2026 MLB Spring Training Tampa Bay vs Minnesota Preview - Checking Rosters for a New Season Bounce Back, February 25

The 2026 MLB Spring Training Grapefruit League is in full swing.

Tomorrow at 1:05 PM ET on February 24, the Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins will face off in a Spring Training game at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida.

Both teams endured disappointing 2025 seasons that fell short of expectations, and now they look to assess their rosters ahead of the new season.

Tampa Bay conducted an aggressive offseason overhaul on the strength of Junior Caminero's breakout campaign, while Minnesota must find a new path forward after the shocking news of ace Pablo López's season-ending injury.

Although it's early in Spring Training, this game promises to offer a meaningful glimpse into both teams' blueprints for the 2026 season.

Game Overview

Category	Details
Event	2026 MLB Spring Training (Grapefruit League)
Date & Time	February 25, 2026 (Wed) 03:05 KST / February 24, 1:05 PM ET
Venue	Charlotte Sports Park (Port Charlotte, Florida)
Home Team	Tampa Bay Rays
Away Team	Minnesota Twins

This game will be held at Charlotte Sports Park, the Tampa Bay Rays' Spring Training home facility.

Charlotte Sports Park has undergone a major renovation, transforming into a state-of-the-art venue with 5,000 fixed seats and a 360-degree baseball boardwalk.

As it's early in Spring Training, regular starters may see limited innings, but it's a great opportunity to gauge the atmosphere of both teams heading into the new season.

2025 Season Review & Offseason Recap

The Tampa Bay Rays finished the 2025 season at 77-85, placing fourth in the American League East.

While the team as a whole underperformed expectations, several individual players shone brightly.

Junior Caminero delivered an explosive breakout season, hitting .264 with 45 home runs and 110 RBIs to earn an All-Star selection, while Yandy Díaz maintained consistent production with a .300 batting average.

The team led all of MLB in stolen bases with 194, showcasing their commitment to aggressive baserunning.

The Rays were active this offseason.

They traded Brandon Lowe to Pittsburgh, acquiring prospect Jacob Melton in return, and sent Josh Lowe to the Los Angeles Angels in a three-team deal that brought in Gavin Lux and Chris Clarke.

On the free agent market, they signed Nick Martinez ($13 million, the highest annual salary in franchise history), Cedric Mullins, Jake Fraley, and Steven Matz to bolster the roster.

On the pitching side, building a rotation around Ryan Pepiot, Drew Rasmussen, and Shane McClanahan (if healthy) remains the key priority.

The Minnesota Twins finished the 2025 season at 70-92, placing fourth in the American League Central.

As the struggles continued into midseason, the front office launched a massive fire sale.

They sent Carlos Correa back to Houston and shed a total of 11 players from the 40-man roster, including Willi Castro, Jhoan Durán, and Griffin Jax.

Despite the turmoil, Byron Buxton stood out with a stellar line of .264 average, 35 home runs, 83 RBIs, and an .878 OPS.

He became just the second player in franchise history to record 30 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a single season.

This offseason, the Twins signed Josh Bell, Víctor Caratini, and Taylor Rogers, but the moves were modest rather than major investments.

The most shocking news was the decision for ace Pablo López to undergo Tommy John surgery.

López reported elbow discomfort during the first full-squad workout of Spring Training, and an MRI revealed ligament damage, ruling him out for the entire 2026 season.

As a result, Joe Ryan will take the ball on Opening Day and anchor the rotation.

Head-to-Head Record

Category	Tampa Bay	Minnesota
Same League	American League (East vs Central)
2025 Head-to-Head Results	Tampa Bay 7-2 Win (5/26)	Minnesota 6-5 Win (7/5)
2025 Final Series	Yankees 7-5 (Extra Innings, 7/6) series continued

Both teams are in the American League but play in different divisions—East and Central—limiting their regular season matchups.

In the 2025 season, they played a series where Tampa Bay cruised to a 7-2 victory on May 26, while Minnesota pulled off a thrilling 6-5 win on July 5 thanks to Brooks Lee's walk-off bunt single.

As fellow American League teams, this Spring Training meeting also serves as a preliminary check ahead of their regular season encounters in the new year.

Projected Lineups

Since it's early in Spring Training, the lineups may differ from the regular season Opening Day lineups.

Below are the projected starting lineups for both teams in the 2026 season.

Order	Tampa Bay Rays	Minnesota Twins
1	Cedric Mullins (CF)	Austin Martin (LF)
2	Yandy Díaz (DH)	Byron Buxton (CF)
3	Junior Caminero (3B)	Matt Wallner (RF)
4	Jonathan Aranda (1B)	Josh Bell (DH)
5	Gavin Lux (2B)	Ryan Jeffers (C)
6	Jake Fraley (LF)	Brooks Lee (SS)
7	Taylor Walls (SS)	Edouard Julien (2B)
8	Jacob Melton (RF)	Royce Lewis (3B)
9	Ben Rivas (C)	Víctor Caratini (C)

Tampa Bay's lineup will feature offseason additions Cedric Mullins, Gavin Lux, and Jake Fraley joining core players Caminero, Díaz, and Aranda.

