The American League East’s two best teams will meet in the best-of-five AL Division Series, starting with Game 1 Saturday between the Yankees and Rays at 6:30 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field.

Let’s take a look at how the pitching rotations might line up:

Yankees
Pitching has been one of the Yankees’ strengths all year, and that carried over into their AL Wild Card Series showdown against the Red Sox. As Cam Schlittler put it after the Game 2 clincher, “If we keep pitching the way we're pitching, we can be able to dominate the World Series.” They’ll look to continue that against a Rays team known for mounting persistent attacks, putting the ball in play and testing defenses.

Game 1
TBA, possibly , RHP
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Cole is “lined up for” the Game 1 start, given that he would have started Thursday had the Red Sox forced a Game 3. Cole was 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA in three starts against Tampa Bay this year, but he struggled with home runs in September.

Game 2
, RHP
The likely AL Cy Young Award winner, Schlittler finished the regular season with a 1.95 ERA and carried that dominance into the postseason, silencing the Red Sox in Game 1. Schlittler last faced the Rays on Sept. 24, an abbreviated three-inning playoff tuneup.

Game 3
TBA, possibly , LHP
There is a solid case to be made for flipping Rodón and Cole in the rotation, given Rodón’s stronger finish to the season, including eight scoreless innings vs. Tampa Bay on Sept. 22. Rodón had been preparing for Game 1 if the AL Wild Card Series went the distance.

Rays
Despite having a first-round bye and plenty of time to get things in order, the Rays have not yet set their rotation beyond Drew Rasmussen in Game 1. All five pitchers in Tampa Bay’s rotation finished the season strong, and all figure to play a significant role in this short series, even if only three are likely to start. Expect manager Kevin Cash to get creative with how he deploys the quintet of Rasmussen, Freddy Peralta, Nick Martinez, Griffin Jax and Ian Seymour, and that could mean using them aggressively if they have a chance to claim an early lead in the series.

Game 1
, RHP
There’s a reason the Rays were quick to confirm Rasmussen’s starting assignment, even as they continue to deliberate the rest of their rotation. Rasmussen is not just one of the most underrated starting pitchers in the game; he’s one of the best. The right-hander went out and proved it again this year, going 16-5 with the AL’s fourth-best ERA (2.67) and the league’s best WHIP (0.91) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.44). He has also been excellent against the Yankees throughout his career, with a 5-2 record, 1.81 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in 11 games (10 starts) to back it up.

Game 2
TBA, possibly RHP or RHP
Again, the Rays haven’t set -- or even hinted at -- their full rotation yet. Could one of these two pitch out of the bullpen in Game 1? Could they start Game 2 at Tropicana Field? Could they pitch at Yankee Stadium? Could one of them be held in reserve for a long game or an early injury? It’s all on the table at this point. But both are logical options for two reasons: They finished the year as strong as ever, and they’ve pitched well at home. Peralta was the AL Pitcher of the Month for September, went 5-0 with an 0.79 ERA over his last six starts overall and put together a 1.69 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in four home starts for Tampa Bay. Jax, the converted reliever, allowed just one run on nine hits and three walks in 18 innings over his final four starts, and he had much better strikeout numbers at home (77 in 60 innings) than on the road (39 in 52 1/3 innings).

Game 3
TBA, possibly Peralta or RHP
This is still pure speculation for now, but there’s an argument for both veterans to take the ball for the Rays’ first postseason game on the road. Peralta’s strong finish and ability to induce swings and misses work in his favor, especially in hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium, and it’s worth noting that the Yankees have not faced him since he joined Tampa Bay and got back to his “Fastball Freddy” form. (They saw him as a Met on May 17, and he allowed three runs in five innings despite walking six.) Martinez, on the other hand, is the calming, confident presence the Rays can count on in the always pivotal Game 3. Tampa Bay went 22-9 behind the All-Star right-hander this season, and he was better this season on the road (2.38 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) than at home (3.90 ERA, 1.20 WHIP).