ST. PETERSBURG — Junior Caminero launched his 40th home run of the season, a walk-off shot into the left-field seats at Tropicana Field, as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Houston Astros 3-1 to become the first team in Major League Baseball to clinch a 2026 postseason berth.

The Rays (88-59) locked up their 10th playoff appearance in franchise history and their first since 2023 after two consecutive seasons out of the postseason. Tampa Bay holds a three-game lead over the New York Yankees (85-62) in the American League East with 15 games remaining, including four at Yankee Stadium to begin the final week of the season.

“Very excited. Very impressed and proud and encouraged with this group. It’s been pretty consistent all season long how special we thought this group was, and they’ve just gone out on the field, night after night, and backed it up,” manager Kevin Cash said. “The guys are pumped in there, rightfully so. We’re in. I think they all acknowledge we want to continue this, but we’re going to celebrate the heck out of it tonight.”

The clincher validated a preseason speech that president of baseball operations Erik Neander delivered to the team inside the visitors’ clubhouse at Busch Stadium before their Opening Day matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals. Widely picked to finish last in the AL East, the Rays instead have spent 116 days leading the division and held the AL’s best record for a franchise-record 115 days.

“They might have thought I was an idiot, but we did have a genuine belief that this team was a lot tighter with the other four [AL East] teams than certainly the public had it,” Neander said. “No matter what happens from here, they’ve proven that to be correct.”

Neander called the preseason address a rare move. “It was sincere. Just shared a message that we believed. That was it,” he said. “Don’t do it every year, but felt it was important to let them know.”

The return to a rebuilt Tropicana Field after Hurricane Milton forced the Rays to play last season outdoors at Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Field made the home clinch all the more significant — the first at the dome since 2021. Victor Mesa Jr. delivered a game-tying homer in the fifth inning before Caminero’s walk-off blast sealed it.

“Really, really happy. This feels a lot more special than some of the other ones, just because of everything we’ve gone through,” veteran designated hitter Yandy Díaz said through interpreter Kevin Vera. “Look, the job’s not finished. We still have a big title in mind with winning the division.”

Starter Nick Martinez, who signed with the Rays in February, credited Neander’s speech with setting the tone. “I think it instilled a lot of confidence in where Erik stands, where the front office stands and this coaching staff stands. I think that’s great for players,” Martinez said. “And they were, from the beginning, expecting us to win and be a good ballclub. I think that set us off in the right direction.”

Rays CEO Ken Babby, part of the ownership group that assumed control over the offseason, called the clinch just the start. “I’m so thrilled for this whole group. It’s been a special group all the way since Port Charlotte,” Babby said. “Erik and Kevin, the whole staff, they’ve just done an incredible job. It’s just the beginning for this group.”

Caminero, an AL MVP candidate, put the moment simply. “We haven’t made the postseason the last two years, but it feels great to be back,” he said through Vera. “It’s just such a great feeling. This group is so special.”

The Rays now turn their attention to securing the AL East title — their first since 2021 — with four games at Yankee Stadium looming in the season’s final week.