Rays’ recent success adds to their chances of making the playoffs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Tampa Bay Rays are one of the hottest teams in Major League Baseball, as they are winners of seven straight games. During their winning streak, the Rays have outscored their opponents 30-10.

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At 25-12, the Rays sit a half-game behind the New York Yankees for the lead in the American League East, while maintaining the fourth-best record in baseball. After not making the playoffs for the last three seasons — the Rays lost to the eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers in the Wild Card round (2-0) in 2023 — the Rays have a great chance to turn that around.

The Tampa Bay Rays ranked as the biggest surprise team to make the postseason

According to MLB.com’s Thomas Harrigan, the Rays were ranked as the biggest surprise team to make the postseason after getting off to their hot start.

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“With 12 wins in their past 13 games, the Rays have the best record (24-12) of any team on this list — and the fourth-best record in MLB this season,” wrote Harrigan. “Tampa Bay is the one of two AL teams, along with the Yankees, to have three qualifiers ranked among the league’s top 25 hitters in wRC+, with Yandy Díaz (12th at 145), Jonathan Aranda (tied for 16th at 135) and Junior Caminero (tied for 24th at 125) all off to strong starts. The Rays also have MLB’s fourth-best ERA at 3.58, and they’ve started to play better defense lately after struggling in that department early on.”

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However, the Rays may struggle to maintain this success down the stretch as their starting pitching is a question mark. Right-hander Ryan Pepiot, who started the season on the injured list with right hip inflammation, will miss the entire season after undergoing surgery. Left-hander Steven Matz (left elbow inflammation) and right-hander Joe Boyle (right elbow inflammation) have possible return dates of late May, but that is not set in stone.

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Left-hander Shane McClanahan has pitched like his All-Star self (4-2 with a 2.60 ERA), but he can’t be fully relied on to lead things, as he missed the past two seasons due to injuries. So, given these factors, the Rays may be a team to watch to buy in the starting pitching market at the trade deadline (Aug. 3).

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