The Tampa Bay Rays are coming off a bad homestand in which they went 2-5 against the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays. However, despite some struggles, the team is still in control of the American League East. As September closes in, the Rays have been able to sustain themselves as one of the biggest surprises in all of baseball. Tampa Bay was not expected to be nearly as good as they have been, and the team has been able to sustain a high level of play. With a couple of nice additions at the trade deadline, the Rays are here to stay, and they will be looking to wrap up home-field advantage in the AL. While that will be the goal, winning the division must come first. Tampa Bay has been in control of the AL East for much of the year, but their competition heading down the stretch is clear. Rays Still Team to Beat in AL East Aug 20, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New York Yankees infielder Ben Rice (22) runs from first base to home plate to score a run in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectAs the weekend matchups get set to start, Tampa Bay currently holds a four-game lead over the New York Yankees. The Rays will be playing the Orioles once again over the weekend, but this time on the road. Baltimore performed very well against Tampa Bay last weekend, and they will be looking to replicate that performance. For the Yankees, they are the immediate threat to the Rays not only in the division, but likely the league overall. The Boston Red Sox made a nice push to get back into the playoff conversation, but they have cooled off a bit following their ridiculous stretch. For the Yankees, they will be starting a 10-game homestand on Friday with a series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Following that matchup, they will then be hosting the Houston Astros for three games, and then the Red Sox for four games. This will be a really big stretch for New York with that many games at home. If they are going to make a serious push for first place, this homestand would be a logical time to do it. With these two teams separating themselves from the rest of the pack, this will be the battle to watch going forward. However, both teams will likely have a late-September series circled when the Rays come up north to the Bronx for four games. Overall, Tampa Bay should be considered the team to beat in the AL East right now, but the Yankees could make a push in the coming weeks. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow