Rays Will Be Relying on Key Players to Bounce Back in 2026

Will the Tampa Bay Rays be able to be a contender in 2026?

Sep 26, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) in the dugout during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

With the start of the 2026 campaign right around the corner for the Tampa Bay Rays, the team will be hopeful to get back into contention and snap a two-year playoff drought. 

Due to a hurricane taking the roof off of Tropicana Field, the 2025 season was always going to be a challenge for the Rays. They were displaced from their home and forced to play in a minor league stadium. This and some tough scheduling because of it undoubtedly negatively affected them. 

This winter, Tampa Bay was very active in reshaping the team to hopefully get better. The American League East is going to be extremely challenging with most of the teams in the division making some significant additions this winter. 

Despite rivals being active, the Rays are hoping that some of their moves and players that they added will be enough to compete. If Tampa Bay is going to accomplish this, they will need certain players to make a positive impact for the team. 

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently wrote about one of the reasons why the Rays could be a contender in 2026 is because of numerous players that are set to have bounce-back campaigns. 

Tampa Bay Could Be Led by Bounce-Back Performers

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

For the team to be able to have a successful campaign, they will need a few players to have bounce back campaigns. Firstly, the return of Shane McClanahan is going to be key. The former All-Star missed the last two years because of injury and having him back is going to be huge. 

If healthy, McClanahan can be one of the best pitchers and that is going to be a massive x-factor for the team. Furthermore, while they will be hoping for big things from their southpaw, they also have a couple of other players seeking to have better years. 

In the bullpen, Griffin Jax is going to be tasked with replacing the production of Pete Fairbanks as the top option for the unit. The right-hander didn’t have a great year statistically in 2025, but the underlying metrics indicate there should be some improvement. 

Finally, the last player that they will be hoping has a bounce back campaign is Cedric Mullins. The Rays signed the veteran outfielder this winter coming off a terrible second half of the campaign with the New York Mets. As a former All-Star and a really solid player, he could make a positive impact on the lineup. Overall, with the Rays hoping to contend, it could very well come down to a couple of key players having good campaigns.