What's That Snell? And Other 2018 Rays Oddities

Blake Snell is one of the oddest-looking pitchers in the league.

Yeah, that's how I'm starting this post about the Rays. The weirdest team in baseball. I'm starting by saying their starting pitcher, and borderline ace, looks really weird.

It's even weirder that their usual go-to ace, Chris Archer, is having a down season, and is deferring to Snell, a third-year finalist for the Aaron Harang aware for ugliest face in the majors. And it's weirder still that Nate Eovaldi, a guy who hasn't pitched in 2 years, is undeniably strong after 1 start.

Again, this team is working in ways that it shouldn't. They've used an 'opener' strategy on multiple occasions, letting Sergio Romo and Ryan Yarbrough pitch the first inning and then go away. They've used Jonny Venters, after he'd missed multiple seasons of injuries, to success. The team's being carried by unknowns like Daniel Robertson, Joey Wendle and Johnny Field, as the usual standouts, Longoria and Kiermaier, are gone and injured respectively. C.J. Cron, a guy the Angels basically gave away, is leading the team in home runs with 12. And Christian Arroyo, a guy who disappointed in his come-up with the Giants, isn't doing too bad here.

Now, granted, they're still miles out of the main AL East race, and are still under .500, but...they're too weird to not root for at this point. Little things are working for the Rays, and this team might actually become something rather soon.

Coming Tonight: Hopefully a report from Hagerstown, MD.