The Rays didn’t leave their series with the Mets exactly how they wanted, but the bigger picture still looks strong as September gets rolling.
Tampa Bay had just swept the San Diego Padres before running into trouble against New York, a stretch that included a Tuesday win and a Wednesday loss. The Mets have been sharper lately, so this was a series the Rays would have preferred to take, but the club still has a lot working in its favor.
One of the clearest positives came on Tuesday, when Freddy Peralta turned in another strong outing against his former team. That gave the Rays two excellent starts from the right-hander, and it’s the kind of momentum that could matter a lot as the season winds down. If Peralta can look like the version who pitched so well in 2025 for the Milwaukee Brewers, that would be a major lift for Tampa Bay’s stretch run.
Now the Rays are heading back on the road for a four-game set against the Texas Rangers, with the focus shifting to trimming down their magic number even further. Texas is trying to stay in the mix in the AL West playoff race, so this one carries real weight for both teams.
Tampa Bay’s position is still a good one, but the pressure behind it is real. The Yankees are hanging around in the AL East race, and entering Thursday the Rays lead New York by three games. The Yankees recently won their series out West against the Los Angeles Angels, then get Thursday off before opening three games against the San Diego Padres, a tougher challenge with San Diego still in the National League playoff picture.
The Rays also got a little help Wednesday even without a win of their own. Baltimore lost to the Colorado Rockies, and that result pushed Tampa Bay’s magic number down again. With the number now in single digits, a playoff berth is getting close.
That’s the first checkpoint. After that, the goal flips quickly to winning the AL East and securing homefield.
In Other News...
Sebastian Walcott Is Forcing A Tough Rangers Decision On Josh Jung
Sebastian Walcott has pushed his way into the Rangers thinking with a strong run at Double-A, and the organization is starting to treat his timeline like something more immediate than a distant prospect debate. A possible September arrival is now part of the conversation, which matters because Texas already has a young third baseman in Josh Jung trying to hold down the spot while working through defensive inconsistency and a recent injury absence.
Walcotts rise puts the Rangers in a familiar but difficult spot: keep waiting on Jung to settle in, or start thinking about a roster reshuffle if the top prospect is ready to force the issue. If Texas decides the bat and energy Walcott brings can help sooner rather than later, Jung could become a trade candidate as the club looks to fill other needs. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Fans Have A New Reason To Watch Sebastian Walcott Closely
Sebastian Walcott has already given Rangers fans plenty to monitor at Double-A Frisco, and the top prospect is backing up the buzz with a hot stretch at the plate. He has homered in three straight games and is riding a seven-game hitting streak, adding more evidence that his bat is translating quickly as he continues to move through the system.
Walcotts comeback makes the watch even more interesting because he is doing this after an internal brace procedure for a UCL tear, and he may be nearing a return to fielding duties soon. Through 30 games this season, the Rangers No. 1 prospect is hitting .319 with seven home runs and 16 RBIs, a line that only sharpens the anticipation around what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
St. Thomas Aquinas Opponent Is Now Pushing Back After Viral Backlash
The season opener between DeSoto High School and St. Thomas Aquinas was supposed to be about football, but it became a bigger conversation when three of DeSotos four captains declined to shake hands with the opposing players before kickoff. The moment, caught on live television, spread quickly and drew widespread criticism, turning a standard pregame routine into the kind of scene that lingers well beyond one Friday night.
DeSotos football program moved quickly to address it, issuing an apology and taking responsibility for the captains actions while framing the incident as a learning opportunity. On the field, St. Thomas Aquinas handled its business with a 38-14 win, but the aftereffects of the handshake moment are still what people are talking about, and now the reaction is becoming part of the story too. [Read more 🡒]