The first three months of the 2017 baseball season has had its share of surprises -- not the least of which has been the Orioles falling out of contention before Father's Day -- but none bigger than the story developing with the Tampa Bay Rays. Suddenly this team is starting to look like the one in 2008, when the Rays went from last place the year before to the World Series while seemingly nobody was looking, or at least paying attention.
Don't misinterpret -- this Rays team is not going to the World Series, but the playoffs aren't out of the question, and one of the reasons is rather startling. We've gotten used to expecting good pitching, but the current home run pace is shocking.
When exactly did Tropicana Field surpass Oriole Park at Camden Yards as a launching pad? Even more importantly, perhaps, when exactly did Rays first baseman Logan Morrison become a threat to lead the majors in home runs in a league that includes New York Yankees rookie Aaron Judge along with a few other notable boppers?
