The Tampa Bay Rays are currently showing a mastery of a skill that hasn’t been in vogue in baseball in a long time.

They’re hitting singles.

The Rays hit 35 singles across the first three games of the 2026 MLB season. That’s the most anyone has hit in the first three games of a campaign since the 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers, according to Cespedes Family BBQ on X.

That Dodgers team was quite the group — it included Roy Campanella, Gil Hodges, Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Duke Snider.

This Rays team is not filled with household names in the way those guys were stars even in their time, but maybe there’s something to this positive Rays approach to begin the season.

Or maybe not. They went only 1-2 in the opening series against the St. Louis Cardinals, although they did outscore the Cards for the series.

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So far, Yandy Diaz leads the way with nine singles. All nine of his hits (in 16 at bats, .563 average) have been singles.

Ben Williamson and Chandler Simpson have each hit five singles.

Jonathan Aranda and Nick Fortes have each added four singles.

Jonny DeLuca has three singles. Junior Caminero and Carson Williams each have two. And Jake Fraley and Hunter Feduccia each have one.

Yep, in an era defined by home runs, the Rays have just one so far (Aranda). They also have five doubles. 

Whether or not it’s a repeatable recipe, or one that wins enough games, remains to be seen.

But it’s certainly quite the start to the season in a way that no one would’ve expected given the modern approach of most hitters.

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