Rays in the playoffs? 77.8 percent chance

Boston's David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis may not think so, but if you believe the cool guys who run the website coolstandings.com, there's a pretty good chance the Rays will make the playoffs - a 77.8 percent chance to be exact.
What they do, as espn.com, which is now using the numbers in its standings, explains, is simulate the remainder of the regular season one million times - every day - to determine each team's playoff chances.
And as of Saturday, the numbers say there is a 77.8 percent chance the Rays make the playoffs. Also, that there's a 54.4 percent chance the Rays win the AL East (the Red Sox have a 38.3 percent chance) and a 23.4 percent chance they win the wild card (the Sox are 29.3).

Also, the Rays are now No. 1 in ESPN's latest power rankings, as well on SI.com.

Comments

[R Rays]

I might be wrong but this will be the first time in History Fox will Broadcast a Tampa Bay Rays Game!!

Up to this point the 2008 Rays are the Best Team in Baseball, even though they have three of the Best Players injured. Carl Crawford, E. Longoria and Troy Percival. Obviously the Season is not over yet, however who would have thought the Rays would be this good??? The 1979 Tampa Bay Buccaneers went from worst to First! The Tampa Bay Lightning win a Stanley Cup, The Tampa Bay Storm won a National Championship in Arena Football. Tampa Bay Sports Fans always said "The Rays are next"! Now, they are right!

[rayray]

good defense is the premise for winning in all sports, but for some reason we do love our defense down here.

If we win it all, let's have parades on both sides of the bay to show the country how we get down-together in the south but definetly one down Central Ave.

[John]

I'm sure Selig loves seeing the Rays demolishing MLB's hopes of a juicy, ratings record Red Sox/Cubs or Yankees/Cubs World Series. However, America loves an underdog, and with the steroid controversy buzzing, maybe MLB will embrace a "clean" team like the Rays, who are winning the old-fashioned way: pitching, defense and base-running. The fact that MLB's lowest-paid team, collectively speaking, has the league's best record is a wonderful P.R. asset, and like all Tampa Bay teams, they are doing the "Tampa Bay Way": solid defense!!!

[shane]

who are the yankees and red sox? those teams no longer exist they were replaced by the crankees and the BoSux. Ill call them by their real names when they stop complaining about being second and third place to the rays and try to do somethin about it by playing good hard baseball

[Mark]

I keep thinking back to last year's Mets... I don't want to compare them with this year's Rays, but I just worry at the start of each game that it might become the first loss of a 20-game losing streak...

Nightmare scenario...

[Aaron G.]

Im glag to see that the world can see how Tampa Bay baseball is #1 in the world and how we are taking over teams like the Yankees and Red Sox. Hopefully they can maintain this pace to be the #1 Team in Baseball and maintain there goal for the playoffs and Win the World Series and bring that trophy back the to the Sunshine State!!!