Rays Face Rangers in Key Showdown at Globe Life Field

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Tampa Bay Rays and the Texas Rangers are set to clash at Globe Life Field for a three-game series starting Friday night, marking the Rays’ first road series of the 2025 season.

Fresh off a series win against the Cincinnati Reds, the Rangers aim to extend their hot start with a 5-2 record, currently leading the American League West. Meanwhile, the Rays, with a 4-2 record, are in second place in the American League East, trailing the Toronto Blue Jays by half a game.

Despite a disappointing 2024 season, where the Rangers finished 78-84, they are looking to capitalize on the talent of their key players. Star infielder Corey Seager and second baseman Marcus Semien both finished with 4 fWAR seasons last year and are projected to continue their successful play. New addition Joc Pederson aims to boost the offense against right-handed pitching, while health concerns linger around Wyatt Langford, a promising talent.

“The Rangers are off to a great start, and we know we need to play our best baseball to compete,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash.

The series comes with added context, as it is the only time the Rays will play games outside of Florida for their first 22 contests of the regular season. This odd scheduling comes in the wake of significant damage done to Tropicana Field by Hurricane Milton, forcing the Rays to relocate their home games to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, a venue associated with their rivals, the New York Yankees.

Despite the challenges, the Rays have demonstrated resilience. Their rotation, a blend of young talent, includes impressive arms like Ryan Pepiot, Taj Bradley, and Drew Rasmussen, all capable of dominating opposing lineups. Unfortunately, the Rays will miss ace Shane McClanahan, who remains sidelined due to a nerve issue in his arm.

The starting pitching matchups for the series highlight a blend of experience and youth. The opener features Rays’ Zack Littell against the Rangers’ Tyler Mahle. Littell displayed strong performance in his season debut, allowing only one run in six innings against the Rockies.

Conversely, Mahle struggled in his first outing, managing just 1 ⅔ innings. He will need to improve his command and efficiency if the Rangers are to continue their winning streak.

The second game will pit Taj Bradley against ace Jacob deGrom, who is coming off a stellar performance with six strikeouts and two hits allowed in his first outing. Bradley himself had a strong debut, which adds intrigue to the matchup.

The finale will see Drew Rasmussen face Kumar Rocker, a talented but inconsistent pitcher looking for redemption after a rough start to his season.

“Every game is important as we look to build momentum,” said deGrom. “We need to seize every opportunity on our home turf.”

As the series unfolds, both teams are hungry for a successful start to the season. Though the pitching matchup favors Tampa Bay on paper, the Rangers hold the potential to light up their home field if their bats can find a rhythm.

“We know we have what it takes to compete, and it starts this weekend,” Cash added.