Cody Bellinger and the New York Yankees face Junior Caminero and the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays to begin Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday.
New York (93-68) is coming off a 2-0 sweep over the rival Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Series. Bellinger knocked in a home run and drove in four two-out RBIs in the deciding 9-2 victory over Boston on Wednesday.
Tampa Bay, on the other hand, was awaiting the winner of the Wild Card Series, having finished with the most wins in the AL (98-64).
How to Watch Yankees vs. Rays Game 1
Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida.
- TV: TBS/truTV
- Live stream: YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV
Designated hitter and leadoff hitter Ben Rice finished the year with a Yankee-high in home runs (41), RBIs (97), on-base percentage (.363) and hits (151). New York will notably be without three-time AL MVP outfielder Aaron Judge, who was officially left off the Yankees’ 2026 MLB playoffs roster.
For Tampa Bay, Caminero has performed at an MVP level during the regular season, with him and Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez [among the favorites in] betting odds for the 2026 AL MVP Award. The 23-year-old finished tied for fourth in the league in home runs (42), in the top 10 in RBIs (101) and seventh in OPS (.885).
New York will start veteran right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole (10-9, 3.61 ERA) for Game 1, while Tampa Bay has chosen right-handed pitcher Drew Rasmussen. Rasmussen ended the year with team highs in wins (16-5 record), ERA (2.67) and strikeouts (174).
The series is a best-of-five, with the winner headed to the AL championship series.
More MLB Essentials
- Every MLB Team Payroll
- Richest MLB Players in History
- Best MLB Draft Steals of All Time
- Every MLB Lockout, Strike, and Work Stoppage
- MLB Dynasties: Most Dominant Teams Since 1969
- Best Place to Sit at an MLB Game, According to AI
More on the New York Yankees
- New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays MLB Division Series Game 1 Prediction, Picks & Odds for Oct. 3, 2026
- Yankees Announce Major Aaron Judge News Before ALDS vs. Rays
- Gerrit Cole Has Emotional Message Ahead of Yankees-Rays Series
- Luis Garcia Has One Word to Describe Yankees Fans
