The Tampa Bay Rays enter the ALDS as the top AL East seed with home-field advantage in the best-of-five series against the New York Yankees, bolstered by a 98-64 regular-season record and a deep rotation anchored by Drew Rasmussen's 2.67 ERA. The Yankees (93-68) arrive with momentum from a Wild Card sweep of the Red Sox but face significant challenges without Aaron Judge, who is sidelined by a calf strain and absent from the roster. Recent regular-season matchups were competitive, with the Rays clinching the division at Yankee Stadium, while New York's offense showed power in Judge's absence during the Wild Card round. Pitching matchups, including Gerrit Cole versus Rasmussen in Game 1 at Tropicana Field, and the Rays' overall staff depth shape trader views on series outcomes.