Series Preview: Rays at Guardians

TL;DR

The Tampa Bay Rays, currently 16-11, face the Cleveland Guardians, who are 15-14, in a three-game series. Key matchups include Parker Messick against Steven Matz in Game One and Tanner Bibee versus Nick Martinez in Game Two.

Key points

Tampa Bay Rays record is 16-11
Cleveland Guardians record is 15-14
Key matchups include Messick vs Matz and Bibee vs Martinez
Guardians' offense led by Schneemann and Martinez
Metrics include wRC+, Baserunning Runs Above Average, and FIP

Tampa Bay RaysCleveland Guardians

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - APRIL 26: Yandy Díaz #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field on April 26, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Guardians will now play the AL East version of themselves, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays are 16-11, 10th in wRC+ at 103, 8th in baserunning runs above average at 1.7, sixth in starting pitcher ERA at 3.67 (3.88) and 26th in bullpen ERA at 5.27. The Guardians are 15-14, 16th in wRC+ at 98, 29th in baserunning runs above average at -2.4, ninth in starting pitcher ERA at 3.78 (4.25 FIP) and 21st in bullpen ERA at 4.55. As you can see, the key to beating the Rays SHOULD be to get their starting pitchers out of the game as quickly as possible and then beat up on their bullpen. Of course, having just seen the Guardians fail to beat up on a pretty bad Blue Jays’ pen, I am a bit skeptical at the moment. Hopefully, they surprise us. **Matchups**: **Game One**: Parker Messick, LHP 1.76 ERA (2.54 FIP) vs. Steven Matz, LHP 4.81 ERA (3.06 FIP) **Game Two**: Tanner Bibee, RHP 4.45 ERA (4.64 FIP) vs. Nick Martinez, RHP 2.10 ERA (3.89 FIP) **Game Three**: , RHP 3.28 ERA (4.44 FIP) vs. , RHP 2.45 ERA (4.10 FIP) The Guardians’ offense is led by at 167 wRC+, Angel Martinez 137 wRC+, 124 wRC+, 122 wRC+, 122 wRC+, 110 wRC+, and 103 wRC+. Is this the series that , , and/or emerge from April hibernations? One can only hope. The Rays’ offense is led by familiar frenemies Yandy Diaz 157 wRC+, 131 wRC+, and 126 wRC+. But, watch out also for Johnny DeLuca 120 wRC+, 120 wRC+ and 113 wRC+. This is a great series for those who enjoy franchise angst as we are likely to see big hits from Diaz and Caminero, but a Palacios key moment would be a cherry on top. The Guardians are home. Time to find a way to win a series against a good team and get things back on track. **Glossary**: **wRC+** – Weighted Runs Created Plus – A measure of determining a player’s run production value while controlling for park effects. 100 is league average. **Baserunning Runs Above Average** – A metric including stolen base value, double-play avoidance, and taking extra bases to determine how many runs above average a team is on the basepaths **Defense** – This stat gives you how many runs above average a team’s defenders save their team, adjusted for positional value (i.e. a catcher has far more defensive value for a team than a first baseman). **FIP** – Fielding Independent Pitching. Essentially, ERA weighted by factors a pitcher can control (strikeouts, walks and homers) while eliminating as much as possible the effects of a good or bad defense. **SIERA** – A metric to determine a pitcher’s true ERA based on strikeout rate, walk rate, and quality of batted-balls given up. This number is similar to ERA (3 and under is excellent) in determining player performance.

Q&A

What is the current record of the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians?

The Tampa Bay Rays have a record of 16-11, while the Cleveland Guardians are at 15-14.

Who are the starting pitchers for the Rays vs Guardians series?

Game One features Parker Messick for the Rays against Steven Matz for the Guardians, followed by Tanner Bibee vs Nick Martinez in Game Two, and Gavin Williams vs Drew Rasmussen in Game Three.

Which players are leading the Guardians in offensive performance?

The Guardians' offense is led by Daniel Schneemann, Angel Martinez, and Jose Ramirez, with wRC+ scores of 167, 137, and 124 respectively.

What metrics are used to evaluate player performance in this series preview?

Key metrics include wRC+ (Weighted Runs Created Plus), Baserunning Runs Above Average, and FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching).