Despite competing in a division with four viable postseason candidates, the Rays followed up a World Series trip and a .667 winning percentage in the shorter 2020 season with a 100-win season and another AL East title in 2021. It was even more impressive that this happened after they parted ways with Charlie Morton and Blake Snell, and lone ace Tyler Glasnow was injured 14 starts into the season.
Making predictions in what will be a shortened Major League Baseball season is tricky enough for professional sportsbooks, and even tougher for the rest of us. But at least everyone now has some clarity on when Spring Training and the regular season will get under way and we can start to look forward to the exciting battles to come.
For the Rays, maintaining their high standards will be difficult, but there are reasons to be optimistic about their chances of getting somewhere near their 2021 efforts.
Although Glasnow, who is recuperating from Tommy John surgery, will not be a factor in 2022, Mike Zunino had the greatest season of his career last year, Francisco Mejia was also an above-average hitter and the Rays have a pretty good position behind the plate with the two of them. Yandy Diaz and Ji-Man Choi should continue to provide solid, above-average output, which is essential on a big-league roster.
The core of this lineup remains full of strong players. Brandon Lowe is one of the game’s best power hitters at second base. Wander Franco and Randy Arozarena both had rookie seasons in 2021 and were very successful, and things should only get better in the future. While the Austin Meadows of 2019 may not be back, he is still a capable hitter, while Manuel Margot and Kevin Kiermaier offer significant defensive value without jeopardizing the lineup.
It’s true that the Rays lineup will not dazzle like that of their division rivals, the Blue Jays, but it has enough quality players around its core of Brandon Lowe, Wander Franco and Randy Arozarena to be a danger to other teams. We can expect this strong rotation with a mix of developing pitchers and seasoned innings eaters to dominate opposing lineups. Shane McClanahan showed a lot of promise last season and should continue to develop as a leader in that rotation. Shane Baz is a step or two behind him and won’t have the same workload, but he’s still a promising young pitcher.
Some of those innings should be eaten up by a healthy Corey Kluber, but other names such as Luis Patio and Drew Rasmussen will be crucial. Brooks Raley has the potential to have a breakthrough year in 2022 and there are likely to be big contributions from Andrew Kittredge, Pete Fairbanks and Jeffrey Springs in the bullpen, which should offset the loss of Collin McHugh.
One of the things the Rays excel at, as demonstrated by the fact that their pitching staff consistently tops most stat categories, is maximizing the 40-man roster with a wealth of borderline AAA players who are ready to leap into MLB and do a solid job. In this category, players such as Tommy Romero and Colby White are names worth looking out for this year. White, in particular, looks like a pitcher who is likely to make a debut in the major league bullpen sooner rather than later.
The American League East boasts four legitimate postseason candidates, and it rates as one of baseball’s most unpredictable divisions. But despite that, the Rays have won back-to-back championships and must be respected for their achievements going into 2022.
It will be tough to maintain that level of success against the Yankees, the Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays, but experience is vital when it comes to the closing weeks of the regular season, and having been there and done it twice, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Rays extend their winning streak. Either way, given the depth in the AL East, they will surely have a great chance of reaching the playoffs, even if they don’t win the division, while clubs outside the AL East won’t have that luxury.
Last season, the Rays hit 100 wins and that is a tough act to follow, but even if their wins drop into the 90s, the Rays seem set for another big season, and Tampa Bay fans will be hoping that this one takes them all the way to the World Series pennant.
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