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3 bold predictions for Yankees-Rays ALDS clash

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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3 bold predictions for Yankees-Rays ALDS clash

Originally posted on MLB on ClutchPoints
By Steve Silverman, ClutchPoints | Last updated Oct 2, 2026 12:54 PM ET

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The New York Yankees may not have Aaron Judge (calf strain) in their lineup for the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, but they are attacking the baseball with a rare fervor and their pitching was dominant in the Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox.

Aaron Boone has a team that is playing with maximum confidence, and that is exactly what is needed when facing the Rays. Tampa Bay does not have a team that is loaded with superstars, but the Rays simply play sharp, efficient baseball and will force opponents into making mistakes with their excellent fundamental baseball.

The Rays were the best team in the American League by a wide margin during the regular season, while the Yankees have been playing their best baseball for well over six weeks. This is very likely a series that will likely go the full five games and the winner should have an excellent chance to represent the American League in the World Series.

Look for Ben Rice to deliver at least one game-winning hit vs. the Rays

Rice was sensational during the regular season and he stepped up when the team needed him to become their dominant offensive force after Aaron Judge was hurt and missed more than half the season. Rice hammered 41 home runs and looked like a hitter who was born to hit in Yankee Stadium with his left-handed power stroke.

As the season went along, he showed the ability to hit for power to all fields and drive the ball out of the park when playing on the road. As a result of his growth, his confidence was palpable. He was excited to come to bat with the knowledge that he knew he would deliver the big hit, and he did it more often than not.

The sight of the Red Sox in the Wild Card series brought out an aggressiveness that allowed the Yankees to dominate the series. He had 5 hits in 9 at bats with 2 home runs and 6 runs batted in. Rice slashed .556/.600/1.333 and he will come into the ALDS ready to deliver more big hits.

He may not exceed the .500 mark at the plate, but it will be very difficult for the Tampa Bay pitching staff to slow him down in clutch situations. He will provide the difference in at least one game for the Yankees.

Rays Big Three will find a way to get to Yankee pitching staff

Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

The Rays are one of the most overachieving teams in the MLB history. They came into existence in 1998 as a lowly expansion team but they were forced to play a grown man’s game because they were in the American League East with heavyweight teams like the Yankees and the Red Sox along with the aggressive Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays.
Instead of feeling sorry for themselves because of the brutal competition and a home stadium that did not compare with the other AL East teams, the Rays grew up quickly and became one of the strongest fundamental teams in Major League Baseball.

The Rays have been a competitive team for more that 20 years and this year’s team is among their best in franchise history. They don’t have elite superstars, but they have a trio of game-changing players in Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda who are not going to back down.

Caminero is perhaps the best all-around player in the American League after blasting 42 home runs and driving in 101 runs this season. Diaz is the trigger that gets this team started on an every game basis with a .293 batting average along with 22 home runs and 85 RBI. He has extra-base power to all fields. Aranda is another excellent clutch bat who blasted 22 homers and drove in 92 runs.

This trio will not be intimidated by the Yankee pitching staff and will be ready to put its imprint on the series.

Yankees pull this series out in 5 games

The Yankees were clearly the superior team in the series with the archrival Red Sox, and there’s no reason to believe that their momentum will dissipate going forward.

While Rice, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt are three of the offensive leaders who will have an impact, the pitching will provide the difference. Gerrit Cole gets the start in Game 1 and his main issue has been the home run ball. If he can avoid giving up a long ball in Game 1, the Yankees will have a good chance to win.

Even if he does not, likely Cy Young Award winner Cam Schlittler will pitch in Game 2 and Max Fried is expected to start Game 3. Additionally, David Bednar had 35 saves for the Yankees along with a 2.47 earned run average in 69.1 innings this season. He is not Mariano Rivera, but he stays calm in end-of-game situations and simply gets the job done nearly every time out.

The clutch hitting of Rice, the dominant starting pitching and the effort of Bednar as a closer will allow the Yankees to survive, advance and eliminate the Rays.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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