New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Luis Severino vs. Taj Bradley

The Yankees continue to get their spring training reps, and today they do so against the Rays, who’ve been a thorn in New York’s side for years. Spring training results don’t really mean anything, but it’d be nice to get in the habit of beating the Rays senseless. And then stay in that habit for the next twenty years or so.

Coming off a rough first start of the spring, though he showed flashes of how good he is, Luis Severino takes the ball for the Yankees. Sevy threw two innings and faced 10 batters in his spring debut, and it’s unlikely he’ll exceed that by much. Just continue building arm strength and stay healthy.

For the Rays, 21-year-old Taj Bradley gets the ball. The right-hander is the Rays’ top prospect according to MLB, who has him ranked 20th on its pre-2023 list of the top 100 prospects in the game. Bradley features a four-pitch mix, with his fastball as his best offering. MLB assigned his heater a 65 grade, meaning it is well above average.

If you’re looking to get an eye on some Yankees youngsters, today is the day to do it. Anthony Volpe, who’s having a heck of a spring, leads off and plays shortstop. Oswaldo Cabrera, who had a fantastic 2022 and figures to be a huge part of the club this season, bats second and plays right field. And Oswald Peraza, perhaps the presumptive front-runner to start the season at shortstop, hits fifth today and plays second base. One other note. Rafael Ortega, who had a fantastic game against the Pirates a couple days ago, bats ninth and is in left field today.

Let’s play ball. It may only be spring ball, but after a long, cold offseason, it’s good to have the Yankees back.

How to watch

Location: George M. Steinbrenner Field – Tampa, FL

First pitch: 1:05 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES

Radio broadcast: WDAE 620 AM/95.3 FM

Online stream: MLB.tv

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