The Tampa Bay Rays are officially one win away from returning to the World Series for the third time in franchise history.
Tampa Bay beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 in Game 5 of the 2026 American League Championship Series. Right-hander Drew Rasmussen tossed seven innings of one-run ball on Sunday, helping the Rays take a 3-2 series lead. And now, Cleveland is once again on the brink of elimination. But after coming back from a 2-0 deficit in the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, the Guardians have already shown they can fight back in the 2026 MLB playoffs.
Here are the potential starting pitchers for both teams in Game 6 of the 2026 ALCS.
Rays
The Rays are scheduled to start right-hander Freddy Peralta on Monday. The 30-year-old most notably tossed six shutout innings as Tampa Bay's Game 2 starter in the ALCS, allowing just four hits while striking out six. The two-time All-Star has a 0.79 ERA through three playoff appearances this fall.
After the Rays acquired Peralta at the trade deadline, the right-hander posted a 5.60 ERA in August. But counting his postseason outings, the former Milwaukee Brewers ace hasn't allowed more than one earned run in eight consecutive starts. If he continues that trend in Game 6, the Rays could punch their ticket to the World Series on Monday.
Guardians
The Guardians have not yet announced their starting pitcher for Game 6 of the 2026 ALCS. But Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said right-hander Gavin Williams won't start on Monday, according to MLB.com's Tim Stebbins. That news might surprise some fans since the Guardians are one loss away from the end of their season. At the same time, the 27-year-old would be starting on three days' rest after his Game 3 outing on Thursday.
Since Williams isn't starting on Monday, he should be Cleveland's expected Game 7 starter. But first, the Guardians have to get to Game 7. Cleveland will most likely go with a bullpen game in Game 6. Besides Williams and Game 5 starter Parker Messick, most of the Guardians' other hurlers should be available to pitch in this win-or-go-home game.
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