Rays clinch their fifth division crown and home-field advantage through AL playoffs
By Associated Press
September 22, 2026 at 11:01 PM EDT
The Rays debuted their new "gray" road uniforms for their 6-1 victory over New York. Afterward, it didn't take long to cover them with blue T-shirts that proclaimed they were AL East "champs."
The Tampa Bay Rays clinched the fifth American League East title in franchise history on Tuesday night by defeating the New York Yankees 6-1 at Yankee Stadium.
Drew Rasmussen allowed his only hit in the seventh inning and struck out 11 as the Rays (96-61) secured home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs and took their first division crown since 2021, when they won 100 games.
“Pretty incredible,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Ras set the tone tonight, but it's been all season long. Our starting pitching, our defense, our timely hitting has come through for us. That's why we're doing this and celebrating."
Tampa Bay also earned AL East championships in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season along with 2010 and 2008, when the team had its first winning season after entering the league as an expansion franchise in 1998.
With a bye through the first round of the postseason, the Rays will open play in the best-of-five AL Divisional Series on Oct. 3 at Tropicana Field.
Click here for playoff ticket information.
The opponent could be the Yankees (90-67), who secured hosting the Wild Card Series for the second consecutive year. As of Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox are in the No. 2 wild-card spot and could play New York in the best-of-three series, slated to start Sept. 29.
https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/2102602224010473859
Tampa Bay, which clinched a playoff berth Sept. 11, is the first team this season to win a division. The Rays are two games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record in the majors.
The Rays debuted their new gray road uniforms with “Tampa Bay” across the front in the clincher. Afterward, it didn’t take long to cover them with T-shirts that proclaimed they were division "champs."'
ALSO READ: After nearly 20 years, Rays will again wear 'Tampa Bay' on the front of road 'grays'
After closer Bryan Baker retired Yankees rookie George Lombard Jr. for the final out, the Rays shook hands on the field and exchanged hugs near their dugout to start their celebration.
As many Yankees fans left the stadium, Rays fans moved closer to the dugout and began cheering. Once the party moved inside, the Rays sprayed bubbly and beer on each other while jumping up and down and dancing to loud music in their clubhouse.
“I’m very happy because this is a special group,” third baseman and AL MVP candidate Junior Caminero said. “When I (went) to spring training (the) first day, I saw this group and (thought), 'We've got a playoff team this year,' and we did it.”
Rasmussen outdueled the Yankees’ Max Fried, throwing a career-high 114 pitches, 72 for strikes. He threw first-pitch strikes to 17 of 24 hitters and notched his fourth career double-digit strikeout game.
“Not surprised because he’s so tunnel-visioned when he gets on the mound,” Cash said of Rasmussen, who allowed one hit for the fourth time this year. He also yielded just one hit in six innings against the Yankees on April 12.
"It doesn't matter where he's pitching, who he's pitching against, he's going to give us his best and give us a real good chance to win."
https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/2102582290648109411
Meantime, Yandy Díaz hit a two-run single off reliever John Schreiber in the seventh and had another two-run single in the ninth for his AL-leading 175th hit.
Taylor Walls started the three-run seventh with a bunt single against Fried (5-5) when first base was left uncovered. Ryan Vilade hit an RBI groundout in the third after Díaz’s flyball moved runners to second and third.
ALSO READ: Caminero's walk-off homer sends Rays to playoffs. Tickets go on sale this week
“For us to go out there and take care of business and win the division is special,” Walls said.
Rasmussen (16-5) was nine outs from joining Matt Garza as Tampa Bay pitchers with a no-hitter when he gave up a leadoff double to Heliot Ramos on his 97th pitch. (Garza held the Detroit Tigers hitless at Tropicana Field on July 26, 2010.)
After allowing Ramos’ hit to left field, Rasmussen got the next two outs before walking Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a full count. Kevin Kelly entered and permitted Lombard Jr.’s RBI single before retiring Austin Wells on a groundout.
