Tampa Bay Rays Preview

Every team should have their own Rachel Erikson

In anticipation of the coming baseball season, we will be previewing all 30 teams over the next month. To see all of our team previews, please click here.

The Rays improved from 66 wins in 2007 to 97 wins in 2008. For those of you who are bad at math, that’s an increase of approximately 25 wins, give or take 6. I think it’s give. Or take. Whichever makes it 31. Without looking it up and basing this on nothing more than a reasonable guess, I’m going to say that this was the 4th highest 1-year increase in baseball history. Can you believe that? That’s pretty awesome. The main reason for this increase was because their pitching staff went from “they’re shitty” to “there’s 2 or 3 potential All-Stars in there”. Copyright Morgan Creek Productions (1989).

If you were only partially paying attention from a distance, you may have thought that the Rays’ hitting in 2008 made the difference in their turnaround as a franchise. In reality, the only place where there was real improvement for them offensively was at 3rd base (the super-sexy and eventually underpaid Evan Longoria). And when you consider that Akinori Iwamura was no slouch at the plate in 2007, it’s clear that their offense was not the reason for their turnaround. No, the real reason the Rays were able to take the AL pennant in 2008 was because they finally found some pitchers who are worth their shit and their defense improved to among baseball’s best. And the best part if you’re a Rays fan is that most of the key components to that 2008 squad are still on the team, they’re still young, and there’s presumably room for them to improve. Translation: these guys are here to stay. Click the red hyperlink for further awesomeness.

If baseball was played on paper, the players’ spikes would probably tear through it pretty quickly and it would become a big mess, especially in the rain. Plus it’d be a waste of a lot of paper. Thankfully, baseball is played on grass. And amphetamines. On grass though, the Rays have a chance to be better in 2009 than they were in 2008. Their starting rotation was among the league’s best in 2008, and barring injury, could be even better in 2009. James Shields looks to improve on the best year of his career, and at age 27 will be the oldest member once again of the Rays’ starting rotation. Scott Kazmir has always been a top of the rotation talent. The key for him will be to stay healthy as he missed 6 starts last year and about 50 IP due to injury. Rounding out the rotation will be Matt Garza, Andy Sonnanstine, and at this point, 2007 1st overall pick David Price. Price jumped on the scene during the playoffs last year and hopes to make the team out of spring training this year. He has the stuff to do it, but don’t put it past Rays management to send him down to start the season and call him up later. They’re funny like that sometimes. It may not even be the worst thing for him since he’s young and doesn’t need to be rushed, and the Rays have more than enough capable bodies to fill that 5th spot in Jeff Niemann or Jason Hammel.

Offensively, the Rays could be stronger as well. At the very least, they should be better against LHP with the additions of Pat Burrell and Gabe Kapler. Don’t laugh at the Kapler addition; he gives Gene Hackman a quality bat to come in off the bench to face the other team’s LOOGY. He’s a significant upgrade over Rocco Baldelli, not in terms of skills, but in terms of actually being able to play. Oh and Jonny Gomes is gone, so there will no longer be the pressure of having to find playing time for him. The biggest spot I see room for improvement offensively is in the growth of B.J. Upton’s hitting skills. Upton took a step back last year (versus 2007 when he was the shizz), but I think this is the year that he finally makes the leap. He has the power and he draws walks, so with 2009 being his 3rd full season, look for this year to be his first where he posts a .300/.400/.500. He also makes up 1/3 of what could be the best defensive outfield in the league along with Carl Crawford and newly acquired Matt Joyce. You just have to love that Matt Joyce trade. Unless you’re Edwin Jackson. Or a Tigers fan.

At this point, the only thing potentially keeping the Rays from another playoff appearance is that they play in the AL East. It’s really unfair. If they played in the Central or West, they’d win their division by 15 games. Instead they get to battle it out with 2 or 3 other teams that could potentially win 90 games, as well as a young Baltimore club that aspires to be this year’s version of the 2008 Rays. Maybe Bud Selig should scratch this whole division system and just let the top 4 teams make the playoffs. Meh. I still think they’re in.

My prediction: another 97-65 season (Wild Card)