FanPulse results show fans believe Rays most likely to keep up hot start

Are the Rays for real?

Welcome to SB Nation FanPulse, a survey of fans across MLB. Each week, we send 30 polls to plugged in fans from each team. Royals fans, sign up HERE to join FanPulse.

A few teams have gotten off to surprisingly hot starts, but it is the Tampa Bay Rays, who currently have the second-best record in baseball, who our FanPulse respondents nationwide most believe can continue their winning ways. Of the surprising starts, 55 percent of fans felt it was the Rays who would continue to play this well.

The Rays have taken an innovative approach with the use of their pitching staff and have succeeded thus far despite a tough division and a payroll that is the lowest in baseball. Coming in second was the Twins, who have taken a young core that was in the Wild Card game back in 2017, to rebound after a disappointing year with some shrewd off-season moves and a new manager in Rocco Baldelli. Fans are less confident the Mariners or Diamondbacks can continue their hot start, or that the Red Sox will continue to flounder.

As far our weekly tracking of Royals FanPulse respondents, things are holding steady with their attitudes on Ned Yost and the direction of the club. This week, 55 percent of respondents approve of the job Ned Yost is doing, up slightly from 49 percent last week, but still down significantly from his 93 percent approval rating before the season began. Of the fans polled, 60 percent are confident in the direction of the club, a number which has held pretty steady most of the year, and actually up slightly from 57 percent last week.

Remember, you can sign up to participate in the FanPulse surveys at this link! Surveys will go out each week and only take a few minutes to complete. Check back next week for more FanPulse results!