Tampa Bay Rays: American League East Champs?

As the Tampa Bay Rays head to Boston for a pivotal 3-game showdown with the Red Sox beginning Tuesday, no one would have imagined this late in the season it would be for a battle of first place in the American League East. Yet, here it is June, and the Rays are the team the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles and Yankees are chasing.

The Rays have a record of 35-22, best in the team history, and hold a 1-game lead over the Red Sox. Most baseball fans and players are surprised by the Rays' success and are leery to believe the team has turned a new leaf. There seems to be an attitude of let's wait and see if they're for real.

So far, the Rays are real. They are not the team of the past. Young players like Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Carl Crawford and B. J. Upton have matured as players and team leaders, and veterans like Troy Percival and Cliff Floyd are proving their worth through experience and on-field performance. Rookie Evan Longoria and newcomers Jason Bartlett, Matt Garza and Gabe Gross are adding extra excitement to a team that used to fizzle and die early in the season. The starting pitchers are doing well and are pitching 6, 7, 8 and 9 innings. And, the bullpen of old no longer exists. The relief pitchers enter a game and actually do what they are paid to do: pitch and pitch well!

The Tampa Bay Rays are finding ways to win. They do it with the best defense in Major League Baseball. They do it with their bats. They do it with aggressive base running. They do it by gaining big leads. They do it with walk-off home runs. They do it with attitude. They win because they believe they will win.

Can the Rays keep up the winning pace through September? Who knows? It's a long season, but as long as the players stay healthy and committed to winning, the Rays will be headed to the playoffs. Much to the dismay of the cocky Red Sox and Yankee fans!