Things are going well for the Tampa Bay Rays at the present moment. They have closed the gap in the American League East due to their torrid play and the New York Yankees’ recent slump. Are they being overlooked or receiving enough support from the external stakeholders who observe the sport of baseball? A recent ESPN article that attempted to rank all 30 teams based on their lineups has fans thinking the Rays got stiffed.
The usual suspects were placed in the top five along with the MLB-best Detroit Tigers. However, it’s the placement of the Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays that’s puzzling. They ranked the Rays as the 15th-best lineup, with the St. Louis Cardinals at #10 and Toronto at #8.
ESPN Says The Blue Jays Have a Better Lineup
The Blue Jays deserve plenty of credit for playing well and firmly planting themselves in the American League playoff picture. However, they have arguably done this despite a league-average offense right now, whose 315 runs rank 16th in MLB. They are 19th in home runs with 74, despite employing some of the most feared sluggers in baseball. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has nine home runs in his 72 games. In fairness, the ESPN article notes that Toronto’s main weakness is power, and that Andres Gimenez is struggling. The article claims, “fearsome might be a stretch” and that “Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Anthony Santander, Bo Bichette and Andres Gimenez all capable of more offense than they’ve offered so far.”
The ESPN analysis is heavily tilted toward future performance rather than past performance. The Blue Jays certainly have the ability to start hitting for power, but we have been waiting for a while. The Tampa Bay Rays are getting it done right now and showing signs they can sustain this hot stretch. The top four of Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda, Brandon Lowe, and Josh Lowe are dangerous. The bottom of the lineup isn’t too shabby, and the Rays can score runs in a multitude of ways. They’re also eight in MLB in runs scored. They still lead MLB in stolen bases and can utilize their speed to make plays happen. For good measure, they have taken five of the six games against the Canadian neighbors this season.
Who Else Was Ranked Ahead Of the Rays?
ESPN has the Boston Red Sox ranked #11, which feels a little elevated, especially since slugger Rafael Devers has now been shipped to San Francisco. The standout performance of Cal Raleigh has buoyed the Seattle Mariners. The San Francisco Giants stand to benefit immensely from Devers’ services. The Atlanta Braves at #14 have been struggling to get back to .500, but should be improved with the full health of star Ronald Acuna Jr.
The Cardinals are a team that got off to a scorching hot start before cooling off. In contrast to the Rays, the Cardinals are struggling to score runs in June. The ESPN article notes how, “… if the average falls, the Cardinals don’t draw enough walks or mash enough homers to make up the difference.”
To wit, the Rays are smacking more home runs than the Cardinals, yet drawing fewer walks than the Cardinals. It seems like the Cardinals are in for a dramatic regression. The Rays are doing more than enough to hang with the Cardinals. Instead, ESPN places them almost seven spots behind them in the rankings.
The Tampa Bay Rays Will Keep Earning Respect
These exercises always provide plenty of fodder for fan commentary. The Rays are playing well enough that we can afford to waste our time debating this issue. Look no further than how the Rays are climbing up in most team power rankings. MLB.com recently had them in the middle of the pack, and they have risen into the top 10. Bottom line, the Rays are proving they can perform at a high level in the present moment. It’s no longer a question of whether they can do this, but instead whether they can keep on performing at these levels.
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