Tampa Bay Devil Rays - The Covid-19 Years (2020-2029)
 
   
 
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  Titles: Top Rays Players of the Twenty Twenties  
  2020-Won Division; WC def Tor; ALDS def NY; ALCS def Hou; WS Lost to LA  
  2021 - Won Division; ALDS Lost to Boston Pitchers:  
  2022 - WC Lost to Cleveland Shane McClanahan (8.54) -  23  
  2023 - WC Lost to Texas  Pete Fairbanks (4.23)  17  
    Zach Eflin (4.3) -  17  
  BallPark: Tyler Glasnow (5.49) - 12  
  Tropicana Field Ryan Yarbrough (0.14) -   10  
    Drew Rasmussen (6.06) -  10  
  Team Name: Josh Fleming (-1.22) -   9  
  Rays Diego Castillo (1.68) -   9  
    Jason Adam (4.55) - 8  
  Owner:  Andrew Kittredge (2.92) -  8  
  Consortium led by Stuart Sternberg Colin Poche (1.56) -  8  
    Taj Bradley (1.1)  - 8  
  General Managers: Zack Littell (3.7) -  8  
  Erik Neander (2020-2021) (2022-2025 president and GM) Ryan Pepiot (2.1) -  7  
  Peter Bendix (2022-2023) Corey Kluber (0.77) -  7  
    Jeffrey Springs (3.92) -  7  
  Managers: Blake Snell (1.11) -    4  
  Kevin Cash     
    Catchers:  
  No Hitters: Mike Zunino (2.77)  -    10  
  None Francisco Mejia (2.39) -  6  
       
  Hall of Famers: First Basemen:  
  None Yandy Diaz (12.65) -   33  
    Ji-Man Choi (0.57) -   6  
  Rookie of the Year:    
  2021 - Randy Arozarena Second Basemen:  
    Brandon Lowe (12.41) -    25  
  MVP: Luke Raley (2.81) -   6  
  None    
    ShortStop:  
  Cy Young: Wander Franco (11.53) -  23  
  None Taylor Walls (7.4) -  14  
    Jose Caballero (1.7) -  10  
  Notable Events:    
    Third Base:  
  2020 -  Tampa Bay continued to get better in '20 finishing 40-20 and Isaac Paredes (9.22) -  19  
  making it to the World Series. They had won 90 and 96 games the  Joey Wendle (5.02) -   11  
  previous two seasons. As usual, it was the pitching that propelled the Rays.    
  Despite their previous success, the Rays had a nine year streak coming Outfield:  
  into '20 where they had a below league average offense. In '20, the offense Randy Arozarena (11.79) -   38  
  scored eleven more runs than the league average to break the streak.  Manuel Margot (5.36) -   17  
  Meanwhile, Tampa's pitching was significantly better than the league Josh Lowe (4.73) -  16  
  average in '20. The Rays performed four games better than their runs Kevin Kiermaier (6.17) -   12  
  totals would indicate because their bullpen was outstanding so that Jose Siri (4.25) -  11  
  Tampa Bay was winning the close ones. Harold Ramirez (3.32) -  8  
    Austin Meadows (2.19) -   6  
  □   Stuart Sternberg has led a consortium that bought the Rays in '04.    
  Considering the tight income stream that Tampa has had to work with Notable Events:  
  in his seventeen years of ownership, Sternberg's success with Tampa    
  has been nothing short of remarkable. They've finished over .500 nine 2024 - In a blockbuster trade with the Dodgers, a classic poor feeding the rich  
  times with six post season appearances and two World Series appearances. baseball trade, the Rays trade ace Tyler Glasnow, 29, and OF Manuel Margot  
  Considering that the first four years of Sternberg's tenure were below to LA in exchange for prospects righty Ryan Pepiot, 26, and OF Johnny DeLuca.  
  .500 as the franchise was gearning up, that's nine of the last thirteen    
  winning seasons. Add in that the Rays have been in the toughest 2024 - The Rays have been elite from 2018-2023. Their severe downturn during  
  division in baseball with the big spending Red Sox and Yankees  the latter half of '23 and the fact that there is a real possibility that their best   
  and Sternberg's achievements go to another level of remarkable.  player, Wander Franco, will never play for them again are very concerning.  
       
