By Hannah Walls
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays concluded another disappointing season, missing the playoffs for the second year in a row.
This season was nothing short of unpredictable for the Tampa Bay Rays. Last October, Hurricane Milton destroyed Tropicana Field, leaving the team without a home ballpark for the 2025 season.
The Rays had to relocate to George M. Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees’ spring training facility, which they rented for $15 million.
Despite playing outdoor baseball in Tampa for the first time, the Rays had a promising first half of the season.
With young stars such as Junior Caminero, Chandler Simpson, and Jake Mangum, along with veterans Yandy Díaz and Brandon Lowe, the Rays appeared to have the pieces for a playoff push.
Despite this, inconsistent pitching and injuries to key players left the Rays in a midseason slump.
The Rays were the best team in MLB in June with a 17-10 record, prompting fans to think they would be buyers at the trade deadline. However, their trade deadline moves ultimately proved insignificant to the rest of the season.
Their most notable moves were acquiring pitcher Griffin Jax from the Minnesota Twins, catcher Nick Fortes from the Miami Marlins, and pitcher Adrian Houser from the Chicago White Sox.
“We’re excited about the additions we’ve made. We’ve brought in some guys who can help us immediately,” said manager Kevin Cash after the deadline.
Ultimately, these additions weren’t enough for the Rays. All-Star Jonathon Aranda went down with a wrist injury while Diaz and Simpson were dealing with injuries as well.
After the deadline, the Rays went 23-29 and ended the season with a record of 77–85.
On Sept. 1, the Rays were only two games out of a wildcard playoff spot, but they won six more games the rest of the season, leading them to fall short.
Though the team had a disappointing season, there are still some bright spots to look forward to in 2026.
One of those bright spots was Stuart Sternberg selling the team to Patrick Zalupski, intending to find the team a new permanent ballpark.
Another bright spot was Caminero, 21, who finished his sophomore season with 45 home runs, making him the youngest player to ever hit 40 home runs in a single season.
“If I don’t do it this year, this is just my first full season, so it’ll come. I know I’m capable of hitting 50, 60. If it’s not this year, God willing, I have more years to come, and one of those years it’s going to happen,” said Caminero.
Other teammates have seen this potential in Caminero as well.
“He’s a great kid,” veteran Díaz said. “He works hard, and he’s got a lot of talent. He’s going to be a big part of this team for a long time.”
Caminero’s teammates say he will have a big impact on the future of the Tampa Bay Rays, a fact evident when watching him play.
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Photo courtesy of Lexi Smith.