The Tampa Bay Rays are off to the best start in franchise history at 9-0 after clubbing the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. The nine-game winning streak to start the season is the best since the Milwaukee Brewers won 13 games in a row to commence the 1987 campaign.

Tampa Bay will look to become the seventh MLB team to start a season with 10 straight wins when the Rays take on the Boston Red Sox on Monday.

Each of the Tampa Bay Rays' nine wins has come by at least four runs, which is the second-longest streak to begin a season since the 1884 St. Louis Maroons. The Maroons played in the Union Association, the forerunner to the National League, which was founded in 1885.

The Maroons played in St. Louis from 1884 to 1886, then moved to Indiana and became the Indianapolis Hoosiers before the team folded.

No one has seen a run of season-opening dominance like Tampa Bay's in the modern era of the game.

Of course, the Rays' dominant streak does have its detractors, as it has come against three of the weakest teams in the league. The Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, and Athletics may all finish at the bottom of their respective divisions.

However, they still have to play and win the games, and Tampa Bay can't be accused of playing down to the level of their competition. The Rays were favored to win all nine games and they did just that.

You'll have to excuse Tampa Bay Rays fans if they are displaying an excessive amount of hubris these days. The team's home stadium, Tropicana Field, was recently named the worst baseball park in the history of the game in a non-scientific Twitter poll. However, the Rays themselves have been one of the most successful franchises in recent memory.

The Rays will play their first opponent with a winning record on Monday when the 5-4 Boston Red Sox come to town.

Tampa Bay Rays are already three games up in AL East

The road is getting more challenging now as the Tampa Bay Rays look to keep their undefeated run going. After they host the Boston Red Sox, the team travels to Canada to take on a team with World Series aspirations in the Toronto Blue Jays.