The Tampa Bay Rays popped champagne and partied hard at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, celebrating their AL East title in the Bronx. While the Yankees had to watch the celebration, after being nearly no-hit, they weren’t exactly dejected. What they witnessed on the field for 18 innings subtly reminded everyone why they still may be the team to beat in the American League, even without superstar Aaron Judge.
Wild Card Bound, With Or Without Judge
The Rays are AL East champions for the first time since 2021, and they’ve earned a first-round bye. The Yankees, who clinched their postseason berth last week, are headed straight for the wild-card round. Yeah, it’s going to be awkward facing the Boston Red Sox in that series, especially with Aaron Judge sidelined with a moderate calf strain. Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced Judge is out for that wild card series, and he’ll be awfully rusty even if he can make it back for the AL Division Series against these same Rays. Remember, the Yankees lost three of their next four games to the Minnesota Twins and Arizona Diamondbacks after Judge initially returned to the injured list. Yankees infielder Jose Caballero summed it up perfectly, “The 162 first games, it doesn’t matter. Now, the clock starts.”
This Starting Pitching Is Straight Up Filthy
Despite the Judge uncertainty, the Yankees’ vibe in the clubhouse was still great, and it’s all thanks to their rotation. Seriously, this pitching staff is on another level. Carlos Rodon pitched one of his finest games as a Yankee, giving up just three hits with no walks through eight shutout innings in their 2-0 Game 1 victory. Then Max Fried, who’s sitting at 5-4 with a 2.84 ERA, was absolutely fabulous for six innings in the nightcap before the Rays chipped away with small ball. But wait, there’s more. Cam Schlittler is a legitimate unanimous Cy Young candidate, allowing two or fewer earned runs in a ridiculous 22 starts. And former Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, at 9-9 with a 3.63 ERA, was dominant in his last outing against Arizona. The Yankees have an MLB-best 3.20 ERA overall, and their starting rotation is leading the league with a 3.24 ERA. Honestly, outside of maybe the Dodgers, who else has a starting rotation this formidable and powerful?
Sure, the Rays (96-61) are a more complete and well-rounded team than the Yankees (90-67), especially without Judge’s bat. But when you’ve got pitching like this, and top-10 MVP candidates Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger providing serious pop in the middle of the lineup , those guys hit a double and a home run in Game 1 alone , you can still absolutely win it all. The Yankees are headed for the wild card, then possibly the ALDS against the Rays, and that real race through October to be the last team standing for the first time since 2009 is about to get intense.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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