How to watch Yankees vs. Rays in ALDS: Start times, channels, and more

This will be the Yankees' third consecutive ALDS trip. In 2024, they had the first-round bye, and though there were some nervous moments, they ultimately handled the upstart Royals in four games before eventually falling to the Dodgers in the World Series. Last year, they were shunted to the Wild Card Series and had to win twice against Boston before they could face the upstart Blue Jays, who narrowly beat them out for the AL East crown. That put them on the back foot, and most of the team didn't play particularly well in a four-game loss.

The story for 2026 is quite similar to the one for 2025, as the Yankees were again the preseason favorites for the AL East, only for the surprising Rays to usurp them for the division and force them to fend off the Red Sox to survive the Wild Card round. Well now we're here, and though the Yankees have to cut through that path to make it back to the Fall Classic, the opportunity is there for the taking.

This is just the second time that the Yankees and Rays have ever squared off in October, with the only other time being an ALDS loss in 2020 that saw all five games played at empty Petco Park in San Diego due to COVID restrictions. Since fans will actually be at these games—including the Yankees' first official playoff trip to Tropicana Field—this will be a much more representative series.