Why Cody Bellinger Must Be Yankees' X-Factor vs. Drew Rasmussen in ALDS Game 1

The New York Yankees are off to the ALDS, where they will face the Tampa Bay Rays after dominating the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Series on Wednesday night. New York dropped the hammer on their long-standing rivals, winning 9-2 in Game 2 at Yankee Stadium after a 9-0 blowout victory in Game 1.

Veteran outfielder Cody Bellinger was one of the stars on Wednesday night, going 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI. His home run came at the perfect time for the Yankees. He crushed an 84 mph changeup from Boston Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock in the bottom of the sixth inning with two runners on and one out.

CODY BELLINGER THREE-RUN HOMER

IT'S 8-1 YANKEES! pic.twitter.com/gUQC8CJQb9
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2026

The Yankees’ 5-1 lead turned into an 8-1 lead, which was all they needed to walk away with the win. For Bellinger, it was the perfect way to cap off September. Before the regular season ended, the left-handed hitting outfielder slashed .287/.308/.494 with three doubles, five homers, and 14 RBI in 21 September contests.

He has carried that momentum into the postseason, recording at least one hit in the wild-card round, which is huge given that the Yankees are still without Aaron Judge.

Looking ahead to Game 1 of the ALDS against the Rays, starting Saturday, Bellinger will have to figure out Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen, who has given him trouble in his career. But if the veteran outfielder can have competitive at-bats, it could be the difference in how the series plays out.

Yankees need Cody Bellinger's best to overcome Drew Rasmussen obstacle

During the regular season, the Yankees haven’t had much success against Rasmussen, who has a 2-1 record and 2.86 ERA in four starts against the Bronx Bombers. Rasmussen has held New York’s offense in check, allowing one home run, while the Yankees post a .182 batting average and a .495 OPS.

As for Bellinger, he hasn’t had much career success against Rasmussen, hitting .235 (4-for-17) and a .551 OPS. He also has two walks and two strikeouts against the Rays starter.

Here's Bellinger's performance against Rasmussen this season:

9/22 vs. Rasmussen: 0 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout in three plate appearances
7/9 vs. Rasmussen: 1 for 2 with a single in two plate appearances
5/24 vs. Rasmussen: 1 for 3 with a single and a strikeout in three plate appearances
4/12 vs. Rasmussen: 0 for 2 in two plate appearances

Overall, the Rays have had Bellinger’s number this season (.213/.224/.298 with a double, a home run, 5 RBI, and a .522 OPS), which isn't what you want to hear going into Game 1. At the same time, hope is not lost for Bellinger.

According to Baseball Savant, Rasmussen has used his four-seamer and cutter the most against left-handed hitters this season. Left-handed hitters are slugging .223 with four home runs off the four-seamer. Meanwhile, they’re hitting .242 with four home runs off the cutter.

This season, Bellinger has slugged .285 with five home runs off fastballs against right-handed pitchers. But an overall look at how the Yankees All-Star outfielder has performed vs. the four-seam and cutter this season, no matter whether it's a left- or right-handed pitcher, shows a stark difference (h/t Baseball Savant).

Four seamer: .239 batting average, 17.4 Whiff%, 16.9 K%, and 38.3% hard-hit rate
Cutter: .415 batting averaged, 17.3 Whiff%, 6.7% K%, and 47.4% hard-hit rate

Therefore, if Rasmussen throws Bellinger a cutter in a favorable count, he must capitalize. That doesn’t mean a home run, but he must make solid contact, which he’s done this season.

After dismantling the Red Sox’s pitching in the Wild Card Series, Bellinger and Co. will not have it easy starting in Game 1. But how they go about their business, starting with Bellinger, could help them pull off the upset.

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