The Tampa Bay Rays wrap up a late-September road trip with a Thursday night matchup at Yankee Stadium, facing the New York Yankees on September 24, 2026, at 7:05 PM ET. Left-hander Ian Seymour gets the ball for Tampa Bay against Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler. With the regular season winding down, every game carries real weight — and a trip into the Bronx is never a casual affair, no matter the standings.

Probable Pitchers: Ian Seymour vs. Cam Schlittler

Ian Seymour draws the start for the Rays in what figures to be a critical late-season outing. Seymour is a young left-hander who has worked his way into Tampa Bay's rotation, and the Rays' coaching staff will be watching closely to see how he handles a Yankees lineup that has real pop in it.

On the other side, Cam Schlittler takes the mound for New York. Like Seymour, Schlittler is a younger arm who has earned his shot at the big-league level. Both starters are working without a lengthy track record at this level, which makes this matchup genuinely unpredictable — and worth paying attention to.

Yankees Lineup to Watch

New York is sending out a lineup that mixes veteran presence with emerging talent. Paul Goldschmidt leads things off at DH, followed by Cody Bellinger in left. Heliot Ramos hits third in right, with Ben Rice protecting the cleanup spot at first base. Amed Rosario slots in at third, George Lombard Jr. holds shortstop, and Anthony Volpe — a name Rays fans know well from past Bronx battles — hits seventh at second base. Austin Wells catches, and José Caballero — a former Ray — rounds out the order in center field batting ninth.

Caballero's presence in that nine-hole is a footnote worth circling. He knows exactly how Tampa Bay operates. The Rays will not be able to run any surprises past him.

Keys to the Game for Tampa Bay

• Seymour's command: Yankee Stadium is not a friendly place for a young pitcher to lose the strike zone. Seymour needs to work ahead in counts and avoid putting himself in trouble early.
• Handling Goldschmidt and Bellinger at the top: The Yankees are stacking experienced bats at the top of the order. Tampa Bay's defense and bullpen depth will matter if Seymour runs into trouble in the middle innings.
• Caballero in the nine-hole: Do not sleep on the bottom of New York's order. Caballero's familiarity with Rays tendencies makes him a threat even batting ninth.
• Bullpen management: With both starters carrying question marks around workload and late-season usage, expect both managers to be active on the phone to the bullpen. Tampa Bay's relief corps will likely have a say in the outcome.

Prediction

This one is genuinely hard to call. Two younger starters, a Yankees lineup with some proven names, and a Rays club that plays sharp, disciplined baseball — it has all the ingredients for a tight, low-scoring game that gets decided in the sixth or seventh inning when the bullpens take over. Give the slight edge to New York at home, but the Rays are built for exactly these kinds of close games. Do not be surprised if Tampa Bay finds a way to scratch out a win late. Projected final: Yankees 4, Rays 3.

Coverage is available on Rays.TV and WDAE 95.7 FM for Rays fans. Yankees fans can catch it on YES Network.