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Sports fans in Tampa Bay are getting to enjoy something of a golden age, which is practically unheard of amongst all the major league teams competing out of one city. Rarely does one city have all its major franchise teams achieving success at the same time, although this is one location eager to buck the trend.
Tampa Bay Lightning electrified the NHL in 2020, thrilling hockey fans after a superb campaign which culminated in lifting the iconic Stanley Cup, as Nikita Kucherov led the team for goals, assists, and points. Eager to establish a hockey dynasty, the franchise is looking to repeat that feat again in 2021.
That was followed by something even more unexpected, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers overcame the odds, going on a fascinating run to win Super Bowl LV earlier this year. Veteran quarterback Tom Brady proved that age is just a number, leading his team to become the first NFL team to play and win the Super Bowl in their home stadium.
When the Tampa Bay Rays came so close
Given the other two major sporting franchises have achieved such phenomenal success, now it’s time for the Tampa Bay Rays to step up to the plate. In 2020, the Rays came agonizingly close to making it a unique year for their home city, reaching the World Series for only the second time in franchise history since making their MLB debut in 1998.
After topping the American League standings following an excellent regular season, the Rays went on to sweep the wild card series against the Toronto Blue Jays, Division Series against the New York Yankees, then the championship series against the Houston Astros. Pitching against the Los Angeles Dodgers was the final challenge in the World Series.
The Rays had only reached the MLB championship series once before, losing the 2008 World Series 4-1 against the Philadelphia Phillies. At one point the 2020 World Series was tied at two games apiece, before the Dodgers took charge of the two final encounters. They won the last two games to claim the World Series title 4-2, as the Rays once again fell short.
Can the Rays go all the way in 2021?
? @RaysBaseball finishes May with a 22-6 record, which currently gives them the best record in MLB!#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/A9lj2MkFXd
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 31, 2021
If there’s one thing the 2020 season proved, this is a Tampa Bay Rays franchise hungry for success. Reaching the World Series and losing was hugely frustrating for the organization and fans alike, although it also laid the foundations for plenty of hope moving forward, regardless of what many so-called baseball experts think.
Like many of the major sports these days, the MLB is often dominated by statistics and performance metrics. Individually speaking, in this regard the Rays don’t boast any outstanding star players. In fact, not one single member of the Rays roster was rated amongst the MLB Network top 50 players, with second baseman Brandon Lowe ranking highest at 53.
Nevertheless, this is a team built around collective success, rather than individual excess. Heading into the June fixture schedule and leading as they mean to continue, the Rays are joint favorites with the Yankees at +150 odds to win the American League East, alongside the New York Yankees. The Tampa Bay franchise is also tipped at +1500 to win the World Series.
Rampant regular season Rays
The top plays from a red hot May ?
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 4, 2021
Presented by @SagicorLifeUSA pic.twitter.com/gzGWvIdLHb
After what was a genuinely mixed start to the 2021 MLB season in April, posting a 13-14 game losing record overall, the Rays finally found their groove in May. In fact, Tampa Bay climbed from 7th to 2nd in the overall team power rankings on May 30, after enjoying an exceptional record of 14 wins in 15 games prior to that date.
Despite players not registering any outstanding numbers individually, the fact this team can win games points to an enviable collective strength. When the Rays are in form collectively as a group of players, they are mightily difficult opponents to beat, which doesn’t need to rely on stellar individual performances to get results.
Top of the American League standings on June 3, with 36 wins and 22 losses, everything points at the Tampa Bay Rays making it to the playoffs for the third season in a row. Given that many sportsbooks fancy the Los Angeles Dodgers for a second World Series title in a row, there’s a great incentive for the Rays to go all the way, then exact the revenge they deserve.
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