Cam Booser and Bryan Baker pitched an inning apiece to finish the three-hitter.
Fried allowed four runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Rays starter Drew Rasmussen pitched a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Yankees and struck out 11 in Tampa Bay's 6-1 victory that secured the AL East title at New York's Yankee Stadium on Sept. 22, 2026. (1024x682, AR: 1.501466275659824)
The Rays have led the division since June 27 and spent 128 days in first place ahead of the Yankees.
“I've said it all year, and it's the unity,” Díaz said through an interpreter. “The unity and the joy that this team plays with. … This group is such a special group, and they have been the entire year.”
Cash also credited the team's commaraderie for the season's success.
"Everybody sees it. We see it as a staff. We see it as a front office. This is a tight-knit group. They do everything together, and they've grown through the course of the season," Cash said.
Tampa Bay initially moved into first place following an 8-5 win over the Chicago White Sox on April 14 but lost the lead despite winning 13 of 18. The Rays regained the lead following a 4-1 win at Boston on May 10 and stayed there until June 13, when they lost seven of 13.
“We played really good baseball up to this point,” said Rasmussen, who underwent elbow surgery in 2023. “We got off to a little bit of a slow start in April but to play as we have since the beginning of May, this group’s different. We have a lot of fun together. We love being together, and we’re trying to spend as much time as we can possibly together.”
The Rays won their latest division crown after returning to St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field and going 55-26 at home this season. Last year, Tampa Bay finished 77-85 overall and played home games at Tampa's Steinbrenner Field, spring training home of the Yankees, because the roof at the Trop was ripped off during Hurricane Milton in 2024.
The Rays secured this AL East title after getting approval on a public financing plan that will allow them to build a $2.36 billion stadium in Tampa that is expected to open in 2029.
“Everything the franchise has been through, to have the 'Tampa Bay' on the chest tonight, the staff, the players for Tampa Bay, all of it, just, it’s really special,” president of baseball operations Erik Neander said.
In Tuesday's Game 1, Carlos Rodón allowed three hits in eight sharp innings as New York delayed Tampa Bay's celebration a few hours with a 2-0 victory.
"Hopefully, we get another crack at them in the next couple weeks. They've certainly earned the division," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
WUSF's Rick Mayer contributed to this report.
Drew Rasmussen allowed his only hit in the seventh inning and struck out 11 as the Rays (96-61) secured home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs and took their first division crown since 2021, when they won 100 games.
“Pretty incredible,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Ras set the tone tonight, but it's been all season long. Our starting pitching, our defense, our timely hitting has come through for us. That's why we're doing this and celebrating."
Tampa Bay also earned AL East championships in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season along with 2010 and 2008, when the team had its first winning season after entering the league as an expansion franchise in 1998.
With a bye through the first round of the postseason, the Rays will open play in the best-of-five AL Divisional Series on Oct. 3 at Tropicana Field.
Click here for playoff ticket information.
The opponent could be the Yankees (90-67), who secured hosting the Wild Card Series for the second consecutive year. As of Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox are in the No. 2 wild-card spot and could play New York in the best-of-three series, slated to start Sept. 29.
https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/2102602224010473859
Tampa Bay, which clinched a playoff berth Sept. 11, is the first team this season to win a division. The Rays are two games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record in the majors.
The Rays debuted their new gray road uniforms with “Tampa Bay” across the front in the clincher. Afterward, it didn’t take long to cover them with T-shirts that proclaimed they were division "champs."'
ALSO READ: After nearly 20 years, Rays will again wear 'Tampa Bay' on the front of road 'grays'
After closer Bryan Baker retired Yankees rookie George Lombard Jr. for the final out, the Rays shook hands on the field and exchanged hugs near their dugout to start their celebration.
As many Yankees fans left the stadium, Rays fans moved closer to the dugout and began cheering. Once the party moved inside, the Rays sprayed bubbly and beer on each other while jumping up and down and dancing to loud music in their clubhouse.
