Whenever you are in first place, you cannot help but check behind you and see who is in the rearview mirror. Is the team in second place keeping pace, fading off into the distance or closing in on you? Paranoia can consume us all, but it would be such a shame if it got the best of the New York Yankees. The Tampa Bay Rays are the team in second place in the AL East right now, but are only still hovering around .500.
What does intrigue me in this is the AL East has been the worst division in baseball through the first two months of the season. New York enters play on Tuesday with a stellar 33-20 mark. Tampa Bay is six games back at 27-26, having won seven of its last 10. Everybody else in the division is below .500 entering the final week of May. Just when you thought it was okay to cross off the Rays, think again. Why do they always do this?
Well, for one, they are well-managed with Kevin Cash knowing exactly what he needs to do to win prolifically in one of the hardest jobs in baseball. Per usual, the Rays are a bunch of no-names wreaking havoc across the Junior Circuit. This year, they are doing it in the Yankees' spring training stadium while Tropicana Field gets rebuilt in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. What are the odds?
Outside of Cash's brilliance as a manager, here is what else the Rays have going for them this season.
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What is driving the Tampa Bay Rays' recent run of success this season?
Entering play on Tuesday vs. the Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay is riding the longest active winning streak in baseball at six games. This doubles the three-game streak the Yankees have going right now. While the Rays are getting about league-average production at the plate, where Cash's team seems to have an advantage is with its pitching staff, especially with its bullpen. Here is why that is the case.
Whether it be closer Pete Fairbanks, Manuel Rodriguez, Garrett Cleavinger or Eric Orze, it is one arm after another coming out of the bullpen to shorten the game for the Rays. Yes, they need to get a little more production out of the starting lineup and rotation, but when this team has the lead, the Rays are built to rarely relinquish it. Having a great bullpen is a way to close the gap on more loaded rosters.
In time, maybe another rival of the Yankees emerges as their most formidable threat? Right now, Tampa Bay seems to have its stuff together more so than Baltimore, Boston or Toronto. It may very well be the Yankees' division to lose, but Tampa Bay's inherent steadiness could serve the Rays in the end. Cash has seen everything. One could argue that he is the best manager in the entire division.
Here's to us learning more about these emerging stars who are driving the Rays to success again.