Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

On this fledgling MLB season, no crew has come out of the gate quicker than the Rays.

The AL East squad has swept its first three collection and is now 10-0 on the season, the very best mark of the Wild Card Period. And the Rays are doing it in completely dominant vogue, outscoring opponents 76-18.

It could be an oversight to speak concerning the Rays’ begin with out addressing schedule — they began their season towards the Tigers, Nationals, and Athletics, who have been a mixed 7-21 by means of the weekend, however when three of these video games every are losses to the Rays, that may skew the outcomes this early within the season. Plus, Tampa Bay can solely play the groups on the schedule, and in a sport as vulnerable to flukes as baseball, to not undergo one loss but is extraordinarily spectacular.

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It is honest to say they’re feeling themselves.

The swag is Out. Of. Management. pic.twitter.com/lSscuydY6i

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 8, 2023

There aren’t any caveats to the Rays proper now. They’re enjoying unbelievable baseball.

Greatest begins in MLB historical past

With their 1-0 win towards the Crimson Sox on Monday, the Rays moved previous the 2003 Royals for the longest profitable streak to open the 12 months within the Wild Card Period, however just a few groups have topped them in years previous.

The mark to achieve is 13, which might tie the 1982 Braves and 1987 Brewers for the longest profitable streak to open a 12 months in MLB historical past. (Although, it did not work out so nicely for both of these groups in the long term: The Braves have been swept by the Cardinals within the NLCS and the Brewers did not make the postseason.)

This Rays crew, nonetheless, has a depth to it. Its pitching employees is lights-out, Tampa Bay leads the league in homers (25), and it simply seems good. There might not be such a factor as an ideal begin to the 12 months, however this crew comes shut.

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Listed here are the longest undefeated streaks to start out a season in MLB historical past, and the way these groups fared over the course of the season.

12 months
Group
Beginning Streak
Last File
End result

1982
Atlanta Braves
13-0
89-73
1st in NL East, misplaced 3-0 to Cardinals in NLCS

1987
Milwaukee Brewers
13-0
91-71
third in AL East, missed postseason

1981*
Oakland Athletics
11-0
37-23, 27-22
1st & 2nd in AL West, misplaced 3-0 to Yankees in ALCS

1955
Brooklyn Dodgers
10-0
98-55
1st in NL, defeated Yankees 4-3 in World Collection

1962
Pittsburgh Pirates
10-0
93-63
4th in NL, missed postseason

1966
Cleveland Indians
10-0
81-81
fifth in AL, missed postseason

2023
Tampa Bay Rays
10-0
TBD
TBD

1918
New York Giants
9-0
71-53
2nd in NL, missed postseason

1940
Brooklyn Dodgers
9-0
88-65
2nd in NL, missed postseason

1944
St. Louis Browns
9-0
89-65
1st in AL, misplaced World Collection 4-2 to Cardinals

1984 
Detroit Tigers
9-0
104-58
1st in AL East, received World Collection 4-1 vs. Padres

1990
Cincinnati Reds
9-0
91-71
1st in NL West, received World Collection 4-0 vs. Athletics

2003
Kansas Metropolis Royals
9-0
83-79
third in AL Central, missed postseason

* – Season cut up by labor strike

It goes with out saying it is an especially lengthy season. However what the Rays are doing proper now’s spectacular whatever the outcomes of groups previous. Plus, many of those profitable streaks are coming from occasions when the sport was so totally different it is inconceivable to attract significant conclusions from them.

Rays’ unbeaten streak by the numbers

25 dwelling runs

The Rays lead MLB by means of Monday with 25 dwelling runs, 4 greater than the second-place Dodgers. Wander Franco, who’s in search of his first season of 100-plus video games performed, is main the best way with 4 homers, a .317 common, and an OPS of 1.047.

This crew, nonetheless, runs deep. 9 gamers have a number of dwelling runs by means of these 10 video games, and that bleeds into the following stat:

18 runs allowed

The Rays have seven extra dwelling runs than runs allowed. That’s, in a phrase, ridiculous.

Whereas it will not keep like that every one season, the pitching employees has been nothing in need of unbelievable. With Tyler Glasnow nonetheless on IL, the Rays have a crew ERA of 1.70 with 89 strikeouts and 59 hits allowed. These are the stats of a more in-depth solid over a whole pitching employees.

And it is not simply the bullpen. The Rays’ high 4 starters of Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs, and Zach Eflin are a mixed 8-0 with an ERA of 1.19. Solely Josh Fleming has scuffled in his lone begin as an opener. He was changed by Jalen Beeks within the rotation for Monday’s begin towards the Crimson Sox in what turned out to be a piggyback outing — each pitched, permitting two hits between them throughout six shutout innings. 

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+58 run differential

There is no extra telling stat for the Rays than their run differential. They don’t seem to be simply profitable. They’re dominating.

Tampa has scored 76 runs and allowed 18 for a run differential of +58. To place that in context, there hadn’t been a crew with a run differential of +50 by means of 9 video games since 1884. Solely the St. Louis Maroons and New York Gothams posted a greater differential.

Of all the mind-boggling stats, that is essentially the most boggling.

THE RAYS’ +57 RUN DIFF IS THE HIGHEST IN A TEAM’S 1ST 9 GAMES SINCE 1900

OVERALL LIST:

highest run diff in 1st 9 video games of season, MLB historical past:

1884 St. Louis Maroons: +78
1884 New York Gothams: +63
2023 Rays: +57
1882 Windfall Grays: +54
1876 Hartfords of Brooklyn: +51

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) April 9, 2023

Newcomer Zach Eflin has made a direct affect on the Rays rotation, giving up 12 hits and 4 runs in 11 innings to this point. Brandon Lowe has been excellent since a decrease again damage shortened his 2022. And Kevin Kiermeier’s presence hasn’t been missed but, whether or not Jose Siri (who went on the 10-day IL) or Manuel Margot have been in middle subject.

Rays upcoming schedule

The Rays took the opener of a four-game set with the Crimson Sox Monday, by which they’ll attempt to catch the Braves and Brewers. From there, they head up north to tackle the Jays in Toronto in a three-game collection.

Date
Opponent
Pitchers

April 11
Boston Crimson Sox
Garrett Whitlock (BOS) vs. Shane McClanahan (TB)

April 12
Boston Crimson Sox
Chris Sale (BOS) vs. Zach Eflin (TB)

April 13
Boston Crimson Sox
Corey Kluber (BOS) vs. Jeffrey Springs (TB)

April 14
Toronto Blue Jays
TBD vs. TBD

April 15
Toronto Blue Jays
TBD vs. TBD

April 16
Toronto Blue Jays
TBD vs. TBD

The Crimson Sox have allowed 19 homers this 12 months, placing them on the eighth-worst mark in baseball. Three groups above them? The Athletics, Nationals, and Tigers. Courtesy of the Rays.

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