First place or not, Pirates expect to learn more about themselves here taken in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Pirates)

CHRIS HALICKE / DKPS

The Rays take batting practice Tuesday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Pirates have taken a lot of people by surprise this season. But, there's one person in the clubhouse who's not surprised at all by the club's 20-9 start to the season.

"I'm having a good time, man," Andrew McCutchen told me Tuesday afternoon at Tropicana Field. "We're doing exactly what I expected."

Anyone who wears the black and gold -- whether it's as a player, coach, manager or fan -- is having a good time right now. The Pirates are off to their best start since their last division title in 1992. In case you need more context for how long ago that was, the National League Central did not exist and Barry Bonds didn't have the word "cheater" attached to his name.

But, the month of May will give us a better barometer for just how good this club is or if April was simply lightning in a bottle. 

As of Tuesday afternoon's standings, the Pirates are set to square off with three first-place teams in the month of May, with the first on that list obviously being the Rays -- a team that enters Tuesday night's action trying to become the second team to win 24 of their first 30 games in the Expansion Era (since 1961). 

"It's good. We get two teams that are having a really good start to the season," McCutchen said. "You get to see where you really are as a club. I expect these next three games to be some good games. It's nice to be able to be in a position where we feel like we can compete. It's something to look forward to for the next three."

There are plenty in the baseball world that are convinced the 20-9 record doesn't properly reflect how good or bad this Pirates team is. After all, they did beat up on some bad teams in April. But, the good teams have to beat the bad teams. In turn, the Pirates have one aspect of being a good team.

The Rays will test them this week. It's borderline silly to put a lot of stock in a series that takes place so early in the season. But, as the two teams square off, it gives a Pirates team that has a good mix of youth and experience to prove themselves.

McCutchen is one of several veteran players that came in this season and have played a critical role in the club's hot start. The contributions to the box score is one thing, but giving the younger players the belief that they can compete is undoubtedly one of the reasons why the Pirates own the best record in the N.L. heading into this three-game series against Tampa Bay. 

While many want to put a lot of stock into these three games, the players who have been around the block a few times know it's only three of 162 games. That communication is key in helping the younger players keep their feet on the ground. It's more about the actual baseball rather than any other narrative that can be created from a series in early May.

"It's just keeping each other in check. That's what we try to do, that's why I try to do," McCutchen said. "Holding each other accountable and being able to give tidbits and information on things that people may not know. Maybe the stadium, about the way it plays, the surface. It's all of these things that you're able to tell these guys to get them prepared and you know they're going to listen.

"It's been good because these guys are eager to win, but they're also aware they don't have it all figured out. It's a nice mix of people on the team where we're able to kind of build off each other. We all listen to each other."

The mark of a good baseball team is riding the highs for as long as possible, but limiting the bad stretches. If this series doesn't go the Pirates' way, how will they bounce back when they go back home this weekend? How will they handle the first-place Diamondbacks or Rangers later this month?

A 20-9 record is a great start. There's no doubt about that. But, the stretch ahead will tell us more about this team that's captured the attention of the baseball world, and if they're mature enough to find the consistency that great teams possess.

"We got a small sample size of it for the first month," McCutchen said. "I'm just happy that we're doing well. We've had a good start. Just keep continuing, keep pushing, keep fighting. Not getting too high or too low."

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