Watch Out For The Rays
Ahead of opening day, the Tampa Bay Rays are counted out and are commonly put behind most other American League contenders, including fellow A.L. East rivals, the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. However, the Rays are consistently underestimated, as they have been for years, and the same mistake is being made for the 2023 season.
In 2019, the Tampa Bay Rays made the playoffs by winning 96 games. In 2020, during the abbreviated pandemic season, the Rays won 40 games out of the 60 played, beating out the Yankees and Blue Jays. That year, the Rays won the American League title and made it to the World Series, where they were defeated by the juggernaut Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. In 2021, the New York Yankees were the clear favorites to win the A.L. East, and most predicted they would do so. The Rays were considered playoff contenders, though nobody expected them to beat the Yankees. However, the Rays broke out and won 100 games, the most in the American League. Tampa beat out the Yankees and Red Sox, both Wild Card teams that year.
In 2022, Tampa Bay was expected to regress, and they were projected to finish behind New York and Toronto. In fact, they underperformed and finished with 86 wins, barely clinching the sixth seed in the American League beating out the A.L. East rival Baltimore Orioles, the breakout team of 2022. The Rays were still able to make the playoffs though they could not keep up with the Yankees or Blue Jays, both of which finished with over 90 wins.
Tampa Bay is expected to finish towards the bottom of the American League East in third, fourth, or maybe fifth place. The reason for this is that the Rays are significantly worse on paper than Toronto and New York, and Baltimore is no slouch. For 2023, the Rays are being underestimated because they are a strong team as well, with talent throughout their roster.
The Blue Jays are offensively led by first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., right fielder George Springer, and shortstop Bo Bichette, one of the best offenses in the game. Toronto's pitching is also solid, led by ace Kevin Gausman, 2022 breakout Cy Young finalist Alek Manoah, and newly signed veteran Chris Bassitt. The Yankees are offensively led by right fielder Aaron Judge, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton, which unlike previous years lags behind the Blue Jays, though is still reasonably strong. New York's rotation is solid and has the best 1-2 punch in the game, led by ace Gerrit Cole and newly signed lefty Carlos Rodon.
The Orioles were the biggest surprise of the 2022 season, and they are expected to further improve in 2023. Baltimore's roster contains many unknowns, though it certainly has potential. The Orioles are led by young stars, including infielder Gunnar Henderson, starter Grayson Rodriguez, and of course, the 2022 American League Rookie of the Year runner-up catcher, Adley Rutschman. The Red Sox are probably the worst team in the division, led by star third baseman Rafael Devers and ace Chris Sale.
The Rays are a solid and talented team, full of underrated players. Tampa's lineup is robust, led by phenom shortstop Wander Franco, left fielder Randy Arozarena, second baseman Brandon Lowe, and underrated first baseman Yandy Diaz. The Rays also have many other unproven bats, though they have a lot of upsides, including third baseman Isaac Paredes, center fielder Jose Siri, and many others. The Rays' rotation is solid and sneaky good. The Rays are led by ace Shane McClanahan, who broke out in 2021 and was a contender to win the American League Cy Young last year. Of course, there is Tyler Glasnow, a great pitcher in his own right, but he will be out until at least early May due to an oblique injury. Furthermore, Tampa also has breakout candidates Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs and the newly signed Zach Eflin. Tampa's bullpen is also solid, led by closer Pete Fairbanks and 2022 breakout reliever Jason Adam. Overall, the Rays bullpen is very underrated and contains many underdogs and unknown names who always make an impact at the major league level.
Although the role of managers and coaching staff has waned in importance in baseball, it is still essential and can make or break a team's season. Kevin Cash has been the Rays' manager since 2015, and he is one of the best in the game, if not the best. Cash has won the A.L. Manager of the Year award two years in a row, in 2020 and 2021, and he was the first A.L. manager to ever do that.
For 2023, the Rays should not be counted out and are dark horses to win the American League East, despite the Blue Jays and Yankees who are terrific teams with very talented and balanced rosters. The Rays are at least a little behind the Blue Jays and Yankees, though they have proven repeatedly that they have the potential to break out and win the East.
My prediction for 2023 is that the Blue Jays will finish first and the Yankees in second, both with over 90 games. The Rays will finish in third place with 87 wins, which is solid in their own right. Baltimore will finish fourth and Boston fifth, just like last year. Although I project the Rays to finish in third place, they should not be counted out and could be a dangerous team in the postseason.