   □   Erik Neander has been GM since 2016 and has obviously done a Offense:  
  fantastic job. One of owner Sternberg's biggest strengths has been  Tampa's robust offense scored 112 more runs than the league average and that was  
  putting an outstanding management team together. Andrew Friedman  without Franco for half a year. They've had a potent lineup with six players topping  
  was Sternberg's first GM and after being wildly successful in Tampa, twenty home runs and four more in double figures (Franco 17 and Luke Raley 19).  
  Friedman moved on to LA where he has been wildly successful with To replace Franco, they traded Raley to Seattle for SS Jose Caballera.   
  the Dodgers. Neander was kicked upstairs to President in '22 with TB is one of only a couple teams where Raley won't be missed.  
  Peter Bendix promoted into the GM slot. The team has a near circular lineup with power all up and down the lineup  
    The one thing they are missing, with Franco gone, is a superstar to anchor   
  □   Kevin Cash has been Tampa's manager since 2015. He, also obviously,  the lineup  
  has done a great job. He took over for Joe Maddon, one of the best, □ C Rene Pinto, 27, '13 IFA, 6 16 .252  
  who took over for the legendary Lou Piniella. These have been the three □ 1B Yandy Diaz, 32, '19 trade from Cleveland, 22 78 .330  
  field managers during Sternberg's tenure, you couldn't do better.  □ 2B Brandon Lowe, 29, '15 3rd round pick, 21 68 .231  
    □   SS Jose Cabballero, 27,  '24 Trade with Seattle, 4 26 .221  
  2021 - The Rays win the Divison with a 100-62 mark, but disappoint in the □   SS Wander Franco, 23,  '17 IFA, 17 58 .281, suspended from baseball  
  post season dropping the ALDS to Boston □   SS Carson Williams, 20, '21 1st round pick, minors 23 81 .257, top prospect  
    □   3B Isaac Paredes, 25, '22 trade from Detroit, 31 98 .250  
  2022 - Generally 86 win season aren't considered down years for small □  3B Curtis Mead, 23, '20 trade from Phillies, 1 5 .253, top prospect  
  market teams, but it is for Tampa. Nonetheless, the Rays make it to the □  3B Junior Caminero, 20, '22 trade from Cleveland, 1 7 .235, top prospect  
  post season as a wild card but lose in the WC round to Cleveland. □   OF Randy Arozarena, 29,  '20 trade from St Louis, 23 83 .254  
    □   CF Jose Siri, 28, '22 trade from Houston, 25 56 .222  
  2023 - Tampa enters the season with a competitive team filled with good □   OF Josh Lowe, 26, '16 1st round pick, 20 83 .292  
  hitters and solid pitchers. The lineup is circular with 1B Yandy Diaz, □ OF Johnny DeLuca, 25, '24 trade from LA, 2 6 .262  
  2B Brandon Lowe, SS Wander Franco, 3B Alex Paredes,  □  OF Harold Ramirez, 29, '22 trade from Cubs, 12 68 .313   
  OF Randy Arozarena, OF Jose Siri OF Harold Ramirez and OF Josh Lowe    
  all good sticks.  Pitchers:  
  On the mound Shane McClanahan, Tyler Glasnow, Taj Bradley Drew The pitching is a bit more problematic for Tampa. They gave up a healthy 83 runs  
   Rasmussen and Zach Elfin are a solid rotation. The bullpen could be better.  less than the league average last year. However, they gave up their top starter  
    Tyler Glasnow in a trade to LA and they are beset with injuries, a common problem  
  2023 - Tampa has a big year winning 99, but finishing second to the Orioles. over the years for Rays pitchers. Tampa has always been able to stay ahead of the  
  They lose the Wild Card to eventual World Series Champs Texas. curve by continually producing new studs to replace the injured old ones.   
  They got off to a 57-28 start but cooled off to a 42-35 finish. Hitting is Tampa's A remarkable record, really, however, their farm system has been geared more  
  strong point and losing Wander Franco to domestic issues hurt the offense greatly.  towards position players the past few years, which has served them extremely well  
    up until now, but there may not be the usual plethora of potential replacements  
  2023 - Tampa trades 1B prospect Kyle Manzardo, 22, to Cleveland for righthander this time around.  
  Aaron Civale, 28, at the trade deadline. □ RHP Zach Elfin, 30, '23 FA from Phillies, 16-8 3.50  
    □ RHP Aaron Civale, 29, '23 Trade with Cleveland, 7-5 3.46  
    □ RHP Zack Littell, 28, '23 waivers from Boston, 3-6 3.93  
    □ Righty Ryan Pepiot, 26, '24 trade from LA, 2-1 2.14  
    □   RHP Taj Bradley, 22, '18 draft 5th round pick, 5-8 5.59  
    □ Closer Pete Fairbanks, 30, '19 trade from Texas, 2-4 2.58 25 saves  
    □  Closer Jason Adam, 32, '22 FA from Cubs, 4-2 2.98 12 saves  
    □ Lefty Reliever Colin Poche, 30, '18 trade from Arizona, 12-3 2.23  
    □ Righty Reliever Chris Devenski, 33, '23 trade from Anaheim, 6-4 4.46 0 saves  
    □ Lefty Reliever Garrett Cleavinger, 30 '23 trade from Anaheim, 1-0 3.00 0 saves  
    □ Righty Reliever Phil Maton, 31 '24 FA from Houston, 4-3 3.00 1 saves  
    □ Lefty Reliever Tyler Alexander, 29 '24 waivers from Detroit, 2-1 4.50 0 saves  
    □ Righty Reliever Shawn Armstrong, 33, '22 FA from Miami, 1-0 1.38 0 saves  
    □ LHP Shane McClanahan, 28, 1st round pick '18 draft, 11-2 3.29, Out - TJ Surgery  
    □   RHP Drew Rasmussen, 28, '21 trade from Milwaukee, 4-2 2.62, Out - TJ Surgery  
    □ Lefty Reliever Jeffrey Springs, 31, '21 trade from Boson, 2-0 0.56, Out - TJ Surgery  
    □ RHP Shane Baz, 23,  '18 trade from Pittsburgh, Out - TJ Surgery  
    □ RHP Cole Wilcox, 24,  '21 trade from SD, minors 6-8 5.23  
    □ Righty Reliever Kevin Kelly, 25,  '23 obtained from Colorado, 5-2 3.09, AAA  
    □ Lefty Mason Montgomery, 22  '21 draft 6th round pick, minors 7-4 3.98   
       
