AL DIVISION SERIES: YANKEES VS RAYS

October 3, 2026

Kevin Cash

Tropicana Field

Tampa Bay Rays

Pregame 1 Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Kevin. If you have a question.

Q. What has impressed you the most about Chandler Simpson?

KEVIN CASH: I think the most impressive thing was his improvement on defense from spring training on throughout the course of the season, where he came from from the year before, and then offensively, there was a stretch there, I can't remember the exact date, but it feels like to me May or June that the league started to make an adjustment on him and it was kind of his turn to show am I going to be able to withstand this? They're pitching me a little bit differently. They're defending me a little bit differently. He definitely withstood it and came out better for it.

Q. Do you think the league appreciates the fact that you guys are playing small ball now?

KEVIN CASH: Yeah. I mean, I think that they understand that that's part of the -- our DNA as an offense, that when opportunities are presented, we have that option to go to. I don't think we do it all the time. Like I referenced yesterday, I don't know the exact numbers, but I felt like we hit the ball out of the ballpark pretty successfully in the last couple months of the season.

So we definitely have that, but we have guys that, with their speed, their contactability, and how well they have performed at being -- at bunting this year, we've manufactured a lot of runs that way.

Q. (No microphone)?

KEVIN CASH: It's Yandy, Aranda, Cammy, Hicks, Chandler, Mesa, DeLuca in center, Palacios at second, Walls at short.

Q. DeLuca getting more opportunity, was that part of the thought today?

KEVIN CASH: Yeah, and I think there's a couple things. Johnny has played well as of late. He finished the season on the highest possible note with clipping two homers there in Philadelphia. But felt like he swung the bat pretty well. Having a guy like Cedric Mullins and his skill set on the bench can be a benefit to us. It's speed, it's some contact in there. It's great defense. He can get a bunt down. He can do a lot of things, and we'll continue to take it day by day, game by game, with both of them.

Q. Talking about a injury here, what was your reaction that Judge wasn't on the roster?

KEVIN CASH: My reaction? Look, there was a lot of conversation about it. I totally respect Aaron Judge and what he means to that team. But I also respect that Major League Baseball needs to see its best players playing in a stage like this.

So certain disappointment like that. But knowing that he's not lurking on the bench or coming around hitting second or third is probably a benefit.

Q. Kevin, this is a lineup without a ton of postseason experience outside of Yandy. Is that a point of emphasis in these conversations leading up to it, or do you trust what they've done to this point?

KEVIN CASH: You trust what they've done. They've given us every reason to trust them throughout the course of the season. I know they're amped. They're talking about it right now. I think the message from the staff and from our veteran players is continue being the person you've been all season long, and you're going to give us opportunities to win games.

Q. Kevin, on the same line what Bill asked about Chandler, what has impressed you most about Victor Mesa, Jr., especially in the last month, month and a half, in what he was able to do on both sides of the ball?

KEVIN CASH: He has come on from the second half and lengthened out our lineup about as well as we could ask. We acquired Hicks, and even before that Mesa was a big part of us. But he came up. There were some injury concerns. Was he able to stay on the field? He made some adjustments with his swing, getting on top of the ball, pulling the baseball a little bit more.

He's as good a defensive outfielder as I've ever seen over the last three months, and that's pretty high praise, given watching Kevin Kiermaier run this building for six, seven, eight years, whatever it was.

Q. So hard to believe this is the first postseason match-up between these two teams here at the Trop. How big of a factor do you think it's going to be playing this now for the first time here in front of these fans?

KEVIN CASH: I hope it's a big one in our favor. I know it sounds like all the buildup and the hype coming in and the amount of tickets sold, excited to see our fans out there. I talked about it yesterday, I don't think I've personally ever seen a packed house. I'm being told it is. Hopefully our fans can embrace that and our players, more importantly, can embrace them and create more momentum from it.

Q. Kevin, I know last time you guys made the playoffs, Junior was on the bench in 2023.

KEVIN CASH: That was stupid.

Q. Do you think that's going to be beneficial for him?

KEVIN CASH: Do I think -- sorry, do I think it's going to be beneficial for him to be in the lineup?

Q. No, sorry.

KEVIN CASH: Go ahead.

Q. Do you think the experience he gained in '23 could help him this year even though he only got two at-bats?

KEVIN CASH: Yeah, I don't think Junior even really pays much attention to what he was doing then. He's done so many great things in the early parts of his career to finish with 90 homers or whatever he's done over two seasons.

On the biggest stage outside of the MLB postseason to do it in the Caribbean Classic, to do it in the WBC, I think Junior's ready just to add to his success in big moments.

Q. Junior, Yandy, and Aranda, so much of your lineup will be built around those three coming into the season. What stands out most about what they were able to do being as consistent as they were?

KEVIN CASH: Eric came out early on in the season, even in Spring Training, and talked about them. That could go one of two ways. We could put added pressure on them or just bluntly say this is what we think of these three guys. To their credit, they backed it up over the course of the season.

There were ups and downs where one of them went quiet, two picked up the other. It's an impressive threesome they have put together. Their stats back it up. The quality at-bats back it up. The way bullpens and managers have to match up later innings against them with the versatility within their at-bats, I mean, Junior had some stretches where the home run wasn't coming, but the hitability never changed. He was still picking up, getting hits, and I think you can say that about all of them.

Q. It was a couple months into the season when you decided you were going to go with them one, two, three. What led to that?

KEVIN CASH: Chad Mottola was pounding the table like I think this is our best chance to win games. Keeping them clumped up, knowing that they're going to get the most at-bats every single night. I think it makes a ton of sense. I do think there are some match-ups where we run into some bullpen days and some big split righties facing us to start games that you can sandwich another lefty there with Aranda.

But for the time being, that's what we're going to roll with.

Q. Regarding the guy you're facing tomorrow, what jumps out at you the most when you look at Schlittler and the season he had this year?

KEVIN CASH: I mean, yeah, I think him and Ras have put themselves in such an elite category. There are some other pitchers. But from afar, you appreciate Cam Schlittler's overall body of work. It's just amazing stuff. The way he kind of adjusted on the fly against the Red Sox and started breaking out the breaking ball, the curveball more frequently than we had seen in the past. That's a credit to just the versatility he has as a pitcher, the way he's 6'6", 6'7", and controls the running game that he does.

I mean, there's a lot of things he does, minus the strike throwing and the pitch execution, that make him an elite pitcher.

Q. I assume you always want to drive up pitch counts when it comes to facing a starting pitcher. The Yankees going with 11 pitchers, how important is it for you to get to Cole early, Schlittler on Monday, so on and so forth?

KEVIN CASH: I think driving up pitch counts, you put it on the back burner in the postseason. You're doing everything you can to score runs in any fashion you can. If the guys want to go up and take a whack at the first pitch, we're going to support it because we know how talented the Yankees pitching staff is when they get in rhythm and find rhythm on the mound. They can be very challenging to put together big innings.

If they see pitches to hit, we're going to support them going after them.

Q. When you guys finally set the bullpen last night, having Cleavinger and Wells back, how reassuring was that and how did you fill the rest of it in?

KEVIN CASH: I felt like seeing both of those guys pitch in our scrimmages Tuesday and Thursday, their strike throwing was very consistent when they're at their best. The velocities were very in line and they both thumbs-up, like good health. So that made that decision that more comforting.

Certainly, on the flip side, Casey Legumina not being on the roster is a guy that massively contributed to the bullpen efforts this year. Those are tough conversations, but we're going to keep those guys that were right on the bubble very much ready and in play if needed.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

KEVIN CASH: Thank you, guys.