Sep 22, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Tampa Bay Rays players and personnel pose for a photo after defeating the New York Yankees and clinching the American League East division title at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
BRONX, NY — New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone had a feeling that this was going to happen.
When asked about his club’s largest threats in the American League East, the Bronx Bombers’ skipper was sure to group in the Tampa Bay Rays with the rest of the pack — the defending pennant-winning Toronto Blue Jays, the reloading Baltimore Orioles, and the rival Boston Red Sox — despite a 77-85 finish last year and a fourth-place finish and many prognosticating a last-place finish this year.
He was spot on.
The Rays celebrated their fifth-ever AL East division title on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium with a 6-1 win over Boone’s squad, picking up their 96th win of the season with a roster built around the young, homegrown superstar and AL MVP contender Junior Caminero, and a pitching staff that has exceeded all expectations, ranking seventh-best in MLB with a 3.76 ERA.
“That’s the area where I always respect the Rays, and what they’re capable of doing,” Boone said. “Certainly they’ve put it together… to be in the mid-90s wins is impressive.”
Don’t let the small-market designation fool you; the Rays have mastered the art of being a chameleon contender. They can morph their roster into a winner under a litany of circumstances. When they won the American League pennant six years ago and 100 games the following season, they were rife with bigger, more recognizable names: Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Willy Adames.
But, like most clubs of their designation, they’re forced to sell off their big-ticket items to keep their sustainability intact. Their 2026 roster does not look nearly as imposing as the ones from 2020 and 2021, yet here they are. Score one for the little guys, because you can, in fact, build a winning team and not break the bank — a testament to the talent evaluators and developers within the organization.
“I always hear that year after year with the Rays, year after year,” Boone said. “No, it’s different this year. They’ve had a great season, and it’s a different makeup team than in the 2020, 2021 Rays, which were a juggernaut. I mean, big arms, big pen, an outstanding roster. This year, they’ve done a really good job of winning games. Obviously, offensively they’re built around that big three of [Yandy] Diaz, Caminero, and [Jonathan] Aranda, and they’ve been healthy and gone to post. The support players they’ve got have had some good years, like Chandler Simpson. They’ve pitched well for the most part, rotation and pen, but this is a different makeup than what they’ve had in years past. They’ve taken advantage of their athleticism. They’re a very athletic team; they push the envelope on the bases, do a lot of different things in that regard. You’ve gotta give them credit. They’ve won a ton of games this year… and they’re always a challenge to play.”
They are a direct contrast to everything that the Yankees are and have represented for the last 100 years, so it’s somewhat amusing that it was them celebrating winning the AL East in the Bronx following a 6-1 win on Tuesday night.
But for Boone, it was no surprise. Now, the Yankees’ road to a pennant will likely have to run through Tampa.
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