OK, let’s see who’s been paying attention.
Name the last Rays player to hit a home run.
Of course, it was Jonathan Aranda in the first inning of Sunday’s win against the Angels.
And before that? Yandy Diaz. Before that? Aranda. Before that? Diaz. Before that? Diaz.
The point is not that Aranda and Diaz are on hot streaks. That’s pretty self-evident.
No, the interesting thing is the Rays have the most top-heavy lineup in franchise history.
Between them, Junior Caminero, Aranda and Diaz have accounted for 35 of Tampa Bay’s 48 home runs this season. That’s 72.9%, and that’s mind-blowing.
The previous high-water mark for three hitters dominating the Rays lineup was last season, when Caminero, Brandon Lowe and Diaz combined to hit 101 of 182 homers, or 55.4%. The only other time it was remotely that close was in 1999, when Fred McGriff, Jose Canseo and Bubba Trammell (also John Flaherty) combined for 80 of 145 for 55.1%.
The Rays are not on a record pace — sorry, but I don't have the resources to figure out which team relied on three hitters to provide more power — but I do know the heart of the 1927 Yankees lineup (Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri) accounted for 79.1% of New York’s home runs.
Still, this has the makings of a historic anomaly for a team with the best record in the American League.
In a philosophical sense, the concept is not shocking. The Rays knew Caminero, Diaz and Aranda would carry the lion’s share of the load in 2026. During spring training, team president Erik Neander called them the three aircraft carriers in the middle of the order.
Also, the Rays were shifting their focus to a lineup with more bat control and speed than power.
But did anyone think it would be this extreme?
There are a handful of factors that have gone into this crazy split. First of all, Aranda and Diaz are on pace to hit 31 homers each, which would be career highs for both of them. (Caminero is on pace for 38, which is impressive but a slight step back after 45 last season.)
Also, the Rays have not gotten as much production as they might have expected from free-agent signings Cedric Mullins and Jake Fraley. Mullins has averaged 20 homers every 162 games in his career but has only three in 2026. Fraley has been more of a platoon hitter but has averaged 16 homers every 162 games. He’s hit two so far.
In fact, in the last 13 games, the Rays have gotten exactly two home runs from players not named Caminero, Diaz or Aranda.
Could this eventually bite Tampa Bay in the behind?
It’s hard to say. Rallies are harder to come by against elite pitching in the postseason, so it helps to have sluggers who can score with one swing of the bat.
When the Rays reached the World Series in 2020, they blasted 34 homers in 20 postseason games. Since then, they’ve hit eight homers in eight postseason games and have lost seven of those games. So, yeah, homers come in handy in October.
And yet, the Rays have played small-ball at an elite level in 2026.
They may be 27th in the majors in home runs, but they’re eighth in runs scored per game.
Bottom line? It’s worked so far.
