Six gamers to look at in American League Championship Series

So. You’re Liam Hicks and also you’ve gone from being a part-time catcher having pitches known as from the dugout to being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays. They take your iPhone. Make you signal an NDA. Record your fingerprints and DNA. Get you all mounted up for the retina digicam after which — solely then — do they invite you into the Underground City.

Congratulations, son. You are a Rays catcher.

Hicks, who went to Toronto’s Lawrence Park Collegiate, can be one we’re maintaining a tally of when the Rays open their best-of-seven American League Championship Series on Monday towards the Cleveland Guardians. Yep:

Acquired from the Miami Marlins on the commerce deadline for 3 minor leaguers, Hicks began all the Rays’ three-game, AL Division Series sweep of the New York Yankees. He drove within the go-ahead run in Game 2 and caught all 27 innings in a sequence the place two video games had been determined by one run, together with Drew Rasmussen’s 7 2/3-inning no-hit bid in Game 1.

It’s been fairly the yr for Hicks, who mixed for 18 homers and 82 runs batted in and who went from seeing his place as Marlins catcher threatened by prospect Joe Mack – Hicks made 58 of his 90 Marlins begins in 2026 as a DH or first baseman – to creating 32 begins behind the plate for the Rays, filling in as soon as at DH and twice at first base.

“My goal was always to be an everyday catcher,” Hicks stated, earlier than the Rays would end off their three-game sweep of the Yankees. “Even after I wasn’t catching as a lot in Miami, I’d attempt to get in as a lot work as I may, doing early work, all that stuff.

“I hadn’t known as pitches the entire yr. I used to be questioning how that will go, whether or not it could be straightforward to get proper again into it. Maybe the primary couple of video games had been a bit of shaky, however I believe as I’ve gotten to catch them extra, now it’s sort of second nature.

“There have been times when some of the pitchers have called a pitch using the Pitch-Com and they trust me enough to override and be like: ‘No, I think this is what we should throw.’ Just gaining their trust is the biggest thing.”

Rays broadcaster Brian Anderson, a former MLB pitcher, believes Hicks’ acclimation was helped in no small measure by the actual fact the Rays’ different catcher, Nick Fortes, had been a teammate of his with the Marlins in 2025. His supervisor, Kevin Cash, credit Hicks’ open-mindedness and humbleness as the important thing to his easy transition.

 “I think there was some in-game pitch calling from ourselves by Kyle (Snyder, the Rays pitching coach) yelling and screaming,” Cash stated. “After, you know, three or four series, I think he had a real good understanding about what our pitchers strengths are and just worked off that.”

Hicks doubled and walked in his post-season debut, then drove within the go-ahead run in Game 2. Hicks slot in completely with the Rays’ contact-heavy strategy and was one among 4 MLB qualifiers with extra walks than strikeouts throughout the common season whereas having the fourth-lowest swing and miss charge amongst qualifiers. Hicks posted the second-highest OPS on the Rays following his acquisition.

These Rays, man… they take the main points significantly. And they are going to be well-rested going into the American League Championship Series, which begins Monday. Here are six different gamers we can be watching on this battle between the smallest payroll in baseball (the Guardians) and the third lowest (the Rays)…

• Bryan Baker, RP, Rays: I imply, you would just about decide anyone out of the Rays bullpen however, man, it’s powerful to miss a man who saved all three video games of the ALDS towards the Yankees. Baker and Guardians nearer Cade Smith — a local of Abbotsford, B.C. — tied for the AL lead with 41 saves. Baker, who lastly discovered a change-up grip he was comfy with two years in the past, hasn’t needed to do the multiple-inning factor as usually as Smith — twice, in comparison with 15 for Smith. But he’s efficiently transformed his final 33 save alternatives, going again to May 13. He’s been a beast all season lengthy when he has confronted runners in scoring place, limiting hitters to a .085 common with runners in scoring place.

• Victor Mesa Jr., OF, Rays: The Rays out-homered the Yankees, however their modus operandi stays singles, infield hits, sacrifices and stolen bases – particularly when you get previous their first 4 hitters. But there’s extra size to this lineup than you may anticipate, and Mesa, a 25-year-old rookie acquired in a February commerce with the Marlins — once more with the Marlins! — has confirmed to be a vital addition. Mesa’s defence is outstanding, and whereas he’s a left-handed hitter, Cash wasn’t anxious about operating him out towards the Yankees’ Max Fried or Cam Schlittler. Mesa homered off Fried, and whereas he did most of his slugging harm off righties, he nonetheless posted a .333 common towards lefties. Again… simply put the ball in play. “He stays on the ball really well,” Cash stated. “We’ve seen the opportunities he’s had against left-handed pitching, the ability to shoot the fastball the other way or pull the curveball.” Mesa had the very best OPS on the Rays after coming off the IL on Sept. 1.

