Plenty of standouts keyed Rays' April success

This story was excerpted from Adam Berry’s Rays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ST. PETERSBURG -- Who else was surprised by how much time they spent over the last month thinking about the 1884 St. Louis Maroons?

Anyone following the Rays’ remarkable start to this season has probably learned a lot about that club, which won 20 straight games before finally losing, as well as the 1902 Pirates, 1911 Tigers, 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers and other teams among the historic company the Rays evoked by starting 13-0 and winning 14 consecutive home games to begin the year.

It ended on a frustrating note, but what a month it was for the Rays. One last bit of history to ponder: The 23-6 Rays easily set the record for most wins prior to the month of May, surpassing the previous record of 21 held by the 2003 Yankees and 2018 Red Sox.

May will bring plenty of challenges. There’s just one scheduled off-day amid a daunting slate that includes the National League-leading Pirates, Yankees (twice), Orioles, Mets, Brewers, Blue Jays, Dodgers and Cubs.

Before moving forward, though, let’s look back at the standout performers from the Rays’ incredible first month.

Player of the Month

The Rays lineup had a record-breaking first month, and just about everyone played a part. So, where do you even start here?

Eleven hitters finished April with an adjusted OPS+ of 110 or better, which means they were at least 10 percent better than league-average. And nine of them -- nine! -- posted a 143 OPS+ or better. (For context, Shohei Ohtani had a 143 OPS+ last season.) According to FanGraphs, the Rays’ position players accumulated 10.9 WAR; the Rangers were second … at 5.6 WAR.

Seriously, where do you start?

First, let’s make note of who we’re not picking. Isaac Paredes, who started slow then went off in Chicago last weekend. Christian Bethancourt, who’s hit five homers with an .870 OPS. Brandon Lowe and Luke Raley, two of four players tied for the team lead with seven homers. Taylor Walls, who’s combining his typical elite defense with a much-improved bat (.302/.397/.571) and solid baserunning (five steals).

There’s also Harold Ramírez, who’s managed to slash .329/.395/.616 with five homers while somehow still flying under the radar. Josh Lowe, who’s delivering on his promise with a .342 average, 1.029 OPS, 18 RBIs and five steals. Oh, and Yandy Díaz has added power (seven homers) to his usual mix of contact (.319 average) and patience (15 walks).

We’ve yet to mention Wander Franco, who’s hitting a cool .300/.364/.545 with 17 extra-base hits (12 doubles, five homers). He's playing absurd defense at shortstop and has a team-leading 1.5 WAR. But we’re going to pick Randy Arozarena, who showed this month he may be reaching a new level.

Arozarena is making an impact in every facet of the game. He’s hitting .327/.392/.573 with seven homers. He’s driven in a team-leading 28 runs while scoring 21. He’s making better, game-changing decisions on the basepaths. He’s robbing home runs. And he’s entertaining fans everywhere he goes, picking up right where he left off in the World Baseball Classic.

Starting Pitcher of the Month

This is an easier choice. Shane McClanahan was outstanding in his first six starts of the season, looking every bit like the ace he developed into last year. The Rays’ Opening Day starter went 5-0 with a 2.12 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 34 innings to begin the season and recorded a franchise-record 32 swinging strikes while fanning 10 batters against the White Sox on April 22.

The left-hander hasn’t pitched past the sixth inning yet, and he had a couple four-walk outings early on. More important, however: He’s yet to allow more than two runs in a start, and the Rays have not lost with him on the mound.

Reliever of the Month

It’s been over nine months since Pete Fairbanks allowed a run, so you wouldn’t be wrong choosing him. But given the infrequent usage of “Rarebanks” and the recurrence of Raynaud’s syndrome that limited him to two outs in Chicago over the weekend, we’ll turn the spotlight to Yonny Chirinos.

Yes, Chirinos is technically part of the rotation now and a starter by trade. But all his work thus far has come in relief, and he was spectacular in that bulk-inning role. Chirinos allowed just one run and only nine baserunners in 14 innings over four appearances last month. He’s using his whole arsenal, his stuff’s moving, and he’s pounding the zone to work quickly and effectively.