ST. PETERSBURG -- After two disappointing years, the Rays are back in the postseason and back atop the toughest division in baseball.
The Rays became the first team in the American League to clinch a playoff spot on Sept. 11, when they beat the Astros in their series opener at Tropicana Field. It was the earliest Tampa Bay has ever secured a spot in the postseason.
On Sept. 22, they secured an American League East title for the fifth time in franchise history -- and the first time since 2021 -- with a 6-1 win at Yankee Stadium.
Both outcomes felt inevitable for some time, as the Rays spent most of this season as the AL’s best team. And it was not the end of the road, because they now have their sights set on capturing the franchise’s elusive first World Series championship.
But they accomplished their regular-season goals. What’s next? Here are a few things to consider.
What could the postseason roster look like?
This is purely a projection based on what we know right now, which means we have to make some assumptions regarding players who are currently injured. The Rays haven't made any final decisions and likely won't until rosters are due before Game 1 of the American League Division Series. Plus, keep in mind that teams can reset their rosters after each round.
C: Liam Hicks, Nick Fortes
1B: Jonathan Aranda
2B: Richie Palacios, Ben Williamson
SS: Taylor Walls, Jorge Mateo
3B: Junior Caminero
OF: Chandler Simpson, Cedric Mullins, Jonny DeLuca, Ryan Vilade, Victor Mesa Jr.
DH: Yandy Díaz
SP: Drew Rasmussen, Nick Martinez, Freddy Peralta, Griffin Jax, Ian Seymour
RP: Bryan Baker, Tyler Wells, Kevin Kelly, Cam Booser, Cole Sulser, Garrett Cleavinger, Brody Hopkins
What could change with that roster projection?
The position player group seems mostly set, because it's the same 14 players who are finishing the season on the active roster. The only question is whether they'll carry 14 or 15 hitters. But there are several questions to answer on the pitching side.
Rehabbing starter Shane McClanahan is unlikely to be ready in time for the AL Division Series, manager Kevin Cash said, and the Rays don't know his availability beyond that. But they are hoping to get back Wells, who has said all along that he plans to be ready for the postseason, and Cleavinger. Both faced hitters during an intrasquad scrimmage on Tuesday and should do so again on Thursday, which will help determine their availability.
The Rays must also make a decision regarding Manuel Rodríguez, who was reinstated for the final series of the regular season, and converted pitching prospect Brody Hopkins. Is his big-time stuff ready for the postseason stage? What would that mean for pitchers like Sulser, Steven Matz and Casey Legumina, who have played key roles all season?
The Rays will need only three starters to get through a best-of-five AL Division Series, due to the number of days off in that round this year. They already have five to choose from in Rasmussen, Martinez, Peralta, Jax and Seymour, with only Rasmussen in Game 1 looking like a sure thing at this point.
It seems likely that all five will play a role at some point in the series, especially considering how well they all performed down the stretch. Jax and Seymour pitched out of the bullpen earlier this season, and Seymour got a quick refresh on that routine in the Rays' regular-season finale. Martinez has extensive experience working in relief. Those three and Peralta all seem like options to start, relive or do both as the playoffs go on.
What is the postseason schedule?
This one is much easier to answer! Click here for MLB’s full postseason schedule.
Two key dates to consider, though: The Rays will begin play with ALDS Game 1, which is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. And Game 2 at the Trop is slated for 8 p.m. ET on Monday. Both games will air on TBS/truTV/HBO Max.
Will they get a first-round bye?
Yes. They won the AL East and clinched the No. 1 seed in the AL, bypassing the Wild Card Series round and advancing straight to the ALDS.
Will they have home-field advantage?
Yes. They will have home-field advantage in the ALDS and AL Championship Series. Home-field advantage in the World Series would depend on the regular-season record of their opponent. Regardless, there is guaranteed to be postseason baseball at Tropicana Field, where Tampa Bay went 55-26 during the regular season.
Who will they face?
A familiar foe to be determined. The Rays’ ALDS opponent will be the winner of the AL Wild Card Series between the Yankees and Red Sox.
How could they line up their rotation for the first series?
They finished the regular season without saying, knowing they had time to set up their rotation however they want for the ALDS. The beauty of that round this year is that they need only three starters, because the first two could pitch on regular rest in Games 4 and 5.
It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Rasmussen isn’t pitching Game 1, given how dominant he has been all season. After that, the Rays have plenty of options in Martinez, Peralta, Jax and Seymour.
Martinez has given the Rays a chance to win nearly every time he has taken the mound this season, while Peralta was the AL Pitcher of the Month for September and has a track record as a top-of-the-rotation starter. Jax put together a 3.14 ERA as a starter and allowed just one run over 18 innings in his final four outings, and Seymour racked up 125 strikeouts against 21 walks in 101 1/3 innings after moving into a starting/bulk-inning role.
Expect an all-hands-on-deck approach where all five factor in prominently, whether they're starting or not.
What is the Rays’ recent postseason history?
This is the Rays' 10th trip to the postseason since their renaissance in 2008, but their first time in the playoffs since '23. The Rays haven’t won a postseason series since '20, when they won three before losing to the Dodgers in the World Series.
The Rays were swept out of the Wild Card Series by the Rangers in 2023 and by the Guardians in '22. They lost to the Red Sox, 3-1, in the '21 ALDS. They won the '19 AL Wild Card Game but lost a five-game ALDS against the Astros in their first trip to the postseason since going four times in six years from 2008-13.