Tampa Bay Rays playoff odds surging after hot start

The Tampa Bay Rays are 13-4 after a disappointing Opening Day loss. The team had a poor start to the season, but now they have the best record in Major League Baseball.

Tampa Bay Rays are off to a good start and have a 5.5 game lead in the division. FanGraphs shows that 7 of the 12 teams that made the playoffs that started 12-4 and averaged 89.9 wins made it to the postseason. The Rays have underperformed their BaseRuns. They have an .792 win percentage (13. 5 wins) and a +48 expected run differential.

Tampa Bay Rays are on a 7-2 run and their playoff chances are increasing. FanGraphs simulations have the Rays chances increasing to 77.2%. The odds of winning the division have surged to 36.5%. Baseball Prospectus has the team as bigger favorites.

The Rays are off to a good start. They play the Red Sox six times in the next two weeks. The next team they play over .500 is the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 21. The Rays have put themselves in a position to race out to sizable lead early on.