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How the Rays Made the 2026 MLB Postseason

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How the Rays Made the 2026 MLB Postseason

Originally posted on New Baseball Media
By Chris Studley | Last updated Sep 14, 2026 10:22 AM ET

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For much of the 2026 season, the Tampa Bay Rays were the top dog in the American League. So, it’s not a shock to see that the club was the first in the circuit to lock up a playoff spot. But how the Rays got here was the story. Here’s a look at the highlights from the Rays’ 2026 season so far.

An MVP-like season from Junior

It’s rather fitting that Junior Caminero officially locked up the Rays’ playoff spot on September 11. In fact, there wasn’t any better player to do it.

Caminero led the Rays with 40 home runs on the season, his second full one in the Majors. And based on what he did in 2025, it’s not a shock to see Caminero atop the AL home run leaderboard. But as we noted back in July during our first-half recap, Caminero brought a different dimension to his game.

A 11.4% BB% felt nearly inconceivable after looking at his 2025 campaign. But adjustments matter. His ability to stay patient just made an already-dangerous hitter even more deadly at the plate.

Pain in the you-know-what

While the Rays have a superstar in the middle of the lineup, Tampa Bay’s troupe relied heavily on chaos and good defense, just as much as on Caminero to drive in runs.

It’s a hybrid approach, led by drawing walks and finding holes. The Rays came into play on September 13 with three hitters with a BB% above 10% (Caminero, Richie Palacios, & Taylor Walls), as well as two of the top-six hit producers in the game: Yandy Diaz & Chandler Simpson.

Diaz has been doing this for the better part of a decade. He came into play on the 13th with a .301 average (.830 OPS) with 22 home runs and 48 extra-base hits. A hard-hit machine who can drill line drives, hit home runs, and make consistent contact.

Simpson is a little different. Yes, he makes a ton of contact, more so than Diaz. But Simpson relies on speed to get on base, legging out infield shots and shooting balls to the opposite field when need be. That approach led to a fantastic second half, one that had him near the top of the Majors in both Whiff% and total hits.

(via New Baseball Media)

And over the last year, the Rays added more “grinders.” Cedric Mullins may have had just a .626 OPS over his first 128 contests. But he hit 14 home runs and played steady defense out in center field.

Liam Hicks, amidst a breakout year thanks to more home run power shown at the plate, was brought in to stabilize the catching position for the Rays. Those two nicely complemented the group already in place, which also included Jonathan Aranda. After the 13th, Aranda was up to 21 home runs on the season.

Dominant year from Rasmussen

Five years ago, the Rays traded Willy Adames for Drew Rasmussen. Looking back, it’s hard to deny that the Rays got a pretty good deal when the club finally added the right-hander to the organization.

Rasmussen struck out 160 batters over his first 160 innings. His 2.81 ERA was in the top 20 of the Majors (min. 100 IP). Plus, his HR/9 (.79) was also in the top 20, as Rasmussen was one of two Rays starters (the other being Shane McClanahan) to be among that group.

The right-hander’s cutter is among the best in the Majors, and he plays well off the rest of his arsenal. While the Rays have dealt with injuries, the club had no trouble with consistency atop the rotation.

Unlikely heroes on the mound

Last season, the Rays debuted one of the more underrated Minor League pitchers from the 2025 Triple-A season: Ian Seymour. Seymour, a top strikeout man with Durham, has one of the most unique deliveries in baseball, almost yanking his head to the right at a 90-degree angle. Yet, despite somewhat innocuous stuff on paper, Seymour’s been a highly valuable arm in that rotation.

The left-hander came into play on September 13 with 150 strikeouts on the season, 33rd-most in the Majors. Out of those 150 strikeouts, 73 came since the break, good for seventh-most. He’ll get stung by the home run ball at times. But between the stuff and deception, Seymour doesn’t walk a ton of batters.

And part of that is because he’s induced so much chase since mid-July.

(via New Baseball Media)

The other unsung hero is Bryan Baker, who was acquired in July 2025 from the Baltimore Orioles. Baker cost the Rays a pretty penny: the 37th pick in the 2025 MLB Draft (oddly enough, the player taken by the Orioles was Slater de Brun, who came over to the Rays for Shane Baz). But even though things didn’t go that well down the stretch in 2025, Baker was and is a key piece in 2026.

Baker became the closer in 2026 after an injury to Edwin Uceta and letting Pete Fairbanks go to free agency. The right-hander’s been about as valuable as you can get, with a league-high 40 saves. He fits the modern mold of a closer (three pitches to work with), all while being an old-school stopper at the same time.

What’s ahead?

Going for an AL East title. It would ensure the Rays are in the American League final four, though nothing else afterwards.

The big question is this: can this club’s hybrid approach win an American League pennant? Just from past precedent, the past four pennant winners in the AL (2022 Astros, 2023 Rangers, 2024 Yankees, 2025 Blue Jays) all had mammoth offenses that can power their way to victory.

In a five- or seven-game set, will the Rays have enough to score runs in tight games?

This article first appeared on New Baseball Media and was syndicated with permission.

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