After finishing in the basement of the AL East with a 66-96 record, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were once again left with a bitter taste in their mouths as they posted yet another dreadful season. That was the last straw as change was needed now more than ever. The first move came with the ever so subtle change of name. No longer would they be known as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays but rather the Tampa Bay Rays. Along with the name change came new jerseys which started to show that the Ray's wanted to clean themselves up and no longer be the laughing stock of baseball. This was just the first step that the Tampa Bay took to creating the best team in baseball. The time had finally come for this franchise to mature as they increased their payroll for the coming season and looked to make a big splash in the upcoming offseason.

They did just that as they made several key moves. The biggest and most important trade was the one that sent the infamous Delmin Young, Brendan Harris and Jason Pridie to Minnesota for pitcher Matt Garza, shortstop Jason Bartlett and Eduardo Morlan. Garza, who had now seemed much action in the Twin City, initially did not bring a lot of buzz. Along with Garza came Bartlett who was coming off his worse fielding season with 26 errors. For a guy that was known for his glove, Bartlett certainly had Tampa fans worrying. Overall, the trade was seen as huge mistake as fans believed the team was trading away a future star in Delmon Young who was coming off a solid season of 13 homers and 93 RBI's. At just 23 years old, Young looked to be a cornerstone of the franchise however, his 50 game suspension for throwing his bat at an umpire did not go over will in the Rays front office. Young's antics made the 2007 season that much worse and for that he was dealt to the Twin City. In addition to this deal the Rays signed veteran reliever Troy Percival with the hope that he could sure up a struggling bullpen. They also signed veteran Cliff Floyd who was coming off a less than impressive year in Chicago. Top prospect Evan Longoria was called up and given the starting job at the hot corner.

There was a lot of question about the 08 Rays because of their lack of production the previous year as well as the abundance of youth. Tampa Bay was making a run for the future with their moves, but no one thought that they would be this good this fast. So honestly how did it happen? The Tampa Bay Rays are having the season of their lives partially because of their moves but ultimately because of maturity. The team was finally beginning to grow up and get comfortable with their roles. Before the season even started the Rays were hit hard when ace Scott Kazmir went down with an elbow injury and starting outfielder Rocco Baldelli was put on the DL with metabolic abnormalities. The team had made so much progress already with a club record 18 spring training wins and to see it beginning to crumble before the season started was heartbreaking. However the Rays did not let this adversity bring them down as they won their first game of the year against the Baltimore Orioles. Behind the solid pitching of starter James Shields and timely hitting, they Rays found themselves above 500 for the first time years. Even though it was the first game of the year, it was still a positive lift for a franchise that had suffered for too long.

After 30 games the Rays were at 16-14, only two games behind first place on. From this point on the Rays began to make their run as they went a shocking 39-19 in their next 58 games. The reason, young players stepping up and maturing as well as veterans getting the job done. The leader of the young pool of players is top prospect is Evan Longoria who currently leads the team in home runs, runs batted in and slugging percentage. The 22 year has done all asked of him and more as he has led the Rays to the top of the league. Longoria is just one of the many Rays who have produced. Catcher Dioner Navarro is batting .313 and has been selected to the all star game, outfielder BJ Upton has stole his way to the league leaders in stolen bases with 32, and fellow outfielder Carl Crawford is posting very good numbers as well. Along with maturation, a key in the Rays success has been their versatility. When Longoria was named the starter at third, former starter Akinori Iwamura has transitioned over to second base where he has played tremendous defense with a fielding percentage of .993. Last year's starter at second BJ Upton was placed into the outfield where has been equally as impressive with a fielding percentage of .976. Having players that can play multiple positions, has been key in manager John Maddon's success as he has been able to put the right mix of guys on the field each game.

Position players are only one part of the mystery that is the Tampa Bay Rays season, the other is their pitching. The Rays have shocked the rest of the MLB with a combined staff ERA of 3.75. With the fall of Kazmir came the emergence of the rest of the staff. James Shields has posted a solid 9-7 record with a team leading 116  k's and 2 shut outs. Andy Sonnastine leads the team with a 10-6 record and is currently holds one of the best records in the league. Edwin Jackson has only a 7-7 record however has kept the team in games late with his ability to pitch consistently in the late innings. Finally Matt Garza who has been the biggest surprise with a 9-6 record. The four of them along with Kazmir who has come back nicely with a 8-5 record and just a 2.84 ERA and has been the underlying reason for the Ray's winning ways. That’s not all as another part of the remedy for winning has been the pen. Headed by Troy Percival and his 23 saves, this Tampa bullpen is determined to finish games as they have come through when called on. Guys like Dan Wheeler Trever Miller and JP Howell have come through when needed. Most recently the pen was challenged in a crucial series against the then first place Red Sox. They came through as each played a crucial part in the improbable three game sweep. Without this bullpen, the Rays would have never amounted to what they have thus far.

As the season winds to a close the Rays will begin to feel the pressure as they will be expected to keep to their ways. The questions will soon begin to swirl as this team is made up of many unproven players with no playoff experience. When hosting teams like the Red Sox or the Yankees late in the season, will the Rays be able to seal the deal and shut the door or will they crumble like everyone is waiting for them to? That question still remains to be seen, as for now the Rays are without question the most impressive and shocking story thus far in the season. With the best record in the majors, they are just 3 games away from eclipsing their total win mark last season. The Tampa Bay Rays are one of the most amazing comeback stories in sports as in an act reminiscent to the Boston Celtics they have worked their way from the bottom up and taken control of the league. With continued strong pitching and clutch hitting, the Rays will have no problem making the playoffs and even going far in October.