# Rays defy doubters to claim AL East crown

> Tampa Bay wins division after being picked to finish last, securing the top seed and home field through the ALCS.
- Title: Rays defy doubters to claim AL East crown · Mlb | Shortify
- Summary: Tampa Bay wins division after being picked to finish last, securing the top seed and home field through the ALCS. The Rays proved that preseason skepticism…
- Keywords: tampa bay rays, al east, 2026 season, division title, al east champions, drew rasmussen, nick martinez, yankee stadium, postseason, home field advantage, mlb, sports
- Source: Mlb — https://mlb.com/news/rays-clinch-2026-al-east-title
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: tampa bay rays, al east, 2026 season, division title, al east champions, drew rasmussen, nick martinez, yankee stadium, postseason, home field advantage, mlb, sports
## Rays ignored as AL East favorites
After back-to-back fourth-place finishes, Tampa Bay was widely picked to finish last in the AL East this season. Doubts followed them through early stumbles.
## Rays clinch division at Yankee Stadium
Tampa Bay beat the Yankees 6-1 in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Tuesday night to clinch the AL East title. Drew Rasmussen struck out 11 and carried a no-hitter into the seventh.
## Rays secure number one seed
The victory guarantees Tampa Bay the number one seed in the AL postseason field with a 96-61 record. This is their first AL East title since winning back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021.
## Fifth team wins four-team race
Four teams were expected to compete for the division, but Tampa Bay finished first. President Erik Neander called it an unbelievable year for a group that deserved the title.

> Four teams got all the attention in this division, and they're four really good teams, right?
## Rays led division for 88 straight days
Tampa Bay has spent nearly the entire season atop the AL, holding first place for 88 consecutive days since June 27. They've been in first overall for 128 days this season.
## Never had a full losing month
The Rays haven't posted a full month with a losing record all season. They've gone 40-19 since July 20, the best record in baseball during that span.
## Bounced back from Red Sox sweep
After being swept by Boston in four games at Fenway Park from July 17-19, the Rays won three straight against Toronto and never looked back. Nick Martinez led the charge with six strong innings.
## Chemistry and belief drove consistency
Players credit their success to the bond they built and their shared belief they could win despite outside doubts. Junior Caminero said on the first day of spring training, he told the team they had to play in October.

> When I got to Spring Training, first day, I [saw] this group, and I [told] them, 'We've got to play [in] October this year.'
## Home field through ALCS awaits
As the number one seed, the Rays have home field advantage through the American League Championship Series. Manager Kevin Cash reminded the team after clinching that they want to celebrate three more times next month.
## Key takeaway

The Rays proved that preseason skepticism and early doubts mean nothing when a team has chemistry, belief, and consistency.