The Cuban Yandy Díaz was the driving force behind the victory of the Tampa Bay Rays over the New York Yankees this Tuesday, a 6-1 win at Yankee Stadium that secured the Florida team the title of the American League East Division for the fifth time in its history, according to the official MLB site.
Aligned as the leadoff hitter and designated hitter, the Cuban player connected for two singles in five at-bats and drove in four runs, leading an offensive effort that left no doubts. With that result, the Rays improved to 96-61 for the season, while the Yankees fell to 90-67.
Díaz's performance allowed him to accumulate 52 games with multiple hits in the 2026 season and reach 330 in his Major League career, a figure that places him 17th all-time among Cubans in the Major Leagues, according to Pelota Cubana.
On an individual level, the player from Villa Clara raised his average to .291 with 175 hits in 602 at-bats and reached 85 runs batted in for the season.
His 48 extra-base hits this season include 25 doubles, one triple, and 22 home runs, with an OPS of .802 that reflects one of his best power campaigns in the Major Leagues.
The 175 hits match his personal record for a season, set in 2025, while the 85 runs batted in exceed the 83 he achieved that same year, establishing a new career high.
Díaz arrived at this moment as the leader in hits in the American League by mid-September, with 173 hits ahead of Chandler Simpson. In July, he had already made history by becoming the fourth player to reach 1,000 hits with the Rays and the first Cuban to achieve this feat, following Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, and Ben Zobrist.
Tuesday's title was the fifth in the East Division in the franchise's history — 2008, 2010, 2020, 2021, and 2026 — and the first in five years. Tampa Bay secured its postseason ticket on September 11.
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