Why Rays clinching home field in ALDS is nightmare for Yankees

1 month ago 15

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone was blunt when asked about the Tampa Bay Rays winning the AL East at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.

"Hopefully, we get another crack at them in the next couple weeks. They've certainly earned the division," Boone said.

Well, for the Yankees to get past the Rays in the ALDS, they'll likely have to go through the Boston Red Sox first.

That won't be an easy task, but New York's challenge of making a run to the World Series will only increase in difficulty in the next round.

By winning the AL East title, the Rays secured home-field advantage in the ALDS. The Yankees went 3-5 at Tropicana Field in 2026.

In fact, nearly every visitor had trouble at the Trop in St. Petersburg.

"After spending the 2025 season transplanted to Steinbrenner Field while repairs were made to Tropicana Field, the Rays have returned home this year in dominant fashion," Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter wrote.

"Their 55-26 home record is the best in baseball. Those 55 wins also represent the most in a single season at The Trop," Reuter wrote. "Clinching the best record in the AL on Tuesday could be huge for their October outlook."

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Tropicana Field is a loud environment with a roof that sometimes impacts the difficulty of fly balls for fielders.

Historically, the Yankees have not performed well on the road against the Rays, especially in recent years.

Clearly, the Rays are very confident in front of their home crowd, and the results speak for themselves.