Rays vs Yankees Series Preview: Are The Yankees Finished?

The New York Yankees are still in last place in the American League East after a Sunday Night Baseball loss to the Baltimore Orioles. New York is also nine games out of first place and over three games out of an AL Wild Card spot.

The Yankees will likely be buyers at the deadline. But they’re not playing like contenders right now. Aaron Judge returned to the lineup but won’t even play every day.

On the other hand, the Tampa Bay Rays are 64-44 on the season and will be pushing to get back into first place in the AL East. They held the divisional lead throughout most of the season but have allowed the Orioles to jump them in the standings.

This three-game series between the Yankees and Rays is crucial as we head into August. Here are our Rays vs Yankees series preview for the entire three-game series.

Are The Yankees Being Cheap?

The Yankees are five games above .500 after playing without Aaron Judge for a large chunk of the season. For many organizations, that’s good. But not for the Yankees. The Yankees have a history of success and a history of buying talent to succeed.

Many fans feel Brian Cashman has done a poor job building the Yankees. He’s not nearly as aggressive as other general managers for the Yankees.

The Yankees have always had a star-studded lineup. But this year, that hasn’t been the case. The Yankees recently put Isiah Kiner-Falefa fifth in the lineup despite Kiner-Falefa having .133 ISO against righties this season. He ultimately has little-to-no power.

New York has played other players like Billy McKinney, Greg Allen, and other names that aren’t so notable.

Time will tell if the Yankees end up bringing in more talent. But they’re in a tough spot, and we couldn’t fault Cashman and the Yankees if they stand pat, knowing they’re fifth in their division. The odds aren’t exactly in their favor after all. They’ll try to keep up with the Tampa Bay Rays standings.

The Rays Are Fine

Tampa Bay uses an analytical approach to almost everything. The Rays had one of the hottest starts to the season earlier this year, but they’ve come back to earth over time.

Still, the rotation lines up with the best of them. They’ll pitch Tyler Glasnow, Zach Eflin, and Shane McClanahan in the three games in this series.

Glasnow has a 3.36 ERA with high strikeouts. Zach Eflin has a 3.64 ERA and acknowledged his injured knee is feeling better. Finally, Shane McClanahan is 11-1 with a 3.00 ERA. These are some of the best starter MLB stats in the league.

As long as these three pitchers dominate, the Rays will be fine moving forward. Tampa Bay has the best starting rotation in the MLB, which should help them get out of the MLB Wild Card standings and into first place in the AL East.

Now it’s time to look at the Rays vs Yankees series preview with the probable pitchers.

Game 1

Tyler Glasnow vs. Domingo German
Monday, 7:05 p.m. ET

Domingo German has struck out nearly 34% of batters over the last month and has held teams to a .148 ISO and wOBA of .307.

On the other hand, Tyler Glasnow has struck out close to 35% of batters over the last month. He’s allowed a .200 ISO to righties but has kept his wOBA down to .278 against his previous 101 batters. Glasnow is a high-ground ball pitcher and high-strikeout pitcher. He’ll likely be able to do those two things well against the Yankees.

Meanwhile, the Yankees should have Aaron Judge for this game. He’ll take a game off here and there, but after taking off Sunday, expect Judge to be in the lineup for this one. The offense could use him. Without Judge, they’ve hit a .277 wOBA against righties over the last month.

The Rays are currently favorites with an -140 line on the road. Meanwhile, the total is currently at 8.5, with the Under juiced to -115. Tampa Bay likely has the upper hand, but with both pitchers pitching at a high level, the Under seems like the best play.

Game 2

Zach Eflin vs. Carlos Rodon
Tuesday, 7:05 p.m. ET

In the second game, Carlos Rodon will get his next start. Rodon looked his best against the Mets in this last start. But his strikeouts are still low. He still holds a high ISO and wOBA against both sides of the plate over the last month.

The Rays haven’t been very dominant against lefties throughout the last month. Only Wander Franco and Isaac Parades have put up high ISO and wOBA numbers against lefties over the previous month.

Meanwhile, Zach Eflin will get the start for the Rays. It’s hard to earn a free pass against Eflin. It’s also hard to get on base. He’s kept teams to a .251 wOBA over the last 84 batters faced and has allowed just 15% of fly balls.

If you’re looking for Rays vs Yankees series preview for the second game, we suggest looking at the under.

Game 3

Shane McClanahan vs. Gerrit Cole
Wednesday 7:05 p.m. ET

Gerrit Cole has earned over 32% of strikeouts and has limited walks to 6.2%. He’s allowed a .182 ISO over the last month but has kept his wOBA down to .286.

On the flip side, the Rays will pitch Shane McClanahan. He’s holding a 3.00 ERA and, with another quality start, would have an ERA below 3.00 and in the twos. McClanahan’s strikeout rate has dipped against lefties, but he’s still earned over 27% of strikeouts against righties. He’ll mainly face righties in the Yankees lineup as a lefty.

The Yankees have had a very low wOBA against lefties over the last month, giving McClanahan the upper hand. But this is ultimately a matchup between two pitchers in contention to win the AL Cy Young. It’s a game that any baseball fan should tune into!

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