Tampa Bay Rays on pace for greatest power-speed season in MLB history

The Tampa Bay Rays lead the majors in most home runs and most stolen bases. The Rays have 101 home runs and 72 steals in their first 55 games. Their 101 home runs are 12 more than the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers, who each are second in this stat with 89 home runs. The Rays 72 steals are 14 more than the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Tampa Bay is on pace for 297 home runs for the season and 212 steals. Only once in MLB history has a team finished the year with more than 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases: In 1996, the Colorado Rockies had 221 home runs and 201 stolen bases. The Tampa Bay Rays could make a run at being the only team in baseball history to have 300 or more home runs and 200 or more steals in a season.

Greatest team power/speed seasons in MLB history

Having a season where the team has averaged at least one home run and one steal per game in a season is rare. In fact, there have been only 13 teams in history to have 162 or more home runs and 162 or more steals in a 162-game season. The 13 are:

Season, Team, Home Runs-Steals
1977, Cincinnati, 181-170
1987, Cincinnati, 192-169
1987, Milwaukee, 163-176
1996, Cincinnati, 191-171
1996, Colorado, 221-201
1998, Toronto, 221-184
1999, Cincinnati, 209-164
1999, Houston, 168-166
1999, Los Angeles Dodgers, 187-167
2001, Seattle, 169-174
2007, New York Mets, 177-200
2009, Tampa Bay, 199-194
2016, Milwaukee, 194-181

Tampa Bay Rays could challenge team slugging percentage record

After 55 games this season, the Rays are also in rarified air when it comes to a team slugging percentage. The MLB team record for highest slugging percentage in a season is .495 by the 2019 Houston Astros. The Rays this year are sitting at .500 through the first one-third of the season. Only four teams have finished a season with a .490 or better slugging percentage in a single season: 2019-Houston (.495), 2019-Minnesota (.494), 2003-Boston (.491) and 2019 New York Yankees (.490).