The Rays’ postseason ended without the big prize, but the year is far from over for a club that spent 2026 piling up hardware in every direction. Tampa Bay’s World Series run came up short, yet the American League champs still have a packed awards calendar ahead, with the William Harridge Trophy already in tow and several players and staffers positioned to keep the shine coming.
The clearest individual spotlight belongs to Junior Caminero. On Nov. 11, the All-MLB Team will be announced, and the Rays have eight nominees in the mix.
Because the honor includes both a First Team and Second Team, Tampa Bay has real chances to place multiple players. Caminero stands out as the headliner at third base and has a strong shot to land on the First Team after making the Second Team last year.
The Rays have not had an All-MLB First Team selection since Nick Anderson in 2020.
Other Rays with a path to recognition on that list include Drew Rasmussen, Nick Martinez and Bryan Baker. Yandy Díaz put together a strong season at DH, but he’ll have to beat out Astros DH Yordan Alvarez. Jonathan Aranda at first base, Liam Hicks at catcher and Chandler Simpson in the outfield face tougher lanes.
Simpson’s name also appears in the Gold Glove conversation, where he is a finalist for center field. That alone speaks to how far his defense has come. Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger is also in the mix, and Simpson would count as a surprise winner if he were to take it home, but simply getting this far is a noteworthy achievement.
Cash may have his strongest argument in the BBWAA Manager of the Year race on Nov. 10.
White Sox manager Will Venable and Red Sox skipper Chad Tracy could draw votes for their own turnaround stories, but Kevin Cash took a team pegged for fifth in the AL East and guided it to the World Series. He is the Majors’ longest-tenured manager and has already won the award in 2020 and 2021.
This season, the case can be made that he did his best work yet, with the Rays outpacing expectations, finishing with the best record in the AL and reaching the Fall Classic.
Tampa Bay also has a strong presence in the pitching awards on Nov. 11. The BBWAA Cy Young Award likely belongs to Yankees ace Cam Schlittler, since the BBWAA honors are based on the regular season, but Rasmussen could still draw serious attention and Martinez may pick up down-ballot support.
That same day brings a new BBWAA honor: Relief Pitcher of the Year. Baker has a legitimate chance to become the first AL winner of the award, and he also has a strong case for the Mariano Rivera Reliever of the Year Award. Guardians closer Cade Smith and Blue Jays utility weapon Louis Varland are also in the discussion, but Baker tied for the league lead in saves and didn’t blow one from mid-May through the end of the World Series.
Shane McClanahan’s comeback year should put him firmly in the Nov. 11 Comeback Player of the Year race as well.
Cash brought him up when the Rays shut him down in the postseason, and the left-hander’s path back has been a long one. He was a two-time All-Star before Tommy John surgery ended his 2023 season and wiped out all of ’24.
Then a freak nerve issue in his left triceps kept him off the mound for the entire ’25 season, and he also dealt with the loss of his father shortly before Spring Training began. This year, McClanahan returned and posted a 3.36 ERA with 106 strikeouts in 118 innings over 24 starts.
The executive side of Tampa Bay’s season has its own award watchlist, too. On Nov. 11, when the GM Meetings in Las Vegas bring the Executive of the Year Award, Erik Neander deserves a close look. The Rays president of baseball operations has long been known for sharp roster work, and this year he helped turn Tampa Bay into a contender again before pulling off what could be remembered as the boldest and most successful Trade Deadline of the season to shape the club into a World Series team.
Finally, the individual award race reaches its highest profile on Nov. 12 with the BBWAA MVP Award. Alvarez is the favorite over Caminero, but Tampa Bay’s third baseman is still in the conversation and should at least have Silver Slugger recognition coming on Nov.
- The Rays have never had a player finish higher than sixth in AL MVP voting - Evan Longoria did it in 2010 and 2013, and Díaz matched it in 2023 - so if Caminero lands high on the ballot, it would mark a new benchmark for the franchise.
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