The Rays are playing like a team that wants its October to arrive with as little drama as possible.
Tampa Bay has won six straight after sweeping both the Colorado Rockies and Seattle Mariners on its road trip, and now it heads into three games against the Athletics before coming home to Tropicana Field for seven more. That stretch includes four games against the Baltimore Orioles and three against the Toronto Blue Jays.
At 71-46, the Rays own the best record in the American League and sit 5.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees in the AL East. Even with some natural regression likely over the final weeks, Tampa Bay has put itself in a position that looks as safe as any contender in baseball.
That’s the backdrop for MLB’s newly released 2026 postseason schedule, and it gives Rays fans plenty to circle. The American League Wild Card Series begins on Sept. 29, with the National League Wild Card Series starting the same day.
If those matchups go the full three games, they’ll run through Oct. 1.
From there, the ALDS opens on Oct. 3 and continues through Oct. 10.
The NLDS also starts on Oct. 3, but that round runs through Oct. 9.
The Championship Series kicks off on Oct. 11, with the National League first in line; that series would stretch through Oct. 19 if needed. The ALCS follows on Oct. 12 and goes through Oct.
- The World Series begins on Oct. 23 and could last all the way to Oct.
For Tampa Bay, the ideal outcome is simple: finish the regular season on Sept. 27 against the Philadelphia Phillies and then sit out the rest of September because the division is wrapped up and a bye into the Divisional Series is secured.
The Rays have given themselves a real shot at that. They were the first AL team to reach 70 wins and have built a healthy cushion as the season grinds on. The Yankees are still lurking, and a 5.5-game lead is hardly untouchable, but this is still a position Tampa Bay has to feel good about.
The offense has been getting contributions from all over the roster, and the addition of Liam Hicks has lengthened the lineup. That has made the Rays a tougher matchup for opposing pitchers.
There are some concerns on the mound. Shane McClanahan and Griffin Jax are on the injured list, but Ian Seymour has been helping carry the load behind Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez, and Tampa Bay is also hoping for that same kind of impact from deadline pickup Freddy Peralta.
If the rotation hits a rough patch, Kevin Cash at least has a bullpen he can trust, with Bryan Baker anchoring the back end.
Everything about this team points toward a serious October run.
In Other News...
Rays Just Gave Fans A Real Reason To Dream Bigger
The Rays have spent plenty of the season looking like a team with staying power, and Bleacher Reports latest MLB power rankings backed that up by placing Tampa Bay at No. 4 overall and ahead of every other American League club. A seven-game winning streak has only sharpened the case, especially with the team continuing to bank wins at home and getting useful contributions from recent addition Liam Hicks.
Even so, the picture is not perfectly clean in Tampa Bay, because the rotation and bullpen depth still have to withstand the absence of Shane McClanahan and Griffin Jax. The Rays have given themselves a real platform to aim higher, but the next stretch will say plenty about how much of this surge is built to last. [Read more 🡒]
Shane McClanahan Just Took A Big Step Toward Returning To Rays Rotation
Shane McClanahans path back to the rotation is moving into a more meaningful phase, as the Rays left-hander is set to continue his comeback with Durham, Tampa Bays Triple-A affiliate. After already getting through two innings in a simulated game, McClanahan is now edging closer to game action again while working his way back from a back issue, a development that matters for a club that has spent much of the season protecting its lead in the AL East.
Tampa Bay has had to lean on a deeper pitching mix than it did earlier in the year, using both recent additions and internal options to keep the staff stable. Even with that cushion, McClanahan remains the kind of arm who can change the shape of the staff when he is ready, which is why this next step is being watched closely as the Rays manage both the standings and the final stages of his return. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Suddenly Face A Familiar Rotation Concern With Jax
The Rays found themselves dealing with another rotation interruption when Jax was scratched from a scheduled start after feeling unwell and landed on the injured list. The immediate concern is the elbow, but the early read from the club was relatively encouraging, with the issue not appearing to be ligament-related and the expectation that his absence will be brief.
Jax already received an injection to reduce the inflammation, and the plan is for him to resume throwing soon once the discomfort settles down. For a staff that has had to manage plenty of moving pieces, the key now is whether this proves to be only a short detour or the latest reminder of how quickly a rotation can be unsettled. [Read more 🡒]