Rays face a harsh 2026 outlook with a thin roster and a stacked division

It was quite the season for the Tampa Bay Rays and their fanbase last season. With extensive damage done to Tropicana Field as a result of Hurricane Milton, they had to play their 2025 home games at Steinbrenner Field. 

Moving away from their home stadium allowed some players to take the next step offensively, like Junior Caminero. He crushed 45 home runs last season, which was the sixth-most across MLB.

Now, they will return to The Trop, and they are bringing back some players who missed the 2025 season, like Shane McClanahan. His presence in the starting rotation will certainly be felt. 

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Rays face a harsh 2026 outlook with a thin roster and a stacked division

The Rays did not make too many big splashes over the offseason. The biggest names they brought in were Nick Martinez, Steven Matz, and Cedric Mullins, while losing names like Brandon Lowe and Shane Baz. 

On top of that, they play in arguably the most competitive division in all of baseball, the AL East. 

With who is returning and what they brought in over the offseason, Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly does not have much faith in this team to succeed.

"Cedric Mullins is an interesting bounce-back candidate to take a shot on, but the reality is there isn't enough offensively around Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Diaz to be competitive with the four other clubs."

Kelly suggests that the team will finish with a similar record to what it did in 2025, winning 78 games. That may not be what the fanbase is hoping for this season, but it is what they should prepare themselves for. 

They are still a few pieces away from being a contender in the division, but the club will have some exciting pieces to watch over the course of the year.

More MLB news:

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