One of the biggest storylines of Spring Training is how trade acquisition Jacob Melton adjusts in live game action.

If Melton demonstrates he can contribute at the major league level right away, it could significantly impact the Rays' roster construction.

For Minnesota, Brooks Lee takes over as the everyday shortstop following the Carlos Correa trade.

While his 2025 numbers (.236 average, .654 OPS) were underwhelming, he is expected to grow with consistent playing time in the new season.

As it's early in Spring Training, regular starters may see limited innings, with more opportunities going to players competing for roster spots.

Starting Pitcher Matchup

Given that it's an early Spring Training game, both teams are more likely to use rotation candidates and bullpen hopefuls rather than their top starters.

Slot	Tampa Bay Projected Rotation	Minnesota Projected Rotation
No. 1	Ryan Pepiot	Joe Ryan
No. 2	Drew Rasmussen	Bailey Ober
No. 3	Nick Martinez	Taji Bradley
No. 4	Steven Matz	Simeon Woods Richardson
No. 5	Joe Boyle	In competition (Matthews/Abel, etc.)

Tampa Bay will build its rotation around Ryan Pepiot, who logged 167 innings in the 2025 season, adding veteran lefties Nick Martinez and Steven Matz to improve rotation depth and stability.

If Shane McClanahan makes a healthy return, the rotation's depth becomes even more formidable.

Minnesota's rotation took a massive hit with Pablo López's season-ending injury.

Joe Ryan will take the Opening Day start, but he was scratched from one Spring Training appearance due to back soreness.

Fortunately, MRI results showed it was a "best-case scenario" level of inflammation, suggesting no major concern, but the health management of the Twins' pitching staff will be a critical factor in determining the success of their season.

Key Players

Junior Caminero was the standout performer for Tampa Bay in the 2025 season.

After a slow start with a .662 OPS early on, he completely transformed from May 23 onward, posting a .278 average and .920 OPS over the rest of the season.

His average bat speed of 78.3 mph ranked third in all of Major League Baseball, and his 19.1% strikeout rate proved he is a rare hitter who combines both power and contact ability.

At just 22 years old, his upside is virtually limitless, making him Tampa Bay's franchise star for years to come.

Byron Buxton was the lone bright spot for Minnesota amid a collapsing season.

He posted a 136 wRC+ over 542 plate appearances for an All-Star caliber season, and on July 12, he hit for the cycle—a first in Target Field history.

Following Kirby Puckett and Torii Hunter, he became just the third player in franchise history to reach 100 career home runs and 100 career stolen bases.

If he stays healthy, Buxton will undoubtedly remain the centerpiece of Minnesota's lineup in the 2026 season.

Jacob Melton is one of the most closely watched prospects this Spring Training.

He was the key asset Tampa Bay acquired in the trade that sent Brandon Lowe to Pittsburgh, and he is aiming to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster.

If Melton demonstrates major league-level ability during Spring Training, he could become a pivotal factor in shaping Tampa Bay's 2026 roster construction.

Key Storylines

What to Watch

Here are the key points fans should pay attention to in this game.

First, the initial impressions of Tampa Bay's offseason acquisitions. It will be interesting to see how Gavin Lux performs at second base in his new environment and what Cedric Mullins brings in center field defense and at the plate.

Second, Junior Caminero's Spring Training condition. After his 45-homer breakout season, his early showing will be crucial in determining whether he can take his game to an even higher level this year.

Third, Byron Buxton's health status. Given his injury history, his movement and conditioning in early Spring Training will be key in gauging whether he can start the season healthy once again.

Fourth, the pitching performances of rotation candidates from both teams. This is an opportunity to evaluate the stuff of Tampa Bay's Joe Boyle and Minnesota's fifth starter candidates Zebby Matthews and Mick Abel in live game situations.

Prediction

Given the nature of Spring Training games, individual player conditioning and team strategy evaluation matter more than the final score.

That said, comparing both teams' season outlooks, Tampa Bay appears to be on an upward trajectory after an aggressive offseason centered around franchise-caliber hitter Junior Caminero.

For Minnesota, Pablo López's absence casts a long shadow over the entire season, but depending on Byron Buxton's continued excellence and whether Joe Ryan can step up as a true ace, there is still room for a turnaround.

Both teams are aiming to rebound from their disappointing 2025 campaigns and compete for a postseason berth in 2026.

Tune in tomorrow to catch the first steps of both teams' journeys toward the new season.