As the MLB season unfolds, we’re diving into each division to separate true contenders from pretenders. Over the next week, we’ll ask one simple question about every team: legit or fraud?
**Tampa Bay Rays**
**Record:** 27-13
**Biggest Surprise:** Almost everything about the Rays has defied expectations. Coming into the season, few predicted much from Tampa Bay, with many expecting them to land near the bottom of the standings. Instead, they’ve surged to the top of the division.
**MVP:** Nick Martinez — The veteran right-hander has been stellar, posting a 1.70 ERA over eight starts. You can’t ask for much more from a pitcher.
**One Sentence:** The Rays were written off before Opening Day, but here they stand—along with the New York Yankees—as the only teams in the AL East that look like legitimate contenders.
**Verdict:** Legit, for now.
**Other AL East Breakdowns:**
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
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