AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: GUARDIANS VS RAYS

October 14, 2026

Kevin Cash

Progressive Field

Tampa Bay Rays

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Can you walk us through the decision to start Jax in Game 3 and what do you like from him in that role?

KEVIN CASH: Yeah, what we like is what he's done as a starter for us all season long. A lot of confidence with him. It's really good stuff. He gets it in the zone. Gets himself in rhythm.

I think he's done a tremendous job of transitioning into that starter routine and just go do what he's done.

I know his last start was abbreviated because of the comeback line drive. But expect him to be full go. He had two innings and got us some big outs in the DS. So, he'll give us a good start. But excited for him.

Q. What makes him so effective, especially with the swing-and-miss stuff he's had?

KEVIN CASH: I mean, look, if you stand behind him when he's pitching, sometimes we have the screen, his pitches are darting every which way. He can run it in, away. He creates that effect a lot.

And the change-up is the pitch that I feel like has really stood out. And it's a power change where he throws it in the low 90s. He can throw any of those pitches at any count, the confidence to do it.

Q. You said Nick can handle whatever role you wanted. He's pitched in kind of that slot in the first round. How has that kind of played out so far, as far as your communications with him and you said he was in the bullpen, available?

KEVIN CASH: Yeah, they've all been pretty much available. Some of them kind of sit in the dugout, and if they get the nod to go down to the bullpen, I mean, they're sitting with spikes in.

Nick is going to play a big role. I think we'll see how we get through today. And then likely he's going to pitch Game 4.

Q. When you think of the job, all of the starters, that Seymour has done, especially just the availability -- in the DS he went after three innings, one day of rest, came back out there, pitched back to back.

KEVIN CASH: Look, for everything that we've talked about with Ras and Freddy and how they've contributed to our pitching in the postseason, I think Seymour is right there with them. I mean, he's pretty fearless in his approach and the way he goes out there. Really trusts his stuff. It's unique.

You talk to some of our hitters that have faced him in live BPs and Spring Training or stood in the box, it's not a very at-bat just because the deception that he creates within his delivery, the head jerk, and then the really good command and stuff that he's able to show within the at-bat.

We talk about Ras' change-up. I think Seymour, to gain the confidence to have a sweeper added to his arsenal this year has really helped him as well.

Q. His ability to bounce back, too, right, that's helped you?

KEVIN CASH: Yeah, they're all bouncing back probably a lot better than they would, say, in June. They know what's at stake. They're all ready to pitch.

But Ian Seymour, every time I ask him, he kind of looks at me like I've got two heads, knowing that he's ready to pitch.

Q. The industry has turned over hitting coaches a lot over the last couple of years. I think it's close to two-thirds of the league. What has allowed Chad to be so consistent and evolve with the game?

KEVIN CASH: Yeah, look, I feel the same way about that. I think today's hitting coaches might be the most challenging coach in baseball, given the amount of information that is out there, the lack of information sometimes and the incorrect information at times. And then you're also dealing with a lot of third-party hitting coaches right now.

Most players and most of our players go see somebody in the offseason. And it's a lot on a hitting coach to sit there and understand the verbiage and what's being said for four months in the offseason, knowing your hitter's coming back in there with a thought process that might be a little bit different than what he left the season with.

And Chad is really good at connecting with the guys. I think he has the ability to keep it really simple when it's needed, and he's got the ability to get really in-depth when it's needed.

Chad's personality, I look at him as being very much a glue guy on our staff and bringing the other staff together, able to be lighthearted when it's needed. But certainly putting the work in, doing everything to get the guys in the best possible situation going into the game.

Q. Specific to hitting, what are the benefits of maintaining some consistency and not having sort of changes constantly in terms of messaging and things of that nature?

KEVIN CASH: I wouldn't know because we've had so much consistency. I'd vote in the favor that we've had it.

Look, even Ozzie Timmons, there was some consistency with him. He was here, then he got the head job in Milwaukee. Happy that he was able to have that. But to bring him back in here, it gave me consistency and a ton of confidence and their message going to the players.

I know what's being said to them. I know how they're walking in the cage. I know how they're behaving when we hit a run of some tough pitching and not getting the results.

I just know the vibe that they bring on a daily basis. I can only imagine that there's huge benefit to the individual player or the group of hitters.

Q. The fact that tomorrow's game's already been moved up to 1:00 -- and I know, knock on wood, the weather on Friday looks kind of dicy too -- can you discuss the challenges of putting together your pitching plans where there's some, you know, potentially variability with the weather?

