Most baseball fans know what the Rays are about: Making the most of a miniscule payroll and tormenting their rivals in the AL East — especially the Yankees.

This season has been more of the same — but to an even greater degree, and that’s in spite of the ban on shifts and other rules changes that were expected to negatively impact the Rays.

Despite opening with a $73 million payroll — ahead of only Baltimore and Oakland — the Rays have dominated the competition.

Not only did they go 12-0 in their first 12 games, but they entered Thursday having trailed in just two of them — and they won all but two of those games by at least four runs.