BRONX, NY — It wasn’t supposed to conclude with an outcome of the Rays winning the American League East division title on the Yankees’ home turf in the Bronx.
The Yankees were supposed to be head of the class in the American League. Tampa Bay to many when we started on Opening Day back in March were projected to be at the bottom or perhaps in the hunt for an AL Wild Card spot at this time.
Instead it’s the Rays taking home the 2026 AL East division crown.
The Rays secure their first AL East title since 2021!
(MLB x @BudweiserUSA) pic.twitter.com/7idjLXC6wT
— MLB (@MLB) September 23, 2026
In a day-night double header at Yankee Stadium Tuesday, the Yankees would not surrender in the first game, winning 2-0 on a Cody Bellinger two-run homer and Carlos Rodón (7-3, 2.67 ERA) delivering his best outing of the season with eight shutout innings and eight strikeouts.
Until day turned to evening, that is there was no surrendering. As the temperature dropped, and rather quickly, the Rays won the night game 6-1 to clinch the franchise’s first AL East title since 2021 and fifth all time. When they took the field for the nightcap, the Yankees still had confidence of keeping their division chances going yet sweeping the four-game series would be their only hope.
Two-time American League LatinoMVP Pitcher of the Year Carlos Rodón recorded his 100th career win and 1,500th strikeout in his outing Tuesday afternoon in the Bronx vs. the Rays – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
It’s not over for the Yankees, it’s actually just getting started. They will meet the Red Sox next Tuesday in the Bronx in a best-two-of-three AL Wild Card series, a renewal of last year in late September at Yankee Stadium where the pinstripes advanced to the ALDS and were eliminated by the Blue Jays. This time though the Yankees are prepared to play a different tune in an attempt of getting back to the ALDS and further.
They will be without the captain Aaron Judge this time, at least for the Wild Card series, as he is sidelined with a moderate grade right calf strain and unavailable.
The Yankees will be without Aaron Judge for the American League Division Series with the captain sidelined due to a moderate right calf strain – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
The humiliation of watching another team again celebrate on their home turf provides motivation to the others in pinstripes and him. Believe it or not, the Yankees were not a solemn group when they left their clubhouse late Tuesday night after a long day and night of baseball.
“It kind of sucks,” said Jazz Chisholm Jr. who was reinstated from a brief stint on the injured list.
“That’s what we work on all season but it’s not the end goal for us. The end goal is the World Series so it doesn’t really affect us here.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the Yankees believe they have the potential to get back to the World Series which would mark the franchise’s first Fall Classic trip since 2024 and sixth since 2000 – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
But they also realize the Rays are the top team to beat in the AL, now with home field advantage until the World Series, the best AL record (96-61), and a vision after skeptics had them finishing at the bottom of the class.
Seventh time as an AL Wild Card are the Yankees (90-67), good but not enough, a goal to always be the AL representative in the World Series.
And if everything goes their way, they could meet the Rays again in the ALDS, but first, Boston is on their agenda.
All signs point to the Red Sox visiting the Bronx next week for an AL Wild Card matchup with the Yankees, a second consecutive year where Boston and the Yankees will meet in the postseason – Image Credit: Ernesto Diaz/Latino Sports
“We wanted to push it off if we could,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “Credit to them (Rays), they’ve put together a fantastic regular season to earn that. That’s theirs that they earned. Hopefully we get another crack at them in the next couple of weeks, but they’ve certainly earned the division.”
It could have been the Yankees division. They could have been top of the class. But the Rays kept winning and the Yankees were not consistent and couldn’t keep up. When the Rays lost, the Yankees failed to win and could not make up ground in the standings.
It got close for the division at times though a wild card spot for whoever finished second was never in question.
Hitting .291 with an .802 OPS, 22 home runs and 85 RBI, Yandy Díaz has served as a centerpiece to Tampa Bay’s offense this season alongside Junior Caminero (.275 BA, .886 OPS, 41 HRs, 97 RBI) – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
Even as the Yankees still had some hope in this four game series that was supposed to be defining, it was highly improbable they would pull off the impossible, as in a four game sweep to get back to neck and neck with Tampa Bay.
“You don’t want anyone to be celebrating at your stadium,” said Max Fried (5-5, 2.80 ERA), who suffered the loss—pitching 6.2 innings of four run ball with six hits, two walks and four strikeouts. His next outing will be as a starter in the AL Wild Card series.
Despite Fried providing depth, Rays’ ace right hander Drew Rasmussen (16-5, 2.67 ERA) was dominant, striking out 11 on a career high 114 pitches and had a no-hit bid go into the seventh inning.
10 strikeouts for Drew Rasmussen!
He's kept the Yankees hitless through 6 innings 👀 pic.twitter.com/yPl9YkWkZc
— MLB (@MLB) September 23, 2026
The Yankees could not find an answer against him, compiling just one run on a hit and three walks across 6.2 frames of work.
“It’s been all season long, our starting pitching, our defense, our timely hitting has come through for us. That’s why we’re celebrating.” said Rays manager Kevin Cash. “A tight knit group. It was supposed to be the Yankees, Red Sox, Toronto, and look where we are.”
The Rays have not had an entire month with a losing record, a testament to where they are. They are a MLB best 40-19 since July 20th.
Giving flowers + champagne showers pic.twitter.com/mMOLlqXTRW
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 23, 2026
“I don’t think anything was handed to us,” said Cuban-American All-Star pitcher Nick Martinez (15-5, 2.94 ERA) who had a quality start in the 2-0 loss. Two runs and five hits in his outing Tuesday afternoon with the 36-year-old showing he’s a reason why Tampa Bay’s staff has been dominant and was celebrating later in the evening. Despite his fifth loss of the season, Martinez will garnish some votes for AL Cy Young Award consideration and most definitely the honors of the AL LatinoMVP Starting Pitcher of the Year Award.
Said Martinez, who wasn’t satisfied with the pitch Bellinger hit for a home run, with similar comments as his skipper Cash on the division title: “I just felt like it wasn’t executed. I think a lot of guys expected the Yankees to run away with it, probably to be New York, Boston and Toronto at the top.”
Martinez is having a career year and Rasmussen following him provides the Rays with a duo that will be difficult to overtake in the postseason. But Tampa Bay feels this is just the beginning.
Nick Martinez, Painted 93mph Front Door Two Seamer. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/Nvl90aknes
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 22, 2026
“To have the opportunity to run the race from start to finish is special,” Rasmussen said. “We know this isn’t the finish line, we know this is a regular season accomplishment. But man it feels really good.”
And as the champagne and beer flowed in the visiting clubhouse, it was an accomplishment for a team that may have been underestimated. Young with a few veterans and the Rays became the team to beat in the American League.
This team is special pic.twitter.com/qbYkqqjkG2
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 23, 2026
“I’m very happy because this is a special group,” said Dominican superstar third baseman Junior Caminero, a lock to be named a finalist for the 2026 AL LatinoMVP Award. “When I got to spring training on the first day with this group I told them: ‘We’ve got to play in October this year.’”
“This group has deserved it all year long and it’s a special group,” Cuban designated hitter Yandy Díaz said through an interpreter. “This is just the beginning and in our minds the biggest and the most important celebration is the World Series one.”
And for the Yankees, it was not them surrendering. They plan to get another crack at Tampa Bay with the hope it’s deeper into October.
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and columnist at LatinoSports.com with coverage of MLB, boxing, and MLS – X:@Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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