Dodgers vs. Rays Series is ‘Must-Watch,’ Says MLB Insider

ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan named the Los Angeles Dodgers’ series against the Tampa Bay Rays as the most interesting series of June.

class="wp-block-paragraph">The Rays are one of the most exciting stories in the league at the moment, as they currently lead the NL East over the New York Yankees by a game and have the best record in the American League.

class="wp-block-paragraph">“Rays at Dodgers, June 15 to 17. With the NL looking like the clearly better league this season, the AL’s best team testing its wares against the two-time defending World Series champions makes for a delicious little middle-of-the-summer affair,” Passan wrote.

class="wp-block-paragraph">“…Tampa Bay might not finish the year with the best record in the league. They might not finish June with the best record in the AL East. But this will be a nice test that shows them they can hang with the Dodgers — or that they’ll need more should a rematch come in October.”

Aug 2, 2025; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) takes the plate against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn ImagesWho is Performing Well on the Rays?The Rays entered the season with an exciting team, largely centered around 2025 breakout third baseman Junior Caminero, who hit 45 homers and made his first All-Star appearance. He is having an even better year, with his OPS nearly .050 higher than it was at the end of last season, but their recent success has come from multiple sources.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Diaz, both of whom have All-Star appearances under their belt, both rank in the Top 30 in MLB in terms of wRC+, and have largely contributed to Tampa Bay’s offense. Diaz has the highest batting average in the AL at the moment, and he has managed to hit for power at the same time with 11 homers and a .534 slug.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Aranda is coming off of a blistering month of May, during which he hit four homers and drove in 18 runs while posting an OPS north of 1.000.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Nick Martinez has led the Rays’ starting rotation this season, and has a 1.62 ERA through 66.2 innings pitched so far this year. His 4.14 xERA and 3.26 FIP suggest he’s overperforming by quite a bit, but it’d be difficult to argue with his results so far.

How Did the Last Meeting Between the Dodgers and Rays Go?The Dodgers last encountered the Rays in Aug. 2025, and managed to take the series by winning the first and third games. They first took a 5-0 win, then lost 4-0 and closed the series with a 3-0 win.

class="wp-block-paragraph">This Rays team is clearly better than last year’s, though, and the Dodgers will have to stay on their guard if they want to take them down.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Are you looking forward to the Dodgers’ series against the Rays?