    2025  
     Tampa won 99 games in '23. They fell off a cliff and won only  80 in '24  
    And worse, their run differentials indicated a whopping 26 game drop off   
    between '23 and '24 from 100 to 74. What happened?  
    What happened was that the Tampa offense scored an incredible 256 runs less  
    in '24 than they did in '23. And that happened with almost the identical lineup  
    in '24 than '23. The only significant difference in the lineups was SS Wander Franco  
    was not there in '24. But, as talented as he is, his war was 5.5, not 26.  
    Every single player, save 2B Brandon Lowe, who held steady, fell off a cliff  
    offensively. This kind of thing rarely happens and I believe this  
    is the second biggest year to year drop off in big league history.  
    The 1931 Cubs dropped 278 runs. The 1919 Red Sox dropped 244 runs.  
    The 2024 Braves dropped 233 runs. The 1951 Red Sox dropped 223 runs.  
     The 1931 Phillies dropped 214 runs. The 2024 Rangers dropped 198 runs.  
    The 1962 Yankees dropped 191 runs. The 1936 Tigers dropped 189 runs.  
    So the question is - what the hell really happened?  
    We'll  guess that the Rays will hit better at the Yankee minor league Ft   
    Lauderdale park as the dark dank dungeon they have been forced to play in,   
    Tropicana Field, no longer exists.  
       
    2025 Hitting   
    The Rays have gotten rid of a lot of the culprits and replaced them with   
    players within the organization. Guys like Junior Caminero, Christopher Morel,  
    Jonny DeLuca and Jonathan Aranda. Good luck with that. In their favor, Tampa  
    had the top rated minor league organization in baseball last year. So there's  
    some talent in the pipeline, but not much for this year.  
    The best of the youngsters is SS Carson Williams, 22, who hit twenty homers  
    in AA last year. Probably will be ready in '26.  
       
    2025 Pitching:  
    The Rays are really good at developing young pitchers. Which is a particularly  
    good thing since they always need a lot of them as injuries take their toll year in  
    and year out. For instance, in '25, half of the Rays projected rotation recently  
    had TJ surgery. Plus the Rays dealt away a third to the A's, Jeffrey Springs, in the  
    off season for some prospects. If healthy, Shane McClanahan, 28, is the staff ace.  
    He was 11-2 3.29 before going down with TJ surgery in '23. The other TJ recovery  
    is righty Shane Baz, 26, 4-3 3.06. Righty Taj Bradley, 24, was 8-11 4.11 and is  
    poised to take his game to the next level. Righty Ryan Pepiot, 27, was 8-8 3.60  
    and has the stuff to move his game to the next level, as well. Zach Littell, 29,  
    8-10 3.63, rounds out a very strong rotation.  
    The bullpen is OK, not as strong as the starting rotation. The most effective hurlers   
    in the pen are Pete Fairbanks, 31, Kevin Kelly, 27, Jason Adam, 33, Edwin  
    Uceta, 27 and Manny Rodriguez, 28.