The Tampa Bay Rays entered the 2026 season with a lot more skepticism than buzz, and that made what happened next stand out even more. After back-to-back fourth-place finishes in the American League East, the club looked like it was reworking things on the fly. Brandon Lowe went to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-team deal that also involved the Houston Astros, while Shane Baz was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles.
Those moves opened holes, but Tampa Bay filled them in a way that didn’t draw nearly as much attention as the heavy hitters around the division. The Rays brought in Gavin Lux and Ben Williamson in separate trades, added Cedric Mullins, Nick Martinez and Steven Matz in free agency, and picked up Victor Mesa Jr. in a quieter trade with the Miami Marlins. On paper, none of it seemed to compare with what the Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays were doing.
On the field, though, Tampa Bay outlasted them all. The Rays won the AL East for the fifth time in franchise history.
“Four teams got all the attention in this division, and they're four really good teams, right?” president of baseball operations Erik Neander said, via Adam Berry of MLB.com.
“Just a testament to these guys and just an unbelievable year, and they deserve this. They deserve to enjoy this.”
The Rays had to keep adjusting throughout the year, and the early setbacks never really stopped. Ryan Pepiot, who made 31 starts last season, was lost to a hip issue on Day 1. Injuries and losing streaks showed up along the way, but Tampa Bay kept pushing through.
“I don't think anything was handed to us all year. Obviously, I think a lot of guys expected [the Yankees] to run away with it, and [it] probably to be New York, Boston and Toronto at the top,” Nick Martinez said. “No one really expected us to be here, so we've had to fight for it from the beginning of the season.”
The offseason additions that drew the least fanfare ended up mattering the most. Martinez has been a stabilizing force at the front of the rotation next to Drew Rasmussen, putting together a 2.94 ERA over 30 starts and 177.1 innings, along with a 4.2 bWAR.
Mesa has also stepped into a bigger role after Jake Fraley’s injury and given Tampa Bay more pop. His 127 OPS+ is second on the team behind Junior Caminero’s 145, and his 14 home runs are tied for fourth on the club.
Bryan Baker, acquired last season from the Orioles, took some time to settle in, but he’s become a major weapon in the back end of games. He leads MLB with 40 saves and has emerged as arguably the best closer in baseball.
That’s been the Rays’ story again: a roster full of names casual fans may not know, all pulling in the same direction. Tampa Bay has built a formula that keeps working, and the 2026 season is the latest proof that the club can think differently, fit the pieces together and still come out on top.
In Other News...
Rays' Post-Clinch Reset Brought More Concern Than Just A Yankees Loss
The Rays first game after clinching the AL East carried a different kind of attention, with Mason Englert getting the start and the club using the moment to sort through some roster housekeeping. Englert, however, could not give Tampa Bay the clean reset it hoped for. The Yankees tagged him for four home runs in a 9-2 loss, while the Rays managed only two runs, including Cedric Mullins homer.
Beyond the score, the pitching shuffle mattered too. To get Englert onto the roster, the Rays optioned reliever Alex Cook, and they are expected to activate Manny Rodriguez from the injured list. For a team that had already secured the division, the night was supposed to be more about lining up pieces for what comes next, but it ended with a reminder that the margin for error can still matter even in October prep mode. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Can Afford This Loss For One Very Important Reason
A rough night on the mound was easier for the Rays to absorb because the bigger picture is already settled. Tampa Bay has locked up home-field advantage in the playoffs along with a first-round bye, and that changed the way the club approached the game, with key players getting rest as the organization kept an eye on roster health heading into October.
Mason Englert got the start and ran into trouble early, allowing eight earned runs before the bullpen took over and finished things out. The Yankees, meanwhile, leaned on Gerrit Cole at the front end and then kept reaching into their relief corps, a reminder that the two clubs were using the night for very different purposes even if the final result went against Tampa Bay. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Add A New Pitching Option As October Plans Take Shape
As the Rays continue sorting out their pitching picture with October approaching, they made a small but meaningful roster shuffle by selecting the contract of right-hander Jake Woodford and optioning Mason Englert to Triple-A Durham. Woodford came aboard on a minor league deal in August and has already been stretched out with several starts for Durham, giving Tampa Bay another arm it can evaluate as it trims and tunes the staff for the postseason.
Englerts move reflects the urgency of that process after a rough recent start in which he allowed eight earned runs, and he is not expected to be part of the postseason roster. For the Rays, the decision is less about one transaction than the larger question they now face: which depth arms can still carve out a role when the games start to matter most. [Read more 🡒]