Raymond posing with a dog at the Rays Postseason Pop-Up event at Midtown Commons. Photo courtesy of Hannah Walls.
By Jeremy Fishman
A Postseason Pop-Up event brings fans together ahead of Game 1 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees.
TAMPA, Fla. — On Thursday, Oct. 1, the Tampa Bay Rays hosted a Postseason Pop-Up event in Midtown. Fans secured car flags, yard signs and other Rays merchandise while participating in giveaways. Mascots DJ Kitty and Raymond posed for photos and interacted with attendees.
Ahead of Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees, the Rays filled Tampa’s Midtown Commons with tents, tables, a DJ booth and a merchandise truck. Fans stopped by the tables, claimed free gear and celebrated their passion for the team. Outside the event, local businesses had their own tents set up where people could buy homemade goods, grab a bite to eat, or sample free snacks.
Throughout the evening, fans stopped at the Rays’ tables as music played from the DJ booth. Many attendees arrived in Rays jerseys, hats, and other team gear and left with even more merchandise. DJ Kitty and Raymond both drew crowds. Fans gathered around them to take photos, but the mascots did more than just pose for pictures. They danced around, and Raymond even jumped into a reporter’s shot.
Gretchen Cothron, a 2010 University of Tampa graduate, attended the event with her dog, both wearing Rays jerseys. Cothron said she grew up watching the team with her grandfather and plans to attend Saturday’s playoff game.
“I grew up watching the Rays with my grandfather, so it’s just exciting to see them in the playoffs,” said Cothron.
Kenneth Sears, who moved to Florida in 2007 and began attending Rays games with his parents, was also excited about the team’s postseason run.
“I’m stoked, bro,” said Sears. “Just got a good team. They’ve been consistent all year.”
Tom Hughes, another fan at the event, said he hopes the Rays can turn their first postseason appearance in several years into a World Series run.
“Just what they’ve been doing,” said Hughes when asked what the Rays need to do to advance. “Good pitching, good defense and some timely hits.”
Adding to some fans’ excitement is the fact that the Rays are playing the Yankees, an American League East rival. The Rays had early success against them in 2026, winning the first four games they played. Since then, the Yankees have gone 6-3 against the Rays. The Rays clinched the division and the best record in the AL while playing in New York during the last week of the regular season.
The Rays won the AL East for the first time since 2021 and finished the regular season 98-64, their best record since 2023. Despite finishing 4.5 games ahead of the Yankees in the standings, DraftKings favors the Yankees to win the series as of Oct. 2.
The Rays earned a bye for the Wild Card round while the Yankees swept the Boston Red Sox in two games, outscoring them 18-2. The Yankees’ offensive success came without power hitters Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge. Stanton was activated for the Wild Card round despite not having an MLB at-bat since April. Meanwhile, Judge remained on the injured list for the Wild Card, and the Yankees have yet to announce whether he will be on the ALDS roster.
Game 1 will feature two right-handed pitchers: Drew Rasmussen for the Rays and Gerrit Cole for the Yankees. In four starts against the Yankees this season, Rasmussen went 2-1 with a 2.86 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 22 innings. Cole posted similar numbers against the Rays, recording a 2.50 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 18 innings in three starts.
With the postseason celebration in Midtown complete, the Rays and their fans shift their focus to Game 1 of the ALDS against the Yankees on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 6:30 p.m.