Entering play on Sept. 11, the Tampa Bay Rays own the best record in the American League at 87-59.
Entering their series with the Houston Astros, the Rays are in a position to do something no other team in the MLB has done yet: clinch a playoff berth. Thanks to some help from the Seattle Mariners, who defeated the Texas Rangers on Sept. 10, and the Pittsburgh Pirates, who beat the Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay has a simple path to clinching: win.
As shared by Ryan Bass on X, if the Rays beat the Astros in the first game of their three-game set at Tropicana Field, they will clinch a spot in the playoff field. Drew Rasmussen will be taking the mound against Miguel Ullola with the chance to make the postseason.
This is an exciting opportunity for Tampa Bay to become the first club to clinch a playoff spot in 2026. Winning and getting in that way would be the preferred option, but if the Baltimore Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays, or the Rangers and White Sox suffer losses again, the Rays would also qualify.
Rays can clinch playoff spot with one more win
Sep 10, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Nick Martinez (28) reacts with third baseman Junior Caminero (13) as he leaves the game against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
For Tampa Bay, making the postseason would be an impressive feat. Coming into the season, no one thought they would present much of a challenge in the AL East; they were predicted to finish in last place.
Instead, they are atop the division, which is where their focus ultimately is. Getting into the postseason is nice, but winning the AL East and earning the No. 1 seed, which means home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, is even better.
To accomplish that feat, the Rays will have to hold off the New York Yankees, who are currently three games behind in the standings. The Yankees just got Aaron Judge back in the lineup, another challenge to holding them off.
Tampa Bay also has the toughest remaining strength of schedule among the AL contenders. New York was much lower down that list. The AL East rivals will also face off in a four-game series that begins on Sept. 22 and will go a long way to determining the division winner.
Win tonight, and they’re in. #RaysUp https://t.co/c7XpxlnGJN
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) September 11, 2026
The Rays need to win only one more game against the Yankees to clinch the season-long tiebreaker. Given how close the teams are in the standings, that could make the difference for Tampa Bay at the end of the day, because it would mean New York has to finish a full game ahead of them to win the division.
Getting home-field advantage is imperative for the Rays, who have been excellent at Tropicana Field thus far in 2026. They have turned their ballpark into a real home-field advantage despite their attendance being near the bottom of baseball.
Their average attendance of 17,181 is the third-lowest in the MLB. Only the Miami Marlins, with 13,701, and the Athletics, with 9,937, average fewer fans per game.
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