Our New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays preview covers the odds, run line, total, probable pitchers, first pitch time, TV channel and where to watch for Game 1 of the American League Division Series (ALDS) on Saturday, October 3, 2026. The No. 4-seeded New York Yankees (93-68) and the No. 1-seeded Tampa Bay Rays (98-64) open the best-of-five series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. First pitch is 6:30 PM ET (6:30 PM local). TV: TBS / truTV / HBO Max.
Division Series storyline: New York outscored Boston 18-2 in a two-game Wild Card sweep at Yankee Stadium. Tampa Bay went 98-64, won the AL East by 4 1/2 games over the Yankees and earned the AL’s top seed. The Rays won the season series 7-6. Aaron Judge was left off the Yankees’ ALDS roster with a right calf strain, so he will not play in Game 1 (ESPN, MLB.com). The probable pitchers are Gerrit Cole for the Yankees and Drew Rasmussen for the Rays. DraftKings lists the Rays at -136 on the moneyline and the Yankees at +113, with the total at 7.
New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Odds, Run Line & Game Info
| Matchup | New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays |
|---|---|
| Series | American League Division Series (ALDS), Game 1 — best-of-five, 2-2-1 format |
| Series Score | Series begins (0-0). Game 2: Monday, Oct. 5, 8 PM ET at Tropicana Field; Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 8 PM ET at Yankee Stadium; Game 4 (if necessary): Thursday, Oct. 8, 8 PM ET at Yankee Stadium; Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 10, 8 PM ET at Tropicana Field |
| Seeds | New York Yankees No. 4 | Tampa Bay Rays No. 1 (AL) |
| 2026 Records | New York Yankees 93-68 (47-34 on the road) | Tampa Bay Rays 98-64 (55-26 at home) |
| How They Got Here | Yankees: Swept the No. 5 Boston Red Sox 2-0 in the AL Wild Card Series (9-0, 9-2) | Rays: First-round bye as AL East champion and No. 1 seed |
| Run Line | Yankees +1.5 (-199) | Rays -1.5 (+163) |
| Moneyline | New York Yankees: +113 | Tampa Bay Rays: -136 |
| Total | O/U 7 (Over -107 / Under -113) |
| Probable Pitchers | Yankees: Gerrit Cole (RHP, 10-9, 3.61 ERA, 22 GS, 127.0 IP, 131 K, 25 BB, 1.10 WHIP) | Rays: Drew Rasmussen (RHP, 16-5, 2.67 ERA, 30 GS, 172.0 IP, 174 K, 32 BB, 0.91 WHIP) |
| Managers | New York Yankees: Aaron Boone | Tampa Bay Rays: Kevin Cash |
| Venue | Tropicana Field (St. Petersburg, Fla.) |
| Date / Time | Saturday, October 3, 2026 — 6:30 PM ET (6:30 PM local) |
| TV / How to Watch | TBS / truTV / HBO Max |
| 2026 Season Series | Rays won the 2026 season series 7-6 |
Odds via DraftKings (through ESPN) as of Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, 7:33 PM PT. Opening line: Yankees +110 / Rays -133, total 7. Lines move, so check your sportsbook before first pitch.
Yankees vs Rays ALDS Series Context
Format: The ALDS is a best-of-five series in a 2-2-1 format. Games 1 and 2 are at Tropicana Field, Games 3 and 4 move to Yankee Stadium, and a deciding Game 5 would return to St. Petersburg. Remaining schedule (times ET): Game 2: Monday, Oct. 5, 8 PM ET at Tropicana Field; Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 8 PM ET at Yankee Stadium; Game 4 (if necessary): Thursday, Oct. 8, 8 PM ET at Yankee Stadium; Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 10, 8 PM ET at Tropicana Field (MLB Stats API).
How the Yankees got here: New York beat Boston 9-0 in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series behind Cam Schlittler (6 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K) and Ben Rice, who went 4-for-5 with two homers and six RBIs. In Game 2, the Yankees scored six runs in the sixth inning of a 9-2 win. Max Fried allowed one run in six innings, Cody Bellinger homered and drove in four, and Luis García Jr. also homered (MLB Stats API box scores).
How the Rays got here: Tampa Bay clinched the AL East and the No. 1 seed with a 6-1 win over the Yankees in the second game of a Sept. 22 doubleheader at Yankee Stadium (MLB.com, MLB Stats API). The Rays finished 98-64, going 55-26 at home.
Head-to-head: Tampa Bay went 7-6 against New York in 2026. In the final series, Sept. 22-24 at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees won three of four (MLB Stats API). The teams also met in the 2020 ALDS, when Cole made two starts against Tampa Bay (MLB.com).
New York Yankees Preview: ALDS Game 1
Season in review: Manager Aaron Boone‘s Yankees went 93-68 (one game was not made up, so they played 161), finishing second in the AL East, 4 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay. They were 46-34 at home and 47-34 on the road. New York scored 739 runs and allowed 601, hit .235 with a .720 OPS and 223 homers, stole 153 bases and posted a 3.23 team ERA with 45 saves (MLB Stats API).
