits in ten games.
2. Containing Caminero
Junior Caminero made history this year as the youngest player since 1900 to hit home runs in six consecutive games, finishing his second full MLB season with 42 home runs. However, when playing against the Yankees, he only hit one homer and managed 10 hits, with 10 strikeouts and a .565 OPS.
3. Struggles at Tropicana Field
This season, the Yankees posted a 2-5 record at Tropicana Field, including a sweep in April. It’s crucial for them to secure at least one win in this venue to keep their postseason hopes alive. They were outscored by a total of nine runs across these games, which reflects a longstanding challenge—since 2006, they have a dismal 79-95 record at this stadium. They really need to turn that around at least a bit.
4. Strong Starting Pitching
The Yankees had solid starting pitching against Tampa Bay this season, particularly from key rotation members—excluding a few pitchers—who might take the mound during the ALDS. Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Max Fried combined for a 2.75 ERA over nine starts, allowing just 17 earned runs in 55⅔ innings. Notably, Fried, Schlittler, and Rodón each pitched at least eight innings in one of their outings.
5. Bellinger’s Difficulties
In contrast to Rice, Cody Bellinger struggled to find his groove at the plate against the Rays. He struck out 13 times in 47 at-bats (a rate of 27.7 percent), which is significantly higher compared to 76 strikeouts in 449 at-bats throughout the rest of the season (16.9 percent), finishing with a mere .522 OPS.
