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Rays fall in power rankings after a lackluster full week of games
Rays fall in power rankings after a lackluster full week of games originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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Coming into the 2026 season, many were expecting the New York Yankees , Boston Red Sox , Toronto Blue Jays , and Baltimore Orioles to fight for a division championship. It's not that the Tampa Bay Rays are bad, but they typically aren't on many people's radars.
However, as we get closer and closer to October, they remain the top team in the American League East. They currently hold a three-game lead over the Yankees.
But that lead could have been even better if they did not struggle last week. Maybe you can argue the full week of games may have gotten to them.
MORE: Rays have 'most underrated' All-Star starting pitcher in MLB according to ESPN
Rays fall in the power rankings after a lackluster full week of games
The Rays started their week off last week with a finale over the Baltimore Orioles in which they won, but they didn't carry that momentum into the series against the Blue Jays.
They lost that series 1-2 before losing the series 1-2 against the Orioles over the weekend.
Their 3-4 record last week did not help them move up the power rankings. In fact, they were bumped down a few spots from No. 4 to No. 6, per Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter .
"Despite some bumps along the way, the Rays have been atop the AL East standings alone since June 28, through a pair of series losses last week has the Yankees nipping at their heels just three games back. With five more home runs, Junior Caminero will become the first player in franchise history with multiple 40-homer campaigns."
Now, the Rays are back to their standard six-game schedule this week. They take on the Detroit Tigers and then the San Diego Padres , who have been playing good baseball as of late. Tampa Bay could jump back into the top five with a positive week.
More MLB news:
Red Sox rise in the power rankings behind lights-out relief pitching
Braves take a hit in power rankings after tough week on the road
Yankees' Cam Schlittler gets good Cy Young update amid very close race with Dylan Cease
Padres slip in latest power rankings after an up-and-down week
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