“I’m very happy because this is a special group,” third baseman and AL MVP candidate Junior Caminero said. “When I (went) to spring training (the) first day, I saw this group and (thought), 'We've got a playoff team this year,' and we did it.”
Rasmussen outdueled the Yankees’ Max Fried, throwing a career-high 114 pitches, 72 for strikes. He threw first-pitch strikes to 17 of 24 hitters and notched his fourth career double-digit strikeout game.
“Not surprised because he’s so tunnel-visioned when he gets on the mound,” Cash said of Rasmussen, who allowed one hit for the fourth time this year. He also yielded just one hit in six innings against the Yankees on April 12.
"It doesn't matter where he's pitching, who he's pitching against, he's going to give us his best and give us a real good chance to win."
https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/2102582290648109411
Meantime, Yandy Díaz hit a two-run single off reliever John Schreiber in the seventh and had another two-run single in the ninth for his AL-leading 175th hit.
Taylor Walls started the three-run seventh with a bunt single against Fried (5-5) when first base was left uncovered. Ryan Vilade hit an RBI groundout in the third after Díaz’s flyball moved runners to second and third.
ALSO READ: Caminero's walk-off homer sends Rays to playoffs. Tickets go on sale this week
“For us to go out there and take care of business and win the division is special,” Walls said.
Rasmussen (16-5) was nine outs from joining Matt Garza as Tampa Bay pitchers with a no-hitter when he gave up a leadoff double to Heliot Ramos on his 97th pitch. (Garza held the Detroit Tigers hitless at Tropicana Field on July 26, 2010.)
After allowing Ramos’ hit to left field, Rasmussen got the next two outs before walking Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a full count. Kevin Kelly entered and permitted Lombard Jr.’s RBI single before retiring Austin Wells on a groundout.
Cam Booser and Bryan Baker pitched an inning apiece to finish the three-hitter.
Fried allowed four runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Rays starter Drew Rasmussen pitched a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Yankees and struck out 11 in Tampa Bay's 6-1 victory that secured the AL East title at New York's Yankee Stadium on Sept. 22, 2026. (1024x682, AR: 1.501466275659824)
The Rays have led the division since June 27 and spent 128 days in first place ahead of the Yankees.
“I've said it all year, and it's the unity,” Díaz said through an interpreter. “The unity and the joy that this team plays with. … This group is such a special group, and they have been the entire year.”
Cash also credited the team's commaraderie for the season's success.
"Everybody sees it. We see it as a staff. We see it as a front office. This is a tight-knit group. They do everything together, and they've grown through the course of the season," Cash said.
Tampa Bay initially moved into first place following an 8-5 win over the Chicago White Sox on April 14 but lost the lead despite winning 13 of 18. The Rays regained the lead following a 4-1 win at Boston on May 10 and stayed there until June 13, when they lost seven of 13.
“We played really good baseball up to this point,” said Rasmussen, who underwent elbow surgery in 2023. “We got off to a little bit of a slow start in April but to play as we have since the beginning of May, this group’s different. We have a lot of fun together. We love being together, and we’re trying to spend as much time as we can possibly together.”
The Rays won their latest division crown after returning to St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field and going 55-26 at home this season. Last year, Tampa Bay finished 77-85 overall and played home games at Tampa's Steinbrenner Field, spring training home of the Yankees, because the roof at the Trop was ripped off during Hurricane Milton in 2024.
The Rays secured this AL East title after getting approval on a public financing plan that will allow them to build a $2.36 billion stadium in Tampa that is expected to open in 2029.
“Everything the franchise has been through, to have the 'Tampa Bay' on the chest tonight, the staff, the players for Tampa Bay, all of it, just, it’s really special,” president of baseball operations Erik Neander said.
In Tuesday's Game 1, Carlos Rodón allowed three hits in eight sharp innings as New York delayed Tampa Bay's celebration a few hours with a 2-0 victory.
"Hopefully, we get another crack at them in the next couple weeks. They've certainly earned the division," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
WUSF's Rick Mayer contributed to this report.