With their insane 26-6 start to the season, the Tampa Bay Rays have their eyes set on eventually competing for the World Series trophy. The Rays have now broken another record that makes their chances look even brighter.
Tampa Bay is the second team since 1939 to start their season with a 26-6 record, via Jeff Passan of ESPN. They're the seventh team in baseball history to record such a start.
Of those seven teams, five of them went on to win 100+ games that season. Four of them ended up winning the World Series. While the Rays have a long way to the postseason, history is working on Tampa Bay's side.
In their strong start to the season, the Rays have excelled in all aspects of the game. Tampa Bay's offense leads the league in runs scored (210), batting average (.278), home runs (67) and OPS (.876).
Furthermore, their pitching staff leads the league in ERA (2.87), opponent's batting average (.205) and shutouts (6). Their 284 strikeouts rank 10th overall.
Over a 162 game schedule, it's hard to imagine the Rays staying this dominant all season. However, it's clear that Tampa Bay is one of, if not the, team to beat. Even if they regress back towards the mean as the year progresses, the Rays start will always be one of the more memorable in league history.
The Rays now have the stats on their side when it comes to their World Series chances. After an impressive start to the season, the only thing Tampa Bay can hope for is an even more glorious finish.
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