Yankees-Rays ALDS Game 1 FAQ (Sat., 6:30 p.m. ET, TBS/HBO Max)

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Yankees and Rays have shared the field for plenty of memorable moments, tightly contested games and deeply rooted disagreements over the years. They are natural rivals in the American League East, pitting New York’s history and high-payroll dominance against Tampa Bay’s ingenuity and lower-budget success.

They’ve shared the top spot in the standings, too. Since Tampa Bay’s worst-to-first turnaround in 2008, the Rays have won the division five times and the Yankees have won it six times.

But they’ve never shared the postseason spotlight quite like they will in this American League Division Series.

Believe it or not, the Rays and Yankees have only met in the playoffs once before. That matchup came in the 2020 ALDS, the unforgettable back-and-forth affair capped by Mike Brosseau’s game-winning home run off Aroldis Chapman, a distillation of the clubs’ “David vs. Goliath” narrative. But that series took place in San Diego’s Petco Park, a neutral site, during the pandemic.

Now, these two AL powers will square off in their home ballparks with a chance to advance to the AL Championship Series. The series begins Saturday night at Tropicana Field, where the Rays went 55-26 this season in their return to their home dome. It will move to Yankee Stadium, where the Yankees went 46-34 but couldn’t stop their rival from celebrating a division title on their field.

What will the latest installment of this rivalry bring? We’ll soon find out.

"They play fundamental baseball, and they're a team that's going to grind out a game with you," said Yankees captain Aaron Judge. "Those are the type of opponents you look forward to. It's going to be a grind the next five games, but I think the boys are excited and ready to go."

When is the game and how can I watch it?

First pitch for Game 1 of the Yankees-Rays Division Series is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Tropicana Field. The game will be broadcast on TBS, truTV and HBO Max.

The ALDS will be available in Spanish on UniMas, while Univision’s TUDN Radio will provide Spanish language audio coverage. ESPN Radio will provide live national coverage of all 2026 MLB Postseason games.

Who are the starting pitchers?

Yankees: Gerrit Cole, RHP or Carlos Rodón, LHP
Key stats: Cole 1-1, 2.50 ERA in 3 GS vs. Tampa Bay in 2026; Rodón 1-0, 0.00 ERA in 1 GS vs. Tampa Bay in 2026

The Yankees have not yet announced their starting pitcher for Game 1, but pitching coach Matt Blake said it will either be Cole or Rodón. Cam Schlittler is in line to pitch Game 2 and, if necessary, Game 5.

Had the AL Wild Card Series advanced to Game 3, Cole was in line to start; Rodón was in the bullpen, awaiting a starting assignment in Game 1. That could still go to the lefty, who was sharper down the stretch. Rodón was 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA in four September starts, while Cole was 3-2 with a 5.08 ERA in five September starts, struggling at times to keep the ball in the yard.

“Carlos and I, we’re all just taking the ball,” Cole said. “We’re all just a little bit unique, I think, in the way we do it. I’m stoked. I’m really stoked about it, to be honest. I couldn’t have done it without a lot of the people that are pouring into it behind the scenes. It just means a little bit more to me.”

Rays: Drew Rasmussen, RHP
Key stats: 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA and 0.86 WHIP vs. Yankees in regular season (11 games, 10 starts)

Rasmussen is “the standard” for Rays pitchers, one of the best arms in franchise history and undoubtedly the starter Tampa Bay wants on the mound to begin a short series. The last time he pitched in the regular season was at Yankee Stadium, where he carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and struck out 11 batters in the Rays’ division-clinching victory over the Yankees.

That kind of success against the Yankees was nothing new for Rasmussen, who -- for reasons even he doesn’t fully comprehend -- has had their number over the years. Granted, the 31-year-old right-hander pitches well against pretty much everyone he faces. He led all AL pitchers in WHIP and strikeout-to-walk ratio, finished second in wins and ranked fourth with a 2.67 ERA this season.

What might the starting lineups look like?

Yankees: Judge's presence loomed large during the regular season, when the Yankees averaged 5.12 runs per game with the captain in the lineup and just 4.22 without him. But that flipped in the Wild Card Series against Boston, when they scored 18 runs in the two-game sweep. They’ll look to keep that level of production going, with or without Judge.