KEVIN CASH: I mean, there really hasn't been any change. I think MLB did the right thing. They've recognized that -- they felt likelier that we were going to get rain in the mid-to late afternoon tomorrow. So let's move the game up and try to bank as many dry innings as possible.

As far as when we got the news earlier this morning, nothing changed on our end. Coming off an off day probably helps a little bit. But that's it. I think Friday's a game now that we're going to keep an eye on.

Q. You went to Spring Training this year knowing that you have a closer. But this guy, Bryan Baker has been the man for you. Did you see something from him in Spring Training, or somebody helped you out, a pitching coach, to (indiscernible) that situation?

KEVIN CASH: Look, I think we went into Spring Training not necessarily saying we had a closer. I think we had four or five guys that we were confident that could pitch the ninth inning.

Now, injuries -- I think mostly injuries, from what I recall -- between Clev going down, Uceta going down, and then maybe Jax's struggles at the early season you know, Bryan Baker really took it and made the decision very easy for us. We do have the man in the back for us, very similar to what Cleveland has.

Our team, all the confidence in the world when he comes in the game.

I think the work that Baker has done, he's basically just made the most of the opportunities that he's been given. We thought we were getting a really good pitcher when we acquired him in 2025. And he pitched good for us last year, and then this year he's just taken it to an elite level.

Q. Wonder how much stock and value you put in good defense. You had two guys named Gold Glove finalists today, Taylor, who's been there before, and then Chandler. Can you speak maybe first to Taylor and then to Chandler?

KEVIN CASH: Yeah, Wallsy, I feel like we've known and we've been kind of pounding the table for many years on how special he is defensively. I'm proud of him and happy that he's getting the recognition because he deserves it.

Chandler, I think that is maybe one of the coolest stories of our season, where he was defensively last year, where he's come to this year.

I give Chandler all the credit, but if you're going to look at the help along the way, Corey Dickerson has been right by his side. And I see the conversations and the interactions they have on a daily basis.

And I think his teammates, too. Cedric Mullins, Jonny DeLuca, they work together. We did something really good this year; we've always seen how the infielders work on a daily basis prep work. And the outfielders can get left behind a little bit, maybe not as visible.

It's visible as all the season, and that's a credit to Corey for getting them out there and they're practicing at game speed, mirroring kind of what the infielders have done. But huge congrats to Chandler and a lore both.

Q. And to have two guys, can you also speaks to your --

KEVIN CASH: I'm biased. I think we should have more. I know we play a platoon at second base. But Ben and Richie, Jonny DeLuca and Cedric, I mean, there's a reason that we're so good at preventing runs, and it's a huge credit to everybody that plays out on the field for us.

Q. You were here for a couple of years with this organization. And I know you was the first one to get there to Tampa Bay. You were the reason that they bring Yandy Díaz and Caminero, and you were the one that told the organization, I see these guys, I think they can help us, they're doing a great job?

KEVIN CASH: No, that was not me at all. I promise. But if you want to write a story saying it was, that's fine. That's a huge credit to just our overall scouting department and our front office led by Erik.

To be able to have those guys sit in the middle of our lineup for so many seasons, certainly with Yandy, and I think we all know that Cami's going to be sitting in the middle of our lineup for a long time. They're special players, special talents.

I mean there's other guys, Cole Sulser was an Indian Guardian. Kevin Kelly, you know, that's a credit to our scouts for seeing the Rule 5, and that's not something that we've done very often, but they've all contributed in big ways.

Q. Just to want to ask about the top of Cleveland's lineup, and I guess in particular Chase DeLauter, unique challenges of facing him, the protection he seems to be giving Hosey, Steven Kwan's resurgence the second half of the year, what is the unique challenge about facing those top three?

KEVIN CASH: Unfortunately, I'm kind of learning about Chase on the fly here. He's really good. I couldn't have any more respect for José Ramírez when he comes up with guys on base, but you have to factor in the guy behind him and that's a very good hitter, call it being a good hitter or protecting José or whatever it is, that's a very tough 1-2 punch right there to navigate through with guys on base.

I think with DeLauter, big guy -- I played with Sean Casey, and I would have never said, watching Sean Casey hit, that there's going to be another guy that looks like him.

There's a lot of similarities in that swing, how his lower half works and how he's able to spit on or spoil really good pitches, kind of waiting out to get a pitch to hit. And when he's getting pitches to hit this series and really all season long, he's doing a lot of damage.