By Rays Chasing History: Can Tampa Bay Reach 100 Wins While Bryan Baker Breaks the Saves Record
The Tampa Bay Rays have spent most of the 2026 season focused on winning the American League East and positioning themselves for a deep postseason run.
But with 46 games remaining, something else is starting to come into focus.
History.
At 70-46, the Rays have a legitimate opportunity to reach 100 victories for only the second time in franchise history.
And if they can get to 101, this year’s team would stand alone as the winningest regular-season club the franchise has ever produced.
Meanwhile, closer Bryan Baker is mounting a record chase of his own.
Baker has 34 saves and is closing in on Fernando Rodney’s franchise record of 48, set during Rodney’s remarkable 2012 season.
Two records. Forty-six games. And both are very much in play.
Can the Rays Win 100 Games?
Tampa Bay needs to go 30-16 over its final 46 games to finish 100-62 and tie the franchise record established by the 2021 Rays. To set a new record, Tampa Bay would need to finish at least 31-15, giving it a 101-61 record.
That’s where the challenge comes in.
The Rays have played .603 baseball through their first 116 games. To win 100, they would need to play .652 baseball the rest of the way. To reach 101, that number climbs to .674.
That’s a significant step up from their season-long pace, but it isn’t out of the question for a team capable of putting together an extended hot streak.
And that’s really what the Rays need.
They don’t have to become a completely different baseball team suddenly. They need one strong stretch, perhaps a 10-3 or 12-4 run that puts 100 wins squarely within reach heading into the final few weeks.
The Best Rays Teams of All Time
The 2021 Rays remain the standard. Tampa Bay finished 100-62 that season to capture the AL East and establish the franchise record for victories.
MLB’s official Rays record book still lists those 100 victories as the club’s single-season high.
The 2023 Rays came close, finishing 99-63, while the 2008 American League championship team won 97 games.
The franchise’s top seasons provide the target for this year’s club:
2021: 100- 62, 2023: 99-63, 2008: 97-65, 2010:96-66 2019: 96-66.
Even if the 2026 Rays fall short of 100, they have an excellent opportunity to finish among the winningest teams in franchise history.
A 27-19 finish gets them to 97 wins and ties the 2008 team.
Going 29-17 gets them to 99.
Thirty wins ties the record.
Thirty-one makes history.
Bryan Baker Has an Even Better Chance to Make History
While 100 victories will require the Rays to elevate their play down the stretch, Baker’s pursuit of the saves record may be the more attainable of the two.
Baker has 34 saves, leaving him 14 short of Rodney’s record.
Fourteen more would tie Rodney at 48.
Fifteen would give Baker 49 and sole possession of the Rays’ single-season record.
With 46 games remaining, the biggest question may not be whether Baker can convert enough save opportunities. It may be whether the Rays can provide him with enough of them.
If Tampa Bay continues winning at its current rate, there should be plenty.
Baker has become one of the most important pieces of the Rays bullpen and has already established a franchise record by converting 23 consecutive save opportunities.
Now he is chasing the bigger number.
Fernando Rodney’s 2012 Season Remains Legendary
Breaking Rodney’s record would be no small accomplishment.
Rodney’s 2012 season remains arguably the greatest year ever produced by a Rays reliever.
He recorded 48 saves in 50 opportunities, posted an almost unbelievable 0.60 ERA and finished with a 0.78 WHIP over 74 2/3 innings.
Rodney’s ERA was a Major League record for a relief pitcher with at least 50 innings at the time, and his performance was so dominant that he finished fifth in American League Cy Young Award voting.
He didn’t simply set the Rays saves record. He put together one of the greatest relief seasons in baseball history.
That’s the number Baker is chasing.
And he’s close enough that every save from this point forward should receive a little more attention.
What Baker Needs to Break the Record
With 46 Rays games remaining, Baker needs 15 saves to establish the record.
That means he would need to save approximately one-third of Tampa Bay’s remaining games.
For comparison, Baker recorded his first 34 saves over the Rays’ first 116 games. At that pace, he would add roughly 13 or 14 saves over the final 46.
In other words, 49 saves is right on the edge of his current pace.
One particularly strong stretch of close victories could make the difference.
If Baker reaches 40 saves with 25 or more games remaining, Rodney’s record will be under serious pressure.
If he gets to 45 before the final two weeks of the season, it could become one of the most compelling individual storylines of the Rays’ September schedule.
Two Rays Record Chases Worth Watching
The Rays aren’t going to measure the success of this season by whether they win 100 games. Nor will Baker judge his season solely by whether he reaches 49 saves.
The ultimate goal is October.
For Tampa Bay, that means winning the AL East, earning the best postseason position possible and putting itself in position to return to the World Series.
But regular-season accomplishments still matter.
The 2008 team is remembered for transforming the franchise and reaching the World Series. The 2021 team owns the franchise record with 100 victories. Rodney’s 2012 season remains the standard by which every Rays closer is measured.
The 2026 Rays now have a chance to alter that record book.
Tampa Bay needs 30 wins in its final 46 games to reach 100 and 31 to establish a franchise record with 101.
Baker needs 14 saves to tie Rodney and 15 to break his record.
Neither chase will be easy.
But both are realistic enough that they deserve to be watched closely over the final seven weeks of the season.