1. Ben Rice, DH
2. Cody Bellinger, LF
3. Luis García Jr., 2B
4. Spencer Jones, RF
5. George Lombard Jr., SS
6. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B
7. Trent Grisham, CF
8. Austin Wells, C
9. Ryan McMahon, 3B

Rays: The Rays’ lineup could change considerably depending on who the Yankees elect to start Game 1. If it’s a right-hander like Cole, it could look a lot like this. If it’s a lefty like Rodón, there will be significant changes, with Ryan Vilade most likely getting the nod in right field, Jonny DeLuca in center, Ben Williamson at second base and Nick Fortes an option behind the plate. Of course, all eyes will be on the “Big Three” atop the order no matter how the Rays line up behind them.

1. Yandy Díaz, DH
2. Jonathan Aranda, 1B
3. Junior Caminero, 3B
4. Liam Hicks, C
5. Chandler Simpson, LF
6. Victor Mesa Jr., RF
7. Cedric Mullins, CF
8. Richie Palacios, 2B
9. Taylor Walls, SS

How will the bullpens line up after the starter?

Yankees: After carrying 10 pitchers for the Wild Card Series, the Yankees figure to have a few extra arms in the bullpen, potentially shifting back to a more conventional 12-pitcher staff. One of their toughest calls was between Tim Hill and Ryan Yarbrough; Hill could be back on for this round. Ryan Weathers touched 96 mph as he recovers from a left flexor strain and should be in play for the ALDS. David Bednar, Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick should all be leaned upon for high-leverage outs.

Rays: We won’t know for sure until the Rays set their roster and reveal their rotation plans beyond Game 1. But it’s probably easiest to start at the back end, where All-Star closer Bryan Baker was a rock in the ninth inning (and occasionally in the eighth, if needed). They have a solid setup crew in front of Baker in Tyler Wells, assuming he returns from a forearm issue, and the righty-lefty duo of Kevin Kelly and Cam Booser. Those four seem likely to get the biggest outs of the game, but it’s possible manager Kevin Cash could turn to one of his other starters -- perhaps a lefty like Ian Seymour, who performed well against the Yankees this season -- to build a bridge from Rasmussen to the high-leverage arms.

Any injuries of note?

Yankees: Judge took live at-bats on Wednesday in Bridgewater, N.J., and may do so again on Thursday before traveling with the team to Tropicana Field, where Friday’s workout promises to be watched closely. As of Wednesday, Judge still had yet to run the bases as he recovers from a right calf strain, though he has been performing outfield running. Weathers is close to returning from his left flexor strain and is very much in the bullpen mix.

Rays: Quite a few. Wells finished the season on the IL due to a forearm issue, as did lefty reliever Garrett Cleavinger. Same goes for left-hander Shane McClanahan, whose status is unclear except that he will not pitch in this series. Simpson sat out the last two games of the regular season after fouling a ball off the top of his right foot; he should be fine, but it’s worth monitoring considering how important speed is to his game and the impact of The Trop’s artificial playing surface.

Who is hot and who is not?

Yankees: Rice is swinging a hot bat -- including the postseason, he is batting .365 (23-for-63) with seven homers and 15 RBIs over his last 17 games, dating to Sept. 10. Wells drove in two runs in the Game 2 win over Boston and has 17 RBIs over his last 24 games after logging just 19 RBIs in his first 100 games. Lombard has not wilted under the postseason spotlight, collecting four hits and an RBI in the Wild Card Series. Bellinger drove in four runs in Game 2, including a homer.

Rays: If you want to pick a potential breakout star this postseason, keep an eye on Mesa. The super-talented rookie outfielder hit .355 with a 1.015 OPS in September, and he’s got game-changing ability in the outfield. Palacios finished strong, too, posting a .981 OPS with five homers in September. Aranda doesn’t get as much love as the other members of the “Big Three,” but his left-handed bat is key -- and he hit better than either Caminero or Díaz in September. Tampa Bay’s entire rotation surged into the postseason, highlighted by Rasmussen and September AL Pitcher of the Month Freddy Peralta, but also including Griffin Jax and Seymour.

Mullins didn’t contribute much at the plate down the stretch, nor did Williamson in his return from a significant hamstring injury. Vilade’s power output also declined in September, and it wasn’t quite the month you’d expect out of Díaz (.666 OPS) or Hicks (.668).

Anything else fans might want to know?

• The Rays won the season series, 7-6, but lost a four-game set at Yankee Stadium last week after clinching the division in the second half of a series-opening doubleheader.

• The Rays are encouraging fans to arrive early. Gates will open three hours prior to first pitch. Parking for all postseason games at Tropicana Field will only be available with a prepaid parking pass.