When Rays fans were asked which AL East opponent they least wanted to see in the playoffs, the answer came back loud and clear: the Yankees.
In this week’s Rays Reacts poll, 54 percent of respondents said New York is the team they want to avoid most in October among the division’s options. That lines up with a very familiar mix of respect, rivalry fatigue, and caution.
There is at least some counterweight in the numbers this season. Tampa Bay is ahead of New York in the season series, 6-3, and every one of those wins came in the first half.
That includes an early sweep at the Trop. Still, the Yankees carry the kind of baggage that doesn’t disappear just because the regular-season record looks favorable.
They remain a team with explosive offense, deep pitching, and the sort of October history that has made life miserable for Rays fans before.
The other AL East teams don’t inspire the same reaction. The Rays have handled the Blue Jays well, going 9-4 against Toronto. Boston has been a much tighter fight, with the season series tied 5-5, but that matchup doesn’t seem to stir the same level of unease as the Yankees do.
The standings help explain why this conversation matters. Tampa Bay sits first in the AL East at 87-59, with New York three games behind at 84-62. Boston is hanging around the wild-card picture at 80-67, while Toronto is 73-74 and one game out of the playoffs.
Of course, October still has a way of rearranging everything. Seeding, wild-card results, and the randomness of postseason baseball will determine the bracket. But if the Rays do hold onto the division and land in a favorable spot, the fan base has already made its preference known.
That said, the schedule still has one more twist. The Rays have a late September series in the Bronx, so this whole discussion may get another test before the postseason even arrives.
In Other News...
Rays Just Strengthened Their AL East Grip In A Big Way
The Rays keep stacking up the kind of wins that make September feel a little more comfortable, and the latest came in a sweep of the Astros that helped them hold onto the top spot in the AL East. The offense did its part with contributions from Jonathan Aranda, Richie Palacios and Nick Fortes, giving Tampa Bay another one of those balanced nights that has become a calling card during this push.
Freddy Peralta set the tone by taking a no-hit bid deep into the game, and the pitching transition from there only underscored how much the Rays have leaned on depth all year. Victor Mesa Jr. also turned in a strong night at the plate, and with the division race still tight, Tampa Bay is suddenly in the kind of position where every sharp inning and every timely swing carries a little more weight. [Read more 🡒]
Chandler Simpson Is Giving The Rays A Rare Late-Season Story
Chandler Simpson keeps supplying the Rays with one of the few late-season bright spots worth circling, and his latest milestone came in familiar surroundings. During a game against the Braves at Truist Park, the speedster swiped his 40th base of the year, extending a remarkable stretch that has turned him into one of baseballs most consistent threats on the bases.
The accomplishment also underscored just how unusual Simpsons start to his big-league career has been. He has now put together back-to-back seasons with 40 or more stolen bases, and he talked about what it meant to do it in Atlanta in front of friends and family. For a Rays club looking for energy and identity down the stretch, Simpsons game has become a reminder that even in a long season, there can still be something fresh to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Just Reached A Milestone Fans Will Love After Sweeping Houston
The Rays kept rolling at Tropicana Field with a 14-4 rout of the Astros, piling up 15 hits in a performance that looked every bit like a team hitting its stride in September. Jonathan Aranda drove the offense with two home runs, and Freddy Peralta set the tone on the mound with five scoreless innings as Tampa Bay moved to 90-59 and kept building momentum in the final stretch.
The bigger takeaway for the Rays is what came with the sweep. It was their 15th of the season, a new franchise mark, and another sign of how consistently this club has been able to close out series when it gets on a run. For a team that has spent much of the year looking like a threat in every phase, this latest milestone only adds to the sense that Tampa Bay is piling up reasons for optimism at exactly the right time. [Read more 🡒]