The Tampa Bay Rays

Remember that little team from Tampa that everyone used to view as a break in the schedule, an easy series that you could take 2 of 3 to get right. Last year everyone wanted to play the Devil Rays when they got in a bad stretch, just to right themselves. Now, no one wants to play them, at all, whatsoever. The rays are currently a half game back in the AL East, but just a week or so ago, they were in first, by 5 games at one time.

They are a great story for baseball because they are winning without the big market, or the big superstar, and they are doing it without really anyone having a career year, except rookie Evan Longoria. Troy Percival has done this before in the bullpen, Scott Kazmir and James Shields were both amazing last year despite the fact that the team struggled, Carlos Pena is even having a down year and he led the Rays with 47 homeruns last season.

I don't think the Rays can win the division, but they can move back into first a few times before the season is over, they can keep the Red Sox looking at the standings and box scores to see if the Rays are still there, and they can make the playoffs. They are my favorite for the Wild Card right now, just because I don't know if the Yankees can come together enough to make up the 6 games on the Rays. The Yankees are getting more injured by the minute and don't have Joe Torre to light a fire under the veterans this season and the rest of the Rays' competition is just as inexperienced as the Rays are, so I think they win the Wild Card.