Sure, the Tampa Bay Rays finished the regular season with the best record in the American League, but it felt as if they'd have their hands full in the ALDS, even against a New York Yankees team that didn't have Aaron Judge. New York's rotation was just so daunting on paper, and their bats were very much alive without Judge against the Red Sox in the Wild Card series.
Clearly, the Yankees were no match for Tampa Bay, as the Rays swept them in the best-of-five series, three games to none. Now, the Rays will look to carry their momentum to the Fall Classic, but will need to get through one more series first. Here's a look at who they're set up to face.
Who will Rays play in the ALCS? Magical run moves Central
We do not know who the Rays will play next, but we do know the division in which the Rays will try to take down in the ALCS - it's the AL Central. The Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Guardians are facing off in the other ALDS matchup, with the winner set to play Tampa Bay with a shot at the AL Pennant on the line. The Guardians won Game 3, but the White Sox lead the series two games to one, meaning they're one win away from a date with the Rays.
I mean no disrespect when I say this, but Tampa Bay's run might be getting easier from here. Sure, the Yankees have their share of flaws, but again, their rotation is as good as anyone's, and they won 93 regular season games. Conversely, the Guardians won 85 games, and the White Sox won 84. That's a stark difference.
With that being said, an ALCS against the White Sox or Guardians wouldn't be easy. The White Sox are MLB's best Cinderella story right now, thanks largely to a powerful lineup and a dynamic bullpen. The Guardians are always tough to hit against, and they still have Jose Ramirez hitting in the middle of their lineup.
Who won the season series between the Rays and their possible ALCS opponents?
Regular season matchups don't mean much when the calendar flips to October. I mean, the Rays were only 7-6 against the Yankees in the regular season, yet they made quick work of New York when the lights were brightest. It does, however, give somewhat of an idea of how teams match up against each other. With that in mind, Rays fans should be feeling pretty giddy.
Tampa Bay won five of six games against the Guardians in the regular season, including a sweep in Tampa Bay in late July. The Rays outscored the Guardians 20-8 in those games, proving how good their pitching can be. The White Sox were a tougher challenge for the Rays, but even then, the Rays took four out of the six games they played against Chicago this season, including an early-season series sweep on the South Side.
The Rays should be confident either way, knowing they were the better team in the regular season overall and had success against both Cleveland and Chicago, but again, it won't be a cakewalk either.
When was the last time the Rays reached the ALCS?
Getting to the playoffs hasn't been a major issue for the Rays, who have done so six times in the last eight years, but advancing in the playoffs is the ultimate goal, and that's been a much tougher challenge. With that being said, the Rays did advance to the ALCS once in that eight-year span, and they did so in a memorable fashion. They represented the American League in the 2020 World Series.
Ironically enough, for the Rays to get to that year's ALCS, they had to beat the Yankees in the ALDS. Tampa Bay wound up beating the Astros in seven games, despite nearly blowing a 3-0 series lead. Perhaps getting through the Yankees in that same round will lead to another appearance in the Fall Classic, although the Rays would love a different result next time around.
Brett Phillips scoring the game-winning run in Game 4 of that year's World Series was a moment all Rays fans remember, but Tampa Bay ultimately lost that Fall Classic to the Dodgers in six games. If there's a Rays team capable of getting over the hump, it's probably this year's team.
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