Gov. Ron DeSantis is ready to root for the Tampa Bay Rays as they get ready to take on the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series (ALDS) in Game 1 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Saturday.
"We got a big baseball game this weekend. I'm sure it's going to be a sellout crowd... they played the Yankees very well this year. I'd love to be able to see that happen, and have a good playoff run here," DeSantis said at a press conference.Â
The Rays earned a first-round bye after finishing in first place in the American League (AL) East and having the best record in the AL with a 98-64 record during the regular season. The top two division-winning seeds, including the National League (NL), receive first-round byes in the playoffs.
The New York Yankees swept the Boston Red Sox two games to none in the AL League Wild Card Series to move on. New York finished with a 93-68 record in the AL East, 4.5 games behind the Rays, during the regular season.
Tampa Bay defeated the Yankees in seven of 12 meetings during the regular season. The Rays are powered by third baseman Junior Caminero, who led the team with 42 home runs and 101 RBIs. Designated hitter Yandy Diaz and first baseman Jonathan Aranda also chipped in with 22 home runs apiece, while left fielder Chandler Simpson led Tampa Bay with a .306 batting average and 46 stolen bases.
Starting pitchers Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez led the Rays with 16 and 15 wins each. Rasmussen will take the mound in Game 1 Saturday night.
New York will turn to Gerrit Cole in Game 1. Cole did not pitch in the Wild Card round.Â
In the NL, the Atlanta Braves moved on after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies two games to one in the Wild Card Series. Atlanta will face the Los Angelas Dodgers, who had a first-round bye, in the NL Division Series (NLDS).
Gov. DeSantis is hoping the Braves can defeat the Dodgers, drawing back to days of watching the team as a kid in the 1980s on Turner Broadcasting System (TBS). DeSantis grew up in Dunedin, but Florida didn't have a major league baseball team until 1993.
The Braves' spring training facility is also in North Port in Sarasota.
"I'd like to see the Braves be able to come out [of the NL]," DeSantis said. "It would be great to have for this region to have the Braves who spring train here, and then the Rays in the World Series."
But the Florida governor made everyone sure to know who he will be rooting for.
"If it came to that, though, I am going to be rooting for the Rays. So sorry," DeSantis said.Â
