The AL East Belongs to Tampa Bay

In the 2020 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers were crowned world champions capping off an unusual season marred with Covid-19 complications such as a shortened season and multiple outbreaks sidelining numerous players and postponing many games. Even during the final game of the world series Justin Turner of Los Angeles had to be pulled due to Covid restrictions. However, in the shadow of all this commotion, the rise of the underdog Tampa Bay Rays had been obscured. Being a smaller market by Major League Baseball standards, Tampa Bay had to employ “Moneyball” like strategies to develop quality talent capable of competing with bigger budget teams such as the division rivals New York and Boston. Now, the Rays have the best record in the AL East and the best farm system and baseball with only a month left of the regular season before the playoffs begin. This team-building approach has proven to be successful, but it still has not produced a championship. Time will tell if this David and Goliath story will end in champagne or sadness for the defending American League pennant holders. Either way, this is a team any baseball fan should be paying attention to as the fall classic approaches.