Rays' Magic Number Remains Unchanged After Loss in Series Opener to Mets

The magic number for the Tampa Bay Rays remained unchanged following a loss to the New York Mets.

Aug 31, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda (8) catches the ball during the eighth inning against the New York Mets at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tampa Bay Rays have been one of the best teams in baseball this season and with the calendar turning to September, they will be hungry to win not only the American League East, but the whole league. 

As one of the biggest surprises in baseball this season, the Rays look like they are well on their way toward winning the AL. This team has been fantastic pretty much the entire season and with one of the best records in all of baseball should be seen as a World Series contender right now. 

Entering the new week, the Rays were set to finish up their homestand against the New York Mets in a three-game set. The Mets have been a big disappointment this year, but they were able to play spoiler on Monday. 

The offense for Tampa Bay struggled in the series opener, losing by a score of 3-2. Fortunately, it was a strong outing from Ian Seymour, who was impressive in 6.1 innings of work. 

However, with no help from the Colorado Rockies who had a potential game-winning home run robbed by the Baltimore Orioles, the magic number for the Rays to clinch a playoff spot remains at 12. 

Rays’ Magic Number Remains Unchanged

Aug 31, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays players talk during the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While it would have been nice to get off to a good start in a winnable series against New York, Tampa Bay will be looking to bounce back in Game 2 of the set. 

Taking the mound for them will be Freddy Peralta, who the Rays acquired from the Mets at the trade deadline. While the overall season has been a struggle for Peralta, he is coming off his best outing since joining Tampa Bay. 

In his last start against the Detroit Tigers, he went six scoreless innings and allowed just two hits. While there have been some bad outings for Peralta this year, he has flashed some signs of the 2025 version of himself as well. 

Even though he wasn’t with the Mets for long, he will certainly be looking to build some momentum with September here. While Peralta will want to help the Rays win, he is also a free agent at the end of the season, and how he finishes could make a difference of millions of dollars. 

For Tampa Bay, with a win and Orioles loss on Tuesday, they could see their magic number drop down to 10. With it being just the beginning of September, the team has to be pleased with where they currently stand.