The MLB postseason bracket is now set for the New York Yankees, and the next step comes against an AL East rival. On Wednesday night, the Yankees swept the Boston Red Sox and finalized their ALDS matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays in a best-of-five series.
It is a fitting October pairing. During the regular season, Tampa Bay beat New York 7-6 in the season series, and the Rays finished with the best record in the AL. That made Tampa Bay the team to beat for most of the season, even as New York closed strong enough to move on and secure this matchup.
What the Yankees bring into the series
The Yankees are set up with one of the most formidable rotations in the postseason bracket, and that matters in a short series. Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Cam Schlittler and Max Fried give Aaron Boone multiple ways to line up his pitching staff, and the combination of Schlittler and Fried could come back into play in Games 2 and 3.
That kind of depth is especially important against a Rays team that was steady all year and has already shown it can handle New York in tight games. In a best-of-five format, starting pitching can swing the entire series in a hurry.
Why this matchup stands out
The Rays are New York's American League East rival, so there is no shortage of familiarity here. Tampa Bay also brings a lineup with several dangerous bats, including Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda, Yandy Diaz, Cedric Mullins and Ben Rice, which gives the series another layer of intrigue.
New York's path now gets more difficult, but the Yankees have the pitching to make this a real battle. With the bracket finalized, the next question is simple: can the Yankees' rotation control a Rays team that spent much of the season near the top of the AL?