Key players: Ben Rice led the club with 41 homers, 97 RBIs and an .897 OPS. Jazz Chisholm Jr. stole 41 bases, and Cody Bellinger hit .264. Cam Schlittler posted a 1.95 ERA and 239 strikeouts, and David Bednar had 35 saves (MLB Stats API team leaders). Schlittler is in line to start Game 2 (MLB.com).
Aaron Judge: Judge has not played since straining his right calf (soleus) on Sept. 16 and was left off the Wild Card Series roster. The Yankees submitted their ALDS roster Saturday morning without Judge, so he will miss the series against the Rays unless an injury substitution is needed later (ESPN, MLB.com, CBS Sports). Giancarlo Stanton remains on the roster as a pinch-hit option. Judge took batting practice Friday at Tropicana Field but had not run the bases in his rehab (ESPN).
Injuries / roster notes: Judge is not on the ALDS roster. The Yankees added LHP Ryan Weathers (returning from a forearm flexor strain) in place of utility man Amed Rosario and will carry 11 pitchers and 15 position players; Weathers is expected to work as a one-inning reliever with restrictions (ESPN). ESPN also lists RHP Clarke Schmidt (biceps, 15-day IL), RHP Fernando Cruz (elbow, 60-day IL) and RHP Kervin Castro (elbow, 60-day IL).
Tampa Bay Rays Preview: ALDS Game 1
Season in review: Under manager Kevin Cash, the Rays went 98-64 (55-26 at home, 43-38 on the road) to win the AL East and earn the AL’s No. 1 seed. Tampa Bay scored 736 runs and allowed 650, hit .258 with a .728 OPS, stole 164 bases and posted a 3.70 team ERA with 58 saves (MLB Stats API).
Key players: Junior Caminero led the club with 42 homers, 101 RBIs and an .884 OPS. Yandy Díaz hit .293 with 22 homers, Jonathan Aranda drove in 92 runs, and Chandler Simpson hit .306 with 46 steals. Bryan Baker had 41 saves (MLB Stats API team leaders).
Injuries: ESPN lists LHP Shane McClanahan (forearm, out), RHP Griffin Jax (back, day-to-day), and OF Gavin Lux, RHP Edwin Uceta and RHP Jonathan Heasley on the 60-day IL.
Starting Pitchers: Gerrit Cole vs Drew Rasmussen
Yankees: Gerrit Cole (RHP). The 36-year-old went 10-9 with a 3.61 ERA in 22 starts after missing all of 2025 following Tommy John surgery. He had 131 strikeouts, 25 walks and a 1.10 WHIP in 127 innings (MLB Stats API, MLB.com). Cole starts on nine days’ rest. In his final regular-season start, Sept. 23 against Tampa Bay, he allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts on a season-high 105 pitches (MLB Stats API, ESPN). He made three starts against the Rays this season with a 2.50 ERA, and this is his first postseason start since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series. MLB.com lists his ERA in 12 career playoff starts with the Yankees at 2.93.
Rays: Drew Rasmussen (RHP). The two-time All-Star went 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA in 30 starts, with 174 strikeouts, 32 walks and a 0.91 WHIP in 172 innings. MLB.com noted his ERA was the seventh-lowest among qualified starters. Rasmussen allowed three earned runs in 25 2/3 innings over four September starts. Against New York this season he made four starts and allowed seven earned runs in 22 innings, including 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball with 11 strikeouts at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 22 (MLB Stats API).
Key Matchup Notes: Yankees vs Rays Game 1
- Judge out: Aaron Judge is not on the Yankees’ ALDS roster and will miss Game 1 against the Rays (ESPN, MLB.com).
- Recent meetings: Cole and Rasmussen both started in the Sept. 22-23 series at Yankee Stadium, and each allowed two runs or fewer (MLB Stats API).
- Run prevention: New York allowed 601 runs and posted a 3.23 team ERA. Tampa Bay allowed 650 runs with a 3.70 ERA and led these two clubs with 58 saves (MLB Stats API).
- Speed: The Rays stole 164 bases and the Yankees 153; Simpson (46) and Chisholm (41) led their teams (MLB Stats API).
- Rest: The Yankees completed their sweep Wednesday. The Rays have not played since the regular season ended Sept. 27 (MLB Stats API).
How to Watch New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays – ALDS Game 1
Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
First pitch: 6:30 PM ET (6:30 PM local)
Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Fla.
TV / Streaming: TBS, truTV and HBO Max (MLB Stats API, ESPN, MLB.com). Spanish-language coverage is listed on Univision/TUDN by the MLB Stats API; MLB.com lists UniMas.
The series winner advances to the ALCS against the winner of the White Sox-Guardians ALDS. Game 2 is Monday, Oct. 5 at Tropicana Field. Check the run line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the October 3, 2026 first pitch, and look for official lineups closer to game time.