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Today · 1:10 PM ETLineup pendingAL West / AL East

Athletics   vs   Tampa Bay Rays Preview

September 17, 2026

Starting pitchers, lineup status, recent form and weather at Tropicana Field.

1:10 PM ET · Tropicana FieldStats availableLineups not confirmed
T-Score26
Athletics
61–90 · 4th AL West · T-Score 26
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First pitch 1:10 PM ET
Tampa Bay Rays
91–59 · 1st AL East · T-Score 65
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T-Score65
First pitch 1:10 PM ET

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherRaysRasmussen owns the stronger overall starter profile, with the higher P-Score and better strikeout and baserunner rates.
Offense vs handAthleticsAthletics owns a .718 OPS vs RHP, 15th in MLB; Tampa ranks 24th vs LHP.
Team strengthRaysTampa leads 65–26 in T-Score.
WeatherLow impactWeather conditions are expected to have little effect on the normal scoring environment.

Starting pitchers

ATH
Jeffrey Springs LHP
Jeffrey Springs
Athletics
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
5.93
197th
WHIP
1.45
170th
K/9
7.00
160th
BB/9
3.60
141st
P-Score37i
FIP
6.07
HR/9
2.20
215th
OPS/R
0.828
IP
135.0
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA6.94
Road ERA4.76
Last 5 starts
TB
Drew Rasmussen RHP
Drew Rasmussen
Tampa Bay Rays
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
2.81
21st
WHIP
0.92
6th
K/9
8.98
66th
BB/9
1.52
2nd
P-Score74i
FIP
2.91
HR/9
0.79
33rd
OPS/R
0.500
IP
160.1
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA3.05
Road ERA2.57
Last 5 starts
How the starters differ
·Rasmussen owns the lower FIP, 2.91 to 6.07.
·Rasmussen allows fewer baserunners, with a 0.92 WHIP compared with 1.45.
·Rasmussen strikes out 2.0 more batters per nine innings.
·Rasmussen allows the lower home-run rate: 0.79 vs 2.20 per nine.
Advanced starter metricsERA−, FIP, WAR, career vs opponent
MetricSpringsRasmussenNote
ERA−13569Park- and league-adjusted; 100 is average.
FIP6.072.91
WAR-0.54.3Season value.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Springs arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam43%91.3
Changeup25%79.5
Slider23%84.2
Sweeper6%77.4
Cutter3%87.7
Rasmussen arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Cutter29%90.0
Four-seam28%95.9
Sinker23%95.3
Changeup13%89.7
Curveball4%80.1
Sweeper3%84.5

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

Athletics vs RHP (Drew Rasmussen)
15th
in MLB
0.718OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
Rays vs LHP (Jeffrey Springs)
24th
in MLB
0.683OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000

Lineups

Lineup pendingOrder from the stored snapshot; treat as unofficial until the card is filed.Full lineup page
Lineups not announced

Neither club has posted a batting order. Handedness composition, H-Score leaders and batter-vs-pitcher samples appear here as soon as the first order is filed — typically two to three hours before first pitch.

Team comparison

ResultsATHATH·TBTB
+1130th
Run differential
+25810th
61–90 Record91–59
Last 10 games
Athletics (0–0)
Tampa Bay Rays (0–0)
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
0—0
0 Games Played

Frequently asked

Who is starting for the Athletics?+
Jeffrey Springs is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Rays?+
Drew Rasmussen is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
1:10 PM ET at Tropicana Field.
Where is the game being played?+
Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Are the lineups confirmed?+
Not yet. Orders appear here when they are posted.
How do the starters compare on P-Score?+
Jeffrey Springs is at 37; Drew Rasmussen is at 74. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.