• Hunter Gaddis, RP, Guardians: It’s a sequence between the staff that invented the ‘opener’ idea – the Rays – and a membership coming off a 21-strikeout effort from its pitchers with a supervisor who lives and infrequently dies with the matchup recreation. But there’s a almost good world for the Guardians Stephen Vogt, the place Cade Smith is available in to blow hitters away after Gaddis builds the bridge. But right here’s the factor: these two pitchers mixed to throw a exceptional 151 pitches within the ALDS and, effectively, you must marvel how recent they’ll be for Games 1 and a couple of. Gaddis has been on some sort of roll for the reason that finish of August, ripping via September because the Guardians secured the AL Central title (and a playoff spot) whereas going 5-0 with 11 holds and a 1.88 ERA in his closing 25 appearances. Gaddis, whose 100 holds for the reason that begin of 2004 are essentially the most within the Majors, gave up 5 hits in 4 1/3 innings whereas showing in all 5 video games of the ALDS, notching 4 strikeouts within the deciding recreation.

• Parker Messick, SP, Guardians: He’ll get the beginning in Game 2 on common relaxation and, effectively, you could marvel a bit after his unsure effort within the ALDS: 6 2/3 innings mixed with six hits and 4 homers allowed in addition to six walks. It’s nice what Gavin Williams did within the ALDS — two 12-strikeout video games and a cameo out of the bullpen in an all-hands-on-deck scenario — and he’s sitting there ready for Game 3, however Messick can’t have one other highway meltdown, particularly contemplating the uncertainty of Game 1 starter Foster Griffin. The Rays have manner much less swing-and-miss of their lineup than the White Sox, and for Messick the sport plan is evident: don’t drive his supervisor to go to the bullpen any sooner than he needs.

• José Ramírez, 3B, Guardians: My goodness it feels good to write down this with conviction. Look: there’s little question this man is a first-ballot Hall of Famer (and he’s one among my favorite gamers), however a post-season exclamation level would definitely burnish his trigger. And Ramirez lastly supplied that towards the White Sox, spurring the Guardians rally from a 2-0 deficit by going 5-for-12 with 4 extra-base hits (two homers) and 7 runs batted in — after going 0-for-6 within the first two video games. They’ll be breaking down the fourth-inning homer in Game 5 for years — it was the bottom pitch to be hit for a homer in a post-season recreation since they began monitoring in 2008, in response to Sarah Langs of MLB.com.

Ramirez did have multi-hit video games in 5 of his final 9 video games in September and, in reality, hit .304 whereas doubling his hard-hit charge within the closing two weeks, however his o-fer firstly of the ALDS raised questions on how compromised he was from left hamate surgical procedure. He’ll see a gentle weight-reduction plan of change-ups from the Rays — a pitch that ate up him and the Guardians, who as a staff posted the third-worst batting common towards changeups within the Majors. Defence goes to be a factor, too: the Rays have a contact-heavy, pressurized strategy, don’t grasp round on the plate lengthy sufficient to strike out, and their pull share displays a staff that sprays the ball all around the subject. Third base gonna be a sizzling nook.

• Drew Rasmussen, SP, Rays: Rasmussen had 18 high quality begins this season, simply two shy of his profession whole in 81 video games coming into the season. He’s been one of many recreation’s best-kept secrets and techniques: since 2021, his 2.76 ERA is third within the Majors amongst pitchers with 500 innings, behind solely Shohei Ohtani (2.68) and Chris Sale (2.74). And he’s used to pitching with little margin for error at house, going 9-3 regardless of receiving one run of assist or fewer in seven of his 15 begins. Kind of like Game 1 of the Yankees sequence. Rasmussen’s inventory in commerce is three fastballs he’ll use 81 per cent of the time. He was third within the Majors behind Schlittler and Jacob Misiorowski in strikeouts on fastballs. Like the remainder of the Rays, he’s well-rested.

Jeff Blair’s decide: Rays defeat Guardians in 5 video games.