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The Tampa Bay Rays are beginning to find their groove again.
After going 7-3 in their last 10 games and finishing their 10-game homestand, the longest of the season, on a 5-game winning streak, the Rays have found themselves back on top of the American League East.
They surpassed the New York Yankees, and now hold a 1.5 game lead heading into Tuesday after moving to 48-33 on the season, the best record inside the American League.
With great surges usually come great rewards, and that's exactly what happened in this week's latest polls.
On Monday, Bleacher Report dropped its latest power rankings, and the Rays moved up for the first time in a month. After sitting at number 7 on the list for 3 straight weeks, the team moved up to 6th in the latest rankings. B/R writer Joel Reuter is starting to become very impressed with the Rays stars on offense.
"Given their lackluster 17-21 record on the road this season, the Rays did well to maximize their time at Tropicana Field last week by ripping off a five-game winning streak. The offense has plated 38 runs in their last six games, and Junior Caminero went 11-for-26 with seven home runs and 15 RBI last week."
Junior Caminero refuses to slow down. His multiple early home runs this past weekend made him the first player in Rays history with a 1st inning homer in 3 straight games. His 22nd home run of the season went 463 feet, which may very well be the longest of his career. He now has 7 homers in the last 6 games.
Will Leitch of MLB.com also followed suit and put the Rays 6th. The Caminero hype train has officially left the station as a potential frontrunner for the league's best award.
"When do we start thinking of Junior Caminero as a sleeper MVP candidate?" Said Leitch. "His current hot streak has him third in the AL in OPS and third in homers for a team that has been one of the most surprising in the Majors. It's not that wild of a notion: He was, after all, ninth in voting just last year."
The idea that Caminero should be considered for AL MVP should remind the Rays front office, especially Eric Neander, that this team is special and has the right foundation to make a deep run if the right supporting pieces are added. The young third baseman is certainly making a case to surpass players such as Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians as the best hot corner in the game today.
If the Rays add a few more depth pieces to strengthen their batting order and possibly one more early-inning bullpen piece, Tampa Bay should definitely be seen as one of the most dangerous teams heading into the fall.
Continue reading...
After going 7-3 in their last 10 games and finishing their 10-game homestand, the longest of the season, on a 5-game winning streak, the Rays have found themselves back on top of the American League East.
They surpassed the New York Yankees, and now hold a 1.5 game lead heading into Tuesday after moving to 48-33 on the season, the best record inside the American League.
With great surges usually come great rewards, and that's exactly what happened in this week's latest polls.
On Monday, Bleacher Report dropped its latest power rankings, and the Rays moved up for the first time in a month. After sitting at number 7 on the list for 3 straight weeks, the team moved up to 6th in the latest rankings. B/R writer Joel Reuter is starting to become very impressed with the Rays stars on offense.
"Given their lackluster 17-21 record on the road this season, the Rays did well to maximize their time at Tropicana Field last week by ripping off a five-game winning streak. The offense has plated 38 runs in their last six games, and Junior Caminero went 11-for-26 with seven home runs and 15 RBI last week."
Junior Caminero refuses to slow down. His multiple early home runs this past weekend made him the first player in Rays history with a 1st inning homer in 3 straight games. His 22nd home run of the season went 463 feet, which may very well be the longest of his career. He now has 7 homers in the last 6 games.
Will Leitch of MLB.com also followed suit and put the Rays 6th. The Caminero hype train has officially left the station as a potential frontrunner for the league's best award.
"When do we start thinking of Junior Caminero as a sleeper MVP candidate?" Said Leitch. "His current hot streak has him third in the AL in OPS and third in homers for a team that has been one of the most surprising in the Majors. It's not that wild of a notion: He was, after all, ninth in voting just last year."
The idea that Caminero should be considered for AL MVP should remind the Rays front office, especially Eric Neander, that this team is special and has the right foundation to make a deep run if the right supporting pieces are added. The young third baseman is certainly making a case to surpass players such as Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians as the best hot corner in the game today.
If the Rays add a few more depth pieces to strengthen their batting order and possibly one more early-inning bullpen piece, Tampa Bay should definitely be seen as one of the most dangerous teams heading into the fall.
Continue reading...
