MLB Power Rankings: Will the Tampa Bay Rays Steal the AL East?

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After giving the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox some major headaches for a couple seasons, this was supposed to be the year the Tampa Bay Rays fell back down to earth. Or, to put it more adequately, back to the bottom of the American League East.

Well, we're midway through July now, and we're still waiting for this to happen. Despite the fact they do not appear to be the juggernaut they were in 2008 and 2010, the Rays are hanging around in baseball's toughest division. After tonight's 9-6 win over the Red Sox down in Tropicana Field, the Rays are just five games off the pace at 50-41, and three and a half games behind the Yanks for second place.

That the Rays are still in this thing at this point in the season is probably good enough, but at some point we're going to have to come to grips with the idea of them actually winning the division.

Well, how about now?

Make no mistake, it's not going to be easy for the Rays to make a charge at a second straight division crown. They may have the goods to stay in the race, but they don't have the kind of roster that is conducive to longer win streaks. The Yanks and the Sox do, which is a big reason why they're setting the pace in the division.

Still, the good news for the Rays is that the Yanks and the Sox are both in a spot of bother as far as their pitching is concerned. We all know about Boston's injury issues, and the Bombers have given up 23 runs in two games since the All-Star break. Both clubs will right the ship eventually, but it is going to take some time.

In other words, the window is open for the Rays to make their move. Because their pitching is doing just fine, relatively speaking, the pressure is going to be on the offense to establish some consistency.

Easier said than done. The Rays may have erupted for nine runs in their first post-All-Star contest, but they are by no means a prolific offensive team. Their collective batting average of .245 is third-worst in the American League, and their .313 on-base percentage is fourth-worst.

The Rays are getting good production out of players like Matt Joyce, Johnny Damon, and Ben Zobrist, and B.J. Upton has come on strong lately, but Evan Longoria really needs to get going. After missing almost all of April, Longo's batting average has steadily dropped over the last two-plus months. So far in July, he's batting .182 with just one home run.

This is something that cannot persist. When he's right, Longoria is as dangerous as any hitter in either league, and he's the kind of guy that can carry a team for an extended period of time. In retrospect, it's amazing the Rays are doing as well as they are given Longo's struggles.

If the Rays front office wants to lend a helping hand, they're going to have to be buyers at the trade deadline. But Bill Chastain of MLB.com says that decision is still up in the air, as the Rays want to see how they do in their second half-opening seven games against the Sox and Yanks. If they stumble, they could go into selling mode.

So far, the Rays are 1-0. Buying mode is just around the corner. And with the right pieces, who knows what this team is capable of?

Another division title would be one answer. Time will tell.

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