So, here we are, approaching Memorial Day and traditionally the one-third pole for the MLB season. And where… maybe, more importantly, who… are the Rays? Are they contenders, pretenders, or somewhere in between?
Where Are The Rays?
It’s frustrating, and you could say a cop out, but we don’t know yet.. and the Tampa Bay Rays don’t know yet. They’re hovering around the .500 mark, which means an average team, and that’s probably pretty accurate. But they’re coming off 3 series wins, all against contenders… the Red Sox, Indians, and Yankees… so they’re relatively hot.
They have hitters off to strong starts…Corey Dickerson, who was leading the AL in hitting with a .345 average after Monday’s loss to the Angels; Logan Morrison, who is in the top five in AL RBI; Tim Beckham, who’s hitting .268 with 7 home runs despite spotty defense at shortstop.
Then there are hitters stumbling around .250 like Evan Longoria and Steven Souza Jr; and those around .230 or below like Kevin Kiermaier and Brad Miller, who were both expected to hit way better than that.
(Photo from Tampa Bay Rays Facebook Page Cover: Free to use Flickr KAllison)
Starting pitching has been solid from the top foursome of Archer, Odorizzi, Cobb, and Andriese; but youngster Blake Snell has already been sent down the minors. And the bullpen, outside of Alex Colome, has been erratic.And defense is just not the same as the playoff years.
So where, and who, are the Rays?
Would you believe, we don’t know yet?
That’s because of injuries, which of course you can’t plan on, but still, a pain in the rear because the Rays were counting on these guys to be major contributors. Who knows when Matt Duffy will return, after another rehab setback? Brad Miller is spending time on the DL, and Wilson Ramos is supposed to return full time, maybe in July, but that’s just a guess.
Four relief pitchers who were counted on to be major parts of the bullpen are on the DL with honestly no idea when they’ll be back pitching… Brad Boxberger, Xavier Cedeno, Tommy Hunter, and Shawn Tolleson. Think of the bullpen with those guys pitching and answering the question becomes a whole lot easier.
Yes, every team has injuries, but winners have depth to make up for those losses. The Rays aren’t that deep.
So, my guess is, the Rays won’t know who they are until after the All-Star break when several of the injured are playing again. If they can just stay close to the pack, maybe around .500, they have a chance to be contenders in the second half of the season.
But, as it is with projections and injuries, a lot of it involves best guesses… and a lot of crossed fingers.
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