The 2026 American League Championship Series began Monday night with the Tampa Bay Rays hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Rays, who have never won a championship, are seeking their third World Series appearance and first since 2020. Cleveland, meanwhile, hasn’t won the AL pennant since 2016, and hasn’t won the World Series since 1948.
The AL East-ranked Rays had the best record in the American League this season, earning the top seed on this side of the bracket. Tampa sent the Yankees to three games in the ALDS.
The Rangers are the AL’s No. 2 seed (despite the fact that they have the league’s fourth-best record) and needed an ALDS comeback to move into the Championship Series. Cleveland fell behind 2-0 to the White Sox in the final round before winning three straight games to reach the best-of-seven ALCS.
So who do we think will advance to play either the Brewers or the Dodgers in the 2026 Fall Classic? Our ALCS reads below.
Guardians predictions for the Rays vs
Series odds (via DraftKings): Rays -165, Rangers +135
Axis: radii in 5°. The Rangers go in with a taxed pitching staff — closer Cade Smith has struggled the past few days — and a few too many hitters who didn’t do much in the ALDS. After the ball it’s a big time. Plus, I just think the Rays are the better team. Comparable rotation, better offense, better defense and offense. The bullpen is the only area I think Cleveland has a clear advantage, and those guys are running on fumes. The Rays just couldn’t grind into the White Sox’s bats.
Feldman: Rays in 5. I feel like a broken record at this point, but radios are better than most people give them credit for. The guards are significantly better than before, considering how decimated Cleveland’s pitching staff is after the ALDS. Part of that is just the nature of playing a full five-game series vs. The Rays had a quick and easy sweep against the Yankees. Some of that is why Stephen Vogt is taking all these games like Game 7 of the World Series. This has worked so far, but it also puts the guards at a complete disadvantage in the ALCS, which I don’t think they have any ability to overcome.
McWilliams: Rays in 5°. The Rays and Rangers play a similar brand of baseball. Discrimination? Tampa Bay does just about everything better. José Ramírez almost carried Cleveland to the ALCS, still cementing his place among the game’s elite. But it takes a superstar to hit the team. Cleveland is certainly starting to compete, but its offense remains lackluster. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay can beat you in just about every way imaginable. The Rays put the ball in play, run the bases, basically play baseball and have a far more dangerous lineup. The guards have learned the formula for taking games. It is assumed that the rays have been completed.
Perry: Rays in 6 The Rays are clearly the better team, as they were 13 games ahead of Cleveland in the regular season, despite playing a tougher schedule. Impotence guards have a potential “fatal vine” impotence in October, when it becomes increasingly difficult to hit home. In addition, they had a five-game ALDS streak against the White Sox pitching staff, meaning they were not positioned well for this series. Generally, however, the radii are just higher.
Snyder: Radius i 5 . Keepers here because of the incredible weakness of the American league, especially from there to the bracket. They should be commended for coming back from an 0-2 hole, but this offense is the weakest in baseball and will be stifled by the Rays’ superior pitching staff. Remember all those keeper hitters against the K-heavy White Sox? The Rays are the toughest team in baseball to beat. They are clearly the better team overall, and this will show pretty quickly.