# Yankees-Rays ALDS Pitching Matchup

> Yankees' Gerrit Cole faces Rays' Drew Rasmussen in ALDS opener.
- Title: Yankees-Rays ALDS Pitching Matchup · Mlb | Shortify
- Summary: Yankees' Gerrit Cole faces Rays' Drew Rasmussen in ALDS opener. Yankees' Gerrit Cole and Rays' Drew Rasmussen will start Game 1 of the ALDS, with both teams…
- Keywords: yankees, rays, al divsion series, gerrit cole, drew rasmussen, al wild card series, pitching rotation, tropicana field, sports, Yankees-Rays, ALDS, Pitching
- Source: Mlb — https://mlb.com/news/yankees-rays-pitching-matchups-for-2026-alds
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: yankees, rays, al divsion series, gerrit cole, drew rasmussen, al wild card series, pitching rotation, tropicana field, sports
## ALDS Game 1
The Yankees and Rays will meet in the best-of-five AL Division Series starting Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field.
## Yankees Pitching Strength
Yankees pitching has been a strength all year, with Gerrit Cole set to start Game 1 after a strong showing against Tampa Bay.
## Gerrit Cole Starter
Gerrit Cole, RHP, will start Game 1 after being named Friday morning, with a 2.50 ERA in three starts against Tampa Bay this year.
## Cam Schlittler
Cam Schlittler, the AL Cy Young Award winner, finished the regular season with a 1.95 ERA and silenced the Red Sox in Game 1.
## Rays' Pitching Rotation
The Rays have not set their full rotation yet, with Drew Rasmussen confirmed as Game 1 starter and others in contention for Game 2.
## Drew Rasmussen
Drew Rasmussen, RHP, has a 16-5 record with the AL’s fourth-best ERA (2.67) and league’s best WHIP (0.91) this season.
## Rays' Game 2 Options
The Rays could use Griffin Jax or Freddy Peralta in Game 2, both with strong performances against the Yankees.
## Game 3 Pitching
Game 3 could feature either Peralta or Nick Martinez, with both pitchers having strong records against the Yankees.
## Key takeaway

Yankees' Gerrit Cole and Rays' Drew Rasmussen will start Game 1 of the ALDS, with both teams preparing for a pitching showdown.