UP NEXT: THE ALDS, THE RAYS & THE BUBBLE!

It feels good to beat Cleveland, really good. It was a short dramatic series and I'm just glad it's over. Game One was an explosion of offense and game two had its own drama with Mother Nature meddling with the start of the game. MLB really messed the start of yesterday's game up. 

There's nothing like calling a rain delay when it ISN'T raining and then starting the game when it's pouring. Not sure who exactly messed that up but that's just bizarre. At least when the bad weather finally passed and the game got started it was entertaining. I was glad to finally get the win and move on but....you know what that means, right?

The RAYS are waiting for us. Yeah, those guys. The new pain in our butts that really made us look stupid during the regular season. The Rays also just made a sweep of the Blue Jays. Both of us are running on momentum....but I am willing to bet that they feel even better than we do right now.

Maybe it is weird that I am not upset about the Rays winning the AL East this season. Maybe if this weren't a shortened 60-game season it would hurt a little more. They can have the division title....I am more bothered that they beat us during the regular season series 8-2. The Rays have been beating us all season, so playing against them in the postseason is a scary thought. We already know what the Rays are capable of but....did you see them against the Blue Jays?

Here is what the Yankees should study up on:

1. The Rays outfield is dangerous in the field and in the box

During the offseason, the Rays traded for outfielders Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe and both guys did some damage against the Blue Jays. Margot hit a two-run home run in game one, and Renfroe hit a Grand Slam yesterday. They also have another outfielder on the bench named Randy Arozarena who also had four hits in eight at-bats and two of those were doubles.

2. The Rays have power arms in the pen

The Rays have a good closer and they have good arms to bridge to their closer. There's not one person that Kevin Cash will rely on, but many. The Rays have used 13 different pitchers this season to close out games. The 12 different pitchers they used during the regular season tied a major league record. The Rays know what to expect at the end of our games, but Kevin Cash could literally throw just about anyone at us.

3. Strong, steady starters are waiting

Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow both pitched good games. Snell held the Blue Jays to one hit and no runs and Glasnow struck out eight over six innings. They also have Charlie Morton who did not have to pitch, and is dealing with some recent shoulder inflammation. If Morton is in fact healthy and pitches effectively, the Yankees will have their hands full with three good pitchers. 

The Yankees will need Gerrit Cole and Masahiro Tanaka to be dominant and keep the Rays off balance. As good as their pitching will be, ours needs to be better and our bats need to the do their part. The Rays lost to Gerrit Cole last year in games 2 and 5 of the ALDS, we need that trend to continue. Cole is the key, and Tanaka's proven postseason record is crucial to our success.

The Yankees offensive showed up against Cleveland, but it can't go to sleep against the Rays. The difference between the Indians and the Rays is night and day...and the Yankees will need to rise to the occasion. They need to play better than the team that was 2-8 in the regular season series. 

The bubble is waiting for us in San Diego, and so are the Rays. This won't be easy....but it can be done. What do you think the Yankees need to do to beat the Rays? Comment and tell us.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

BREAKING DOWN THE AL EAST COMPETITION

The Yankees have re-established themselves as the Evil Empire this winter. The defending AL East division champs are reloaded and ready to go, but what about the rest of the division?

It's hard to compete with a splashy signing like Gerrit Cole, but this free agent class has been once of the most exciting in recent years. There were a lot of good names out there, so what did the rest of the division do? Spring Training is around the corner and judging by off-season moves so far, the Yankees look like they have a large gap between them and everyone else.

Even if the Yankees are finished making anymore moves, we should all feel confident in the team we have to start the season. So far, the Rays and the Blue Jays are the only teams that have tried to make moves and improve their roster. It's weird to say that because we have quite the history with the Red Sox....but they have been quiet.

The Rays were a thorn in the Yankees side last season and managed to win 96 games. I think the Rays will still be a team to watch and they have made significant moves this off-season including letting Travis D'Arnaud leave for free agency and trading Tommy Pham, a clubhouse veteran to the Padres for Hunter Renfroe and infield prospect Xavier Edwards....but was it an improvement? I don't know, it doesn't seem that way right now. I am skeptical about Renfroe because he can hit a lot of home runs but he also strikes out a lot. Last week they also traded a top pitching prospect to the Cardinals for left-hander Matthew Liberatore, and big bats Jose Martinez and Randy Arozarena. The extra offense look like a nice boost for now but it will be interesting to see if it pays off long term. The Rays will be a team to watch again and could win 90-plus games again if they have good seasons from top starters Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow.

The Blue Jays also had a busy winter and are another team to watch. They added more arms to their starting rotation including Hyun-Jin Ryu, and got Chase Anderson in a trade with the Brewers. They also signed Travis Shaw to replace Justin Smoak at first base. The Blue Jays new additions added to their exciting young group of Vlad Guerrero Jr, Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio will be a fun team to watch. They will be much improved compared to their 2019 season where they only won 67 games.

As for the Red Sox and Orioles....well, they haven't made any big moves. The Red Sox and Mookie Betts came to an agreement to avoid arbitration but other than that, nothing. They are caught in a scenario where they are rumored to want to cut payroll but John Henry backtracks and claims they will remain competitive HERE. Not sure how Henry expects to remain competitive when he isn't making any moves to keep up with the rest of the division....minus the Orioles.

And as for the 2020 Orioles they are still 2019 the Orioles. They lost 108 games last season and will probably have a similar season again. They haven't made any  additions and last season they traded away their best player and then the Orioles fired their scouts. This franchise is in an embarrassing free fall.

The Yankees have made the right moves this winter. There's a lot of distance between them and everyone else. Now the just have to stay healthy and play good baseball and the wins will come. Is there another AL East team that you will be watching closely this season? Comment and let us know.

In the meantime, let's see if any other moves are made. I can't wait for Spring Training....I'm having serious baseball withdrawals.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj