Rays Accomplish AL East Feat Not Done in Over 30 Years

The Tampa Bay Rays were recently able to accomplish a feat in the division that hasn't been done in over 30 years.

May 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Tampa Bay Rays catcher Hunter Feduccia (9) celebrates the win with relief pitcher Garrett Cleavinger (60) against the Toronto Blue Jays at the end of the tenth inning at Rogers Centre. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays have been one of the hottest teams in baseball to start the year and are emerging as a true contender early on. 

While it still might be early in the season, there have been few teams in baseball that have been better than the Rays. This is a team that has multiple long winning streaks and has been able to jump out to an early lead in the American League East. 

Coming into the campaign, this was a division that was expected to be one of the best in baseball. Every team besides Tampa Bay spent a lot of money, but the results haven’t been good for most of them. The New York Yankees have gotten off to a good start, but they have slowed down a bit of late. 

Furthermore, all of the other teams in the division are under the .500 mark, leaving the Rays as the current team to beat. Even though they haven’t played a ton of divisional games yet, they are off to a strong start, and this team could end up having a special year. 

Success in the AL East Early Is a Strong Sign

The Rays are the first AL East team to win 9 of their first 10 divisional games since the 1992 Blue Jays ... who won the World Series 👀 pic.twitter.com/AG0clK8Q6C

— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) May 12, 2026

As the leaders in the AL East, the Rays have been able to get off to a strong start in the division. In their first 10 games of the season against divisional opponents, Tampa Bay has been able to win nine of them. 

The last time a team in the division was able to get off to a strong start like that, it was the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992. With over 30 years since it happened, it is an impressive accomplishment for the Rays. Furthermore, the last time it was accomplished, the Blue Jays were able to win the World Series that year. 

While it is still very early, Tampa Bay has proven early on that they can be a contender in the AL. This is a team that is led by one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball, with the return of a healthy Shane McClanahan, and also right-handers Nick Martinez and Drew Rasmussen pitching at an All-Star level. 

Even though coming into the year, they might not have been considered to even be a playoff contender by many, the Rays have blown away expectations, and history very well could repeat itself with how well they have done in the AL East so