Warning: Rays are Dangerous

At 14-5 after three weeks, the Tampa Bay Rays have the best record in the MLB. Not far behind are the 12-6 defending World Champions, the New York Yankees, but the Rays look to be the dominant team early.

Despite a mediocre home record of 5-4, the Rays have been able to win on the road, going 9-1. The Rays have also done well against their division foes, going 12-4 against the perennial power that is the AL East.

All the bats for the Rays are coming together nicely so far. All Stars Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria are batting .319 and .324 respectively while sluggers BJ Upton and Carlos Pena each have recorded 4 home runs. However, it has been the pitching that has led them to their stellar record.

In my preseason predictions, I mentioned how David Price and Rafael Soriano were going to need to live up to expectations if the Rays were going to compete in the AL. Well, so far they certainly have. Price is 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA, including a complete game shutout against the Blue Jays on Sunday. Closer Rafael Soriano has been perfect, going 4-4 in save opportunities. Still, are the Rays a team that can beat the Yankees?

Matt Garza, James Shields, and David Price are a great 1-2-3 punch in the rotation, but when compared to Sabathia, Burnett, Pettite, I have got to go with the Yanks. The Yankees infield is one of the best of all-time, with two locks for the Hall of Fame on the left side in A-Rod and Jeter. So what do the Rays have going for them? The Yankees are just coming off a World Championship last season, and they might be a little hungover from the win. When you have as many playoff-tested veterans, the regular season becomes less important. The Rays may be hungrier than the Yanks, and if they can establish a division lead early, they may be able to hold off the Yankees late. Still, expect both these teams in the playoffs, one as the wild card and one as the division winner. That would set up a potential exciting ALCS match up.