Rays Still Have Plenty To Play for Down Stretch of Season

The Tampa Bay Rays have clinched a playoff spot, but they have their sights set on much more.

Sep 13, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. (25), second baseman Richie Palacios (1) and teammates celebrate after they beat the Houston Astros at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tampa Bay Rays were the first team to clinch a playoff spot in the MLB this year, further proving how much they were overlooked coming into the season.

Many evaluators and analysts thought the Rays would be bringing up the rear in the American League East, a division loaded with talented teams. Instead, entering play on Sept. 14, they hold a four-game lead over the New York Yankees with 13 games remaining in the regular season.

Holding onto that lead is where all of the team’s focus is right now. Every game they win, or the Yankees lose, the Magic Number to clinch the AL East shrinks. A four-game series between the rivals, which begins on Sept. 22 with a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, could ultimately be what decides the division race.

Tampa Bay needs to win only one of those games to earn the tiebreaker over New York, which is important in such a close race. It would mean the Yankees have to finish a full game ahead of the Rays to surpass them in the standings and win the AL East.

Home-field advantage within reach for Rays

Sep 13, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Richie Palacios (1) is congratulated by right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. (25) after he hit a three-run home run during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Going hand-in-hand with winning the division, another goal that Tampa Bay has is securing home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. As long as they win the division, they will almost assuredly be the No. 1 seed, meaning the road to the World Series would run through Tropicana Field.

The Rays, New York and Boston Red Sox are the only teams in the AL currently that have reached the 80-win plateau. While not set in stone, it is safe to presume whoever wins the AL East will be the No. 1 seed with home-field advantage.

While Tampa Bay has the inside track in the AL, there is still work to do if they want to have home-field advantage in the World Series, should they advance that far. Right now, they are 2.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers and tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the MLB.

Those three clubs are the only ones in the sport that have yet to lose 60 games this year. Catching the Brewers and staying ahead of the Dodgers provides plenty of motivation for the Rays down the stretch.

Knowing they would get to play an extra home game every series at Tropicana Field would be a major advantage. Tampa Bay has thrived this season on their home field, going 50-25 thus far. The Atlanta Braves, who are 51-27, and Milwaukee, at 52-26, are the only teams with more wins right now on their home field.