Confident Tampa Bay Rays Playing, Looking Like Winners

The Tampa Bay Rays came into the season feeling like they were a good team. Now, they’re showing it.

For the first time since the season was about a week old, the Rays are sporting a winning record. Thanks to a season-high six-game winning streak, Tampa Bay has climbed above .500 at 27-26.

The last time the Rays had more wins than losses, they were 4-3. That was the first week of April. They’re finally back there as May is winding down.

“We know the kind of team that we are capable of being, and that's what we're showing right now,” first baseman Jonathan Aranda said through an interpreter, according to MLB.com. “We're playing with a lot of confidence.”

Aranda slugged a three-run homer in Monday’s 7-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins to extend MLB’s longest current win streak. It’s also the longest for Tampa Bay since a seven-game unbeaten run from June 3-9, 2023.

The Rays are 11-5 in their last 16 games to move up to second place in the American League East, six games back of the New York Yankees entering Tuesday. In the Wild Card race, Tampa Bay is just one game out of a playoff spot.

The Rays are finally winning in their temporary home, going 8-2 in their last 10 games at George M. Steinbrenner Field. They’re scoring runs, playing defense and pitching. Tampa Bays has outscored foes 37-10 over the last six games, while the pitching staff has a 1.67 ERA, including 1.50 from starters.

“Everybody thought we had this in us, right? We knew the rotation was going to be really good,” said Monday’s winner Zack Littell, according to MLB.com. “Obviously, without Shane [McClanahan], it's taken a little bit of a hit. But I don't think anybody doubted the potential of the five guys that we do have.”