The Tampa Bay Rays became the first major league club to clinch a 2026 playoff berth - and they did so in walk-off fashion thanks to their superstar third baseman.
Junior Caminero hit his 40th home run of the season, a two-run shot off Houston Astros
reliever Bryan Abreu, and the Rays punched their postseason ticket in the giddiest fashion possible, beating the Astros 3-1 Friday, Sept. 11 at Tropicana Field.The Rays (88-59) return to the postseason for the first time since 2023, when they won 99 games but were eliminated by the eventual champion Texas Rangers in the wild-card round.
This season, their sights are set much higher.
The Rays retain a three-game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East, and the division champion is nearly
assured the top seed in the AL and a first-round bye. Tampa Bay entered Friday with an 81% chance to win the divison, according to FanGraphs.
How they clinched
Oh, what a finish.
Jonathan Aranda nearly ended it a batter earlier, when his shot to right center field hit just below the yellow line on the outfield fence. He settled for a one-out double. Caminero then leaned back and blasted an Abreu pitch over the wall in left, his AL-leading 40th of the season.
JUNIOR CAMINERO WALKS IT OFF@RAYSBASEBALL HEADS TO THE POSTSEASON! pic.twitter.com/tkDpYi0OEe
— MLB (@MLB) September 12, 2026
That culminated a crisp ballgame in which starter Drew Rasmussen pitched seven innings of one-run ball. Closer Bryan Baker pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the win.
How the Rays got here
Tampa Bay has the AL's best record for a reason, a club with one legitimate superstar in third baseman Caminero and a slew of well-fitting parts. The Rays lineup is a daunting combination of power and speed, with Caminero's AL-leading 40 home runs tucked in the lineup around slugger Yandy Díaz (22 homers, .841 OPS) and first baseman Aranda (19 homers, .360 OBP). Speedy Chandler Simpson ranks second in the AL with a .310 average and the club makes contact better than any team in the majors.
Meanwhile, right-handers Nick Martinez and Rasmussen have combined for a 28-5 record and ERAs of 2.92 and 2.81, respectively.
What's next for the Rays?
Tampa Bay has two games remaining with the Astros before hosting the Athletics for three games. And then the road gets tougher to finish the season.
The Rays host third-place Boston for three games before a challenging seven-game road trip, beginning with four games at Yankee Stadium Sept. 22-24 that should go a long way toward determining the division title. Tampa Bay finishes the regular season with three games at NL wild-card hopeful Philadelphia.
If the Rays hold on and win the division, they will play host to Game 1 of the five-game AL Division Series on Saturday, Oct. 3.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tampa Bay Rays first to clinch MLB playoff berth on Junior Caminero walk-off homer
