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Series Preview: Blue Jays visit Tropicana Field for first time since September 2024 in showdown with Rays
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Photo credit: © Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
May 4, 2026, 17:15 EDTUpdated: May 4, 2026, 17:12 EDT
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Dear Tropicana Field, we have not missed you.
The Toronto Blue Jays have had a handful of “firsts” in their last three series. Last week, they played their first matchup against the Boston Red Sox, taking two of three in what was their first game against an American League East opponent. This past weekend, the Jays took on the Minnesota Twins, splitting the four-game series. Not only was it their first four-game series of the season, but it was the first series rematch they’ve had all season.
Monday will begin another first, as they’ll kick start a three-game series at Tropicana Field against the Tampa Bay Rays. It’s the first time they’ve played a division rival on the road this season.
The Blue Jays have been playing better since April 19th. An eight-run first inning helped them salvage a series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and since then, they are 9-5. They haven’t been perfect by any means, but the arrow is trending upwards.
In the series finale against the Twins, the Blue Jays had a chance to reach a .500 record, but unfortunately, their late rally was snuffed. On this day exactly a year ago, the Blue Jays were 16-18, the same record that they have heading into Monday’s series opener. The only difference was that the American League East was more bunched up, as they were just three games behind the New York Yankees. Right now, they’re seven games behind the Yankees.
All that being said, the Blue Jays will be in tough as they look to win another series.

Examining the Ryas

Following the 2024 season, the Tampa Bay area suffered a major hurricane, which ripped the roofing panels off Tropicana Field, but more importantly, tragically took the lives of 45 people. Last season, the Rays played their entire season at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, home of the Yankees’ Single-A and Florida Complex League teams.
They had a respectable start to their 2025 season, but faltered when the summer came and ended with a 77-85 record. In the end, they finished 17 games behind the Blue Jays for the division lead and 10 games back of a wild card spot. Well, the repairs of the Trop have been made, and the Rays are up to their usual tricks. Heading into Monday’s game, they have a 21-12 record, a game and a half behind the Yankees for the AL East division lead.
Starting pitching has been the catalyst for the Rays. Over their 33 games, starting pitching has managed 166 innings with a 3.20 ERA and 3.70 FIP. That ERA is good enough for fourth-best in Major League Baseball, while their FIP sits seventh. The saving grace for the Jays is that the 166 innings are the ninth-fewest innings by a rotation in the big leagues (Jays have the fifth-fewest innings by their rotation.)
Getting to the Rays’ relievers is the best chance to win the series for the Blue Jays. Over 131.1 innings, the Rays’ bullpen has a 4.52 ERA and 4.82 FIP. That’s the 10th-worst ERA and fifth-worst FIP, as their bullpen has given up 20 home runs, fourth-most in MLB. On top of all that, the Rays’ bullpen has just a 20.4 K%, fifth-worst in the league, but sit middle of the pack in walk rate.
They have a few offensive threats, more on in the next section, but their offence sits in the middle-third in most categories. The only exception is their 29 home runs, which are the sixth-fewest, as well as their 23rd-best slugging percentage. Their 96 wRC+ sits tied for 18th with the Blue Jays, they’ve scored 147 runs, 17th in MLB, are batting .250, good enough for 11th.

One player to watch: Junior Caminero

There are three main offensive threats that the Blue Jays need to deal with in this series. The player I’ve picked is Junior Caminero.
This season, the third baseman is slashing .264/.350/.504 with a team-leading nine home urns in 143 plate appearances. His wRC+ of 133 ranks second on the team, and he’s rarely struck out this season, rocking a 17.5 K%.
Caminero has also been more patient this season, seeing his BB% rise from 6.3% in 2025 to 11.9% in 2026. That tends to happen when you hit 45 home runs in your first full MLB season like the 22-year-old did in 2025.
In his short career, the third baseman is slashing .300/.378/.513 with four home runs in 90 plate appearances against the Jays. The four home runs against the Jays are tied for the most against any team he’s faced, with four other teams, of course.
Realistically, their entire rotation could be something to watch out for, as well as their designated hitter and first baseman.

Quick Hits

  • The Rays offence is spearheaded by three players, Caminero, Yandy Díaz, and Jonathan Aranda. Díaz, who has also been a pain for the Jays to deal with, is slashing .333/.422/.504 with five home runs in 135 plate appearances this season for a team-leading 158 wRC+. Aranda, Alejandro Kirk‘s childhood friend, is slashing .252/.352/.462 with seven home runs in 142 plate appearances for a 123 wRC+.
  • If the Jays wish to beat the Rays, they have to find a way to get to their starters quickly. They’ll miss former Blue Jay Steven Matz, who has a 3.86 ERA this season, as well as Joe Boyle, who has a 5.17 ERA in three starts. Instead, they’ll face Nick Martinez on Monday, Drew Rasmussen on Tuesday, and Shane McClanahan on Wednesday.
  • Martinez has a 1.70 ERA in 37 innings pitched this season, but has just a 16.3 K%. Rasmussen, who has always given the Blue Jays problems, has a 2.64 ERA in 30.2 innings pitched this season, with a rotation-leading 26.2 K%. McClanahan, their ace, has a 3.10 ERA and a 2.87 FIP in 29 innings pitched this season. McClanahan has a 24.8 K%, but also a 10.7 BB%.
  • Starting for the Blue Jays in this series are Eric Lauer on Monday, Kevin Gausman on Tuesday, and Patrick Corbin on Wednesday’s getaway day. Lauer had a solid start last time out, Gausman had his worst start of the season in the series opener against the Twins, and Corbin is this season’s Eric Lauer.
  • In the weekend series against the Twins, George Springer was hit with a back-door slider to his already broken toe. He left that game on Saturday, had an off-day on Sunday, and isn’t in their lineup on Monday. Thankfully, he hasn’t been placed on the injured list.
  • Moving to the “quick hit fun facts” section, this is the first series at Tropicana Field since September 2024. The Jays lost all three low-scoring games en route to a 74-88 record. They’ve always struggled at the Trop, but hey, at least it isn’t as gloomy as it once was thanks to the forced renovations. It’s much brighter now.
  • In late May 2025, the Blue Jays were swept by the Rays in Tampa, dropping their record to 26-28. The series finale was on May 25th, and just three days later, the Jays were eight games behind the Yankees for the division lead. The Jays traveled to Arlington, took two of three from the Texas Rangers, then swept the Athletics.
  • Following the sweep at the hands of the Rays, the Jays went 13-3, then were swept again, this time by the Philadelphia Phillies. That was the final time they were swept in 2025, as they eventually overtook the Yankees for first in a four-game series at the end of June/start of July.

Probable pitchers

Monday: Eric Lauer/Nick Martinez
Tuesday: Kevin Gausman/Drew Ramussen
Wednesday: Patrick Corbin/Shane McClanahan

Game times

Monday: 6:40 PM ET
Tuesday: 6:40 PM ET
Wednesday: 1:10 PM ET
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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