The Tampa Bay Rays will be back in the playoffs this year. One month into the Major League Baseball (MLB) season, the Rays find themselves with the second-best record in the American League at 18-12, only behind the New York Yankees. Coming off two consecutive losing seasons, Tampa Bay was projected to miss the playoffs for a third straight year with less than a 30 percent chance of qualifying. That was taking into account the lack of talent on Tampa Bay’s roster compared to other teams in their division and the rest of the American League. They have surprised many with their strong start, and it will be sustainable given how they’ve gotten here.
The Offense Will Be Good All Season
The Rays’ strong start is driven by their offense manufacturing runs. As of this writing, Tampa Bay is ninth in team hits, third in stolen bases, second in sacrifice hits, and has the second-fewest strikeouts across all of Major League Baseball. They also have shown the ability to score late in games off the opposing team’s bullpen. That shows a clear identity of putting the ball in play, using their speed to put pressure on defenses to execute. This is an offense that dictates the action every inning and won’t go into prolonged slumps.
The Rays, with one of the lowest annual payrolls in the MLB, maximize a roster that doesn’t have elite talent across it. They do have some top talent who have played like all-stars, though. Yandy Diaz has a .330 batting average and .899 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS), Jonathan Aranda has 25 runs batted in (RBIs), and Junior Caminero has eight home runs. Along with Chandler Simpson (.314 batting average, 11 stolen bases), these players have given Tampa Bay consistent production that can be relied on in most games. Expect these four players to continue to play at this level and drive in runs all year.
