AL East: Don’t forget about the Tampa Bay Rays

While many are quick to hand the AL East division to the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays are keeping pace in the pennant race.

Since the start of the season, picking either the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees to win the AL East was a safe bet. With Chris Sale bolstering Boston’s rotation and Aaron Judge tearing the cover off the ball for the Yankees, it seemed as if the other three teams in the division did not stand a chance.

Enter the Tampa Bay Rays.

Standing 51-44, the Rays are putting pressure on the Red Sox and Yankees. With a 1.5 game hold on the on the top wild card spot over the Yankees who have the second wild card spot, Tampa Bay is only two games back of Boston in the division.

“It’s nuts that we’re in second place in one of the toughest divisions in baseball and nobody’s saying anything about it,” Steven Souza Jr. said (per usatoday.com). “We love to be flying under the radar. One of the unique characteristics about this team is nobody needs to be in the limelight. We don’t really care about who’s paying attention or not.”

The story of the Rays this season becomes even more “nuts” when you look at where they were three years ago. In the years following their last playoff appearance in 2013, the Rays have been unable to finish with a winning record. Their worst came last season, when they went 68-94 and took last place by 25 games, but this season is shaping up to be the polar opposite.

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New season, renewed offense

By averaging roughly 4.7 runs per game, the Rays are on course to score over 800 runs by the end of the season. Similarly, the power surges of Logan Morrison (19) and Steven Souza Jr. (19), who are posting all-career home run totals, are putting the Rays on pace to set a new franchise record for single-season homers.

Tampa Bay’s offense compliments well with their superb starting rotation. Bragging the talents of Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi, the Rays are sixth in the major leagues with a 3.93 starter ERA.

“I think it puts us above the rest if we can all throw like we’re capable of,” Odorizzi said. “The way our offense is going, if our pitching comes around like it’s coming right now, we’re going to be a tough team to beat going forward.”

What needs to be done

Yet, if the Rays hope to compete with the Red Sox and Yankees, they need to succeed amidst an ever-growing disabled list while solving their bullpen problems. Kevin Kiermaier, Colby Rasmus and Matt Duffy are among the prominent Rays currently on the disabled list.

Another on the disabled list is Shawn Tolleson, whom the Rays signed this offseason to improve their bullpen. After recording 46 saves over the past two years for the Texas Rangers, Tolleson’s decision to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery kept the Rays bullpen in need of help.

Next: White Sox calling up Moncada

While their rotation brags one of the best ERAs in the major leagues, the Rays’ bullpen is among the worst. With a 4.40 reliever ERA (20th), Tampa Bay is fourth in the American League with 16 blown saves. With 10 games remaining against the Yankees and eight against the Red Sox, the Rays need to work on their bullpen if they hope to compete in the AL East.