rays on rise

Suddenly, the Tampa Bay Rays are the hottest team in the big leagues. And one of their hottest hitters is Jake Mangum, the rookie outfielder out of Mississippi State. The Rays take a six-game win streak into tonight’s home game vs. Cleveland. They’ve climbed over .500 (70-69), past the Guardians, and are tied for fifth in the American League wild card standings, just 2.5 games out of a postseason berth. “Vibes are up,” right-hander Adrian Houser, former Biloxi Shuckers ace who won his eighth game on Wednesday against Seattle, told mlb.com. Mangum’s vibe is seemingly always up. “He’s always on go,” Rays manager Kevin Cash recently told the Tampa Bay Times. “The effort is never questioned.” The Jackson Prep grad — the Rays’ Heart and Hustle Award winner for 2025 — had three hits and an RBI in Wednesday’s 9-4 win vs. the Mariners. He is hitting .483 over his last seven games, .356 over his last 15. On the season, he is at .293 with 21 stolen bases. An excellent defensive outfielder, Mangum has yet to make an error, has chalked up five assists and routinely shows up on the highlight reels with diving catches. Also making contributions for Tampa Bay is Nick Fortes, the veteran catcher out of Ole Miss. The Rays, looking to upgrade their defense, traded for him in July. He has two homers, seven RBIs and six runs in 20 games with the club. Keeping the vibes up will be a challenge for the Rays, whose remaining schedule is tough. It includes four games with Cleveland, three with the Chicago Cubs, seven with Toronto and three with Boston. All, like Tampa Bay, are chasing playoff spots.