The New York Yankees host the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, September 24, 2026, with first pitch set for 7:05 PM ET. Right-hander Cam Schlittler takes the ball for New York against Tampa Bay's Ian Seymour in a regular-season AL East matchup that carries genuine divisional weight this late in the calendar. The game airs locally on YES Network and WFAN 660/101.9 FM, with Spanish-language coverage available on WADO 1280.

Starting Pitchers: Cam Schlittler vs. Ian Seymour

Cam Schlittler gets the nod for the Yankees. The young right-hander is one of the more intriguing arms New York has leaned on this season, and a strong outing here would go a long way toward establishing his role down the stretch. His command and ability to generate soft contact will be the primary metrics to watch against a Rays lineup that is disciplined and rarely gives at-bats away.

Ian Seymour draws the assignment for Tampa Bay. The left-hander will face a Yankees lineup stacked with right-handed hitters, which sets up an interesting chess match early. How quickly manager Aaron Boone adjusts if Seymour is getting the Yankees' right-handed bats out will be one of the more telling in-game decisions of the evening.

Yankees Starting Lineup

• Paul Goldschmidt — DH
• Cody Bellinger — LF
• Heliot Ramos — RF
• Ben Rice — 1B
• Amed Rosario — 3B
• George Lombard Jr. — SS
• Anthony Volpe — 2B
• Austin Wells — C
• José Caballero — CF

Keys to Watch

Schlittler's Ability to Work Deep Into the Game

The Yankees' bullpen has been a resource management challenge throughout the season. If Schlittler can eat innings efficiently — getting ahead in counts and avoiding deep at-bats — he does the team a real service regardless of the final score. Watch his pitch count through the first three innings as an early signal of how long he lasts.

Goldschmidt Leading Off

Paul Goldschmidt hitting leadoff is not a conventional arrangement, and it speaks to the lineup construction challenges New York is navigating. A patient, professional at-bat from Goldschmidt to open the game sets the tone. If he can get on base and force Seymour to work, the middle of the order — Ramos and Rice — gets better pitches to hit.

Anthony Volpe's Role Batting Seventh

Volpe dropping to seventh in the order is worth noting. The shortstop-turned-second-baseman is a key piece of New York's long-term core, and his plate discipline late in games when the lineup turns over could prove decisive in a tight contest.

Keeping the Rays Honest on the Bases

Tampa Bay is a team that makes things happen with their legs and their process. Austin Wells behind the plate and Schlittler's timing to the plate will matter. The Rays will look for any edge they can manufacture, particularly with runners on first base.

Prediction

This is a game where pitching and the ability to string together quality at-bats decides things. The Yankees get the home-crowd advantage at Yankee Stadium and a lineup that, despite its unconventional construction tonight, has enough punch to do damage against a left-hander. If Schlittler gives the Yankees five solid innings and the middle of the order comes through against Seymour, New York takes this one. Yankees 4, Rays 2.