Díaz believes Rays are 'best team in baseball right now'

Yandy Díaz had high praise for the Tampa Bay Rays after they swept the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, moving within a half-game of the American League East lead in the process.

"Like I've said before, I think we are the best team in baseball right now, and hopefully, we can keep it up and finish strong," Díaz said, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin.

The Rays have won five of their last six games and are 32-19 since the beginning of May.

During that span, Tampa Bay has scored the third-most runs in the majors and owns the fourth-best wRC+ as a team. The Rays have also received elite pitching from the rotation and bullpen this season, combining for a 3.49 ERA, while the club ranks fourth in MLB in defensive runs saved.

"Everything in baseball, I feel like, is contagious. Good pitching is contagious. ... Everyone wants to improve on the guy before them in a beneficial, competitive way. The same thing with hitting. You watch a guy go up there and take a great at-bat," veteran infielder Brandon Lowe said following Thursday's win.

"Good things are contagious, and bad things are contagious. And we're doing a very good job of executing on good things and making sure the good things are here."

The Rays stand a good chance to pass the Yankees for top spot in the division with their next nine games coming against teams under .500. Meanwhile, New York has a tougher schedule over the same stretch.