We are just beginning to scratch the surface of the 2023 MLB season, but it looks as though the Tampa Bay Rays are going to be one of the teams to beat.
They entered the season his modest expectations. They play in one of the stronger divisions in baseball, with both the Yankees and Blue Jays being in the top-5 for World Series contenders.
Tampa Bay Rays Outscoring Opponents By 47 In 8 Games
The Rays are 8-0.
They've hit 21 homers so far (1st in MLB).
They've allowed a total of 18 runs.
They've scored 64 runs (1st)
Team SLG% .571 (1st)
Their staff ERA is 2.13 (1st)
The GB% for their pitchers is 48.4 (2nd)
The HR per 9 IP for TB is 0.50 (1st)— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) April 9, 2023
It was predicted that the Rays would finish third in the division. Their over/under on total wins for the season was placed at 87.5, and they were listed as the team 5th most likely to win the American League pennant come seasons end.
But Tampa Bay has far exceeded those expectations, thus far at least.
The Rays are the last remaining undefeated team in baseball, and only one other team has less than three losses. They have an insane +46 run differential through the first week and a half of the year, with the next best team coming in at +21 (Dodgers).
The Tampa Bay Rays are the first team to begin the season 8-0 since the 2003 Royals started 9-0. 😮👀 pic.twitter.com/Amzk8cVMa8
— MLB (@MLB) April 8, 2023
They enter Sunday’s contest with a perfect 8-0 record and a full three games up on the Yankees in the AL East. They have hit the most home runs in the majors so far this season, with 21 in total, while allowing a total of 18 runs combined. Their offense leads all of baseball in total runs scored and slugging percentage, and their pitching staff has the best ERA in the majors at 2.13.
Rays Will Face True Test This Coming Week
It has been mostly a full team effort, too. Wander Franco and Luke Raley lead the team with 3 home runs each, but there are six different players that have two homers so far, making the contributions evenly distributed throughout the roster.
Granted, they haven’t exactly been playing against baseball’s premier teams. They began the season with a clean sweep of the Detroit Tigers by outscoring them 21-3 in three games. After a road sweep of the Washington Nationals, the Rays are in the midst of hosting a three-game set against the Oakland A’s, which they’ll wrap up on Sunday afternoon.
The Rays have hit more home runs (21) than they’ve allowed runs (18).
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) April 9, 2023
They’ll face two tougher tests over the next week, as the Tampa Bay Rays have seven games coming up against division opponents. They’ll host the Red Sox for four games from Monday through Thursday, before facing their first true contending opponent when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays to wrap up the weekend.
Today’s game against the Athletics starts at 1:10 local time. Drew Rasmussen will get the start for the Rays and try to push the team’s record to 9-0.
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