Rays Receive Shockingly High Grade for Hot Start This Season

What grade did the Tampa Bay Rays receive for their first 18 games?

Apr 16, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) hits a solo home run against the Chicago White Sox during the ninth inning at Rate Field. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays have gotten off to a strong start to the season, and they will be looking to keep their momentum going with another series win against the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

Coming into the campaign, it was a bit uncertain what way the Rays were going to go. This was a team that made a lot of changes to their roster and moved some key pieces from their 2025 team. 

Even though they might have finished with a record eight games under the .500 mark last year, they did have a positive run differential, indicating they were better than their record. However, moving on from some key players like Brandon Lowe, Pete Fairbanks, and Shane Baz, it was a bit hard to predict. 

After a bit of a choppy start to the season, the team is currently on a six-game winning streak, which includes sweeping the New York Yankees. Now, the team is starting to finally get some recognition for what has been a strong start. 

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently graded every team so far in baseball after their starts. For the Rays, after 18 games and an 11-7 record, they were given an ‘A+’ for their efforts so far. 

Tampa Bay Receives Wildly High Grade

Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Cedric Mullins | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Through 18 games, the Rays are in first place in the American League East, and things are going really well of late. Tampa Bay has been able to take the lead in the division thanks to their strong play, and that is not something many would have predicted that they would have been able to do at any point this season. 

The AL East was expected to be the best division in baseball, especially after sending three teams to the playoffs last year. However, with the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays both struggling to begin the campaign, it is good to see that the Rays are taking advantage of it. Wins now count just as much as they do in September, and Tampa Bay is starting to stack them up. 

Overall, the team has received some really strong performances from both their lineup and starting rotation. Chandler Simpson is having a breakout season early on, and his play has really helped spark the offense. Furthermore, the rotation is living up to the hype of being a strength of the group, and that is even with Shane McClanahan still knocking off the rust. 

While the grade of an A+ might be a bit high, it has been a strong start to the season through 18 games, and Tampa Bay should be pleased with the direction that they are going in.