Rays Predicted to Have Disastrous Finish in American League East

Where were the Tampa Bay Rays predicted to finish in the AL East?

Feb 26, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash looks on from the dugout during the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

With the season underway for the Tampa Bay Rays, the franchise likely didn’t get off to the caliber of start to the season that they were hoping for.

To begin the year, the Rays knew that they would be starting on a lengthy road trip to allow for some extra time in case they needed it for repairs on Tropicana Field. Last weekend, they faced the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-game series, but the results weren’t ideal. 

Tampa Bay lost the first two games of the series to the Cardinals, and the frustrating part was that they were winning in both of those games. The bullpen is supposed to be a strength for the team, but the unit let them down, especially in the season-opener. 

After missing the playoffs the last two years, the Rays undoubtedly want to get back into contention. While they might not have the same spending ability as others in their division, they do have some talent that, if things go right, they can compete. However, in a recent prediction, the talent that they do have wasn’t enough to keep pace. 

Keith Law of The Athletic (subscription required) recently predicted what the American League East would look like at the end of the season. For the Rays, the results weren’t very encouraging, as they were predicted to finish in last place, 12 games under the .500 mark. 

Bad Prediction for Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Bryan Baker | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Due to the number of significant additions made by other teams in the division, a last-place finish for the Rays is certainly possible. This was a team that seemed to gear some of their more significant moves toward the future with the decisions to trade Brandon Lowe and Shane Baz. While the team did make moves both on the trade market and in free agency to replace talent, they might have taken a bit of a step back talent-wise. 

It is very early in the 2026 campaign, but winning the AL East is clearly going to be no easy task. Both the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays are off to hot starts, and that should come as no surprise. 

This division sent three teams to the playoffs last year, and that could certainly be in the cards once again in 2026. While the Rays will hope to be one of those teams, the margin for error early on is clearly very slim.