The Tampa Bay Rays will finish in fourth place in the challenging American League East. They have respectable pitching but will struggle to score runs. The Tampa Bay Rays have a great management team, they have a track record that they punch above their weight class, and are likely to do so again this coming season.
They seemingly develop pitching out of nowhere. The most interesting thing about the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2025 season is that they will play it in the New York Yankees Spring Training complex of Steinbrenner Field after Hurricane Milton destroyed the roof of their stadium. How many games do you think the Tampa Bay Rays are going to win this season?
Tampa Bay Rays’ Starting Rotation
The Rays’ starting rotation is a strength of the team and the organization is good at developing pitching. The metrics say to use your best pitchers at the beginning of the game, so expect more openers to be used However, Shane McClanahan is a bonafide ace if he is recovered from having Tommy John Surgery. Taj Bradley was one of the best starters in baseball for a short time in the 2024 season. He will hope to regain that form this year.
The third Tampa starting pitcher will be the solid Ryan Pepiot who looked great last season. Shane Baz will round out the starting rotation for the Rays. Baz has some of the best stuff in baseball and could be an ace for many teams, but his elbow injuries and the decline in his strikeout numbers are of great concern.
Tampa Bay Rays’ Key Bullpen Pieces
The Rays have a real strength in the bullpen. It is one of the top 10 in the league. Pete Fairbanks is the closer, and he had an up-and-down 2024. Fairbanks may get traded, and if he does the new closer could be Drew Rasmussen or Hunter Bigge. Rasmussen has the stuff the be the closer for the Rays with a high 90s fastball. Bigge was acquired from the Cubs in the trade of Isaac Paredes. Edwin Uceta was a revelation last season coming out of the bullpen. He had a 1.51 ERA. It is fair to wonder where the Tampa Bay Rays get these arms.
Catcher
In 2024 the Rays catching was very good defensively, but pathetic offensively. So, Tampa brought Danny Jansen in from Toronto to take the starting catcher job. Jansen has regressed at the plate, but even a part of him is better offensively than the Rays had last season. Ben Rortvedt and Logan Driscoll will compete in Spring Training for the backup role.
Infield
Brandon Lowe is solid for the Rays at second base, but that is the only sure thing on the infield. Yandy Diaz looks to leverage a strong second half in 2024 to have a strong 2025. Junior Caminero is just 21 years old and will play third base. Shortstop is manned by Tyler Walls, but watch for Jose Caballero to compete for the starting position in Spring Training. Both are good fielders and poor hitters.
Outfield
With the loss of Jose Siri, Johnny DeLuca will get the first shot in centerfield. Veteran Josh Lowe will be the right fielder. He was great in 2023 but fell back a bit last season. Richie Palacios will play left field.
Designated Hitter
Diaz will get about half of the at-bats at designated hitter for Tampa Bay. The other half of the at-bats will go to Jonathon Aranda and Christopher Morel. Morel was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the Isaac Parades trade. Aranda is a minor league star but must prove he can hit in the majors.
Rays Management
An 80-win season is a disappointment for the Rays and their excellent management. They will find additional players to help the team during the season. Manager Kevin Cash is one of the best field generals in baseball.
Conclusion
The Tampa Bay Rays are not a very good team. They require bounce backs from several players to make the playoffs, which is a long shot. They are likely to finish in fourth place in the competitive American League East. However, it is a near certainty their excellent management will find some players during the season.
