Part of the bomb squad

Many words have been spilled about the Rays’ worse-than-expected offense. Sometimes, watching the early constipation at the plate makes Joe feel like fans were sold a bill of goods after Jake McGee and James Loney were sent packing.

Still, there’s a silver lining in the madness.

Believe it or not, Tampa Bay’s 34 home runs rank fifth in the American League and 10^th in all of Major League Baseball. Steven Souza Jr. leads the way with six big knocks, Corey Dickerson and Evan Longoria follow with five and Logan Forsythe has four.

Sure, it would be nice if the Rays’ penchant for the long ball led to more wins. Their 12-14 record is indicative of a team that’s inconsistent and frustrating. Don’t get Joe started on Hank Conger, Logan Morrison and Brad Miller – a trio of terrible for large stretches of this opening sprint.

But there’s time to figure out the whole offensive thing, and the early home-run trend is encouraging. The good news is each team in the AL East has flaws. None looks like a reincarnation of the 1927 Yankees.

Yes, the Rays have shown power. Now it’s time to rack up more runs as soon as possible to make a charge toward the top of the division.