New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays Pick – 8/20/2025
The New York Yankees bludgeoned the Tampa Bay Rays in their series opener on Tuesday. New York will look for a repeat performance on Wednesday after scoring 13 runs in Tampa in their last outing. Tampa Bay will try and prevent the Yankees from going off with some better starting pitching. Which side will win out? Continue reading to get my Yankees vs Rays prediction for Wednesday night.
Our Yankees vs Rays Pick
- Pick: Tampa Bay Rays Moneyline
- Confidence: 3/5
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays
- Date & Time: Wednesday, August 20, 2025, 7:35 p.m. ET
- Starting Pitchers:
- Rays – Drew Rasmussen (10-5, 2.60 ERA)
- Yankees – Cam Schlittler (1-2, 3.94 ERA)
- Stadium: George M. Steinbrenner Field (Tampa, FL)
- Broadcast: FDSSUN and YES
Key Storylines
Pitching Matchup
Drew Rasmussen enters with a 10-5 record and a sparkling 2.60 ERA over 117.2 innings. He has 102 strikeouts and is one of the more reliable arms in Tampa Bay’s rotation. Cam Schlittler is just 1-2 with a 3.94 ERA in limited action this year. Tampa has a decided edge in the starting pitching department going into this game.
Key Players
- The Yankees hit nine home runs on Tuesday. Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger hit two homers each and Aaron Judge hit his 40th of the season. All three of those men will be key against Rasmussen tonight.
- Junior Caminero leads the Rays with 35 home runs and will try to keep pace with all of the power on the Yankees side.
Recent Team Streaks
- New York has won four straight games coming into this matchup.
- The Rays have lost two in a row and have fallen four games under the .500 mark for the season.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop Type | Prop |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Judge (NYY) | Home Runs | Over 0.5 |
| Cody Bellinger (NYY) | Total Bases | Over 1.5 |
| Junior Caminero (TB) | Hits | Over 1.5 |
| Yandy Diaz (TB) | Total Bases | Over 1.5 |
Betting Trends & H2H
- The Yankees hold an 8-4 lead in the season series against the Rays this year.
- New York is 31-32 on the road this season.
- Tampa is 32-31 at their temporary home field while Tropicana Field undergoes repair.
Yankees vs Rays Model Projection
Score Projection: Rays 5 – Yankees 4
Win Probability: Rays 51%, Yankees 49%
Final Thoughts
This game should be a lot closer than the one we saw on Tuesday. Rasmussen has what it takes to slow down the Yankees lineup and Schlittler has been solid for New York as well. We should see a lower-scoring game and I give the slight edge to the Rays thanks to just how good Rasmussen has been in 2025.
