The Tampa Bay Rays are one week into summer camp. So far, no Rays players have been announced positive for Covid-19 and the core players are all healthy heading into camp 2.0. With less than two weeks until July 23rd/24th opening day, there is certainly some high optimism surrounding this club. But what about 2020 could make things a little different? How may the roster shape up? Could we see some high-end prospects get time in the show? Let’s look at the Tampa Bay Rays season preview for 2020.
Pitching
The Rays have never been shy on pitching talent, and that remains the case heading into 2020. The core three of Charlie Morton, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow will get the nod for the opening weekend, but what happens next? Could five innings, maybe even four be the new “quality start”? If the Rays limit guys to 4-5 innings and 75 pitches, could we see guys pitch every fourth start instead of every fifth?
A fun idea would be to have four “pairs”. The Rays have done this before with the “opener” and “bulk” pitcher, just not with their stars. For the first two weeks, teams will be able to carry 30 players. Many assume that would mean 15 pitchers. If that’s the case, you could see pitcher “A” go four innings and pitcher “B” go 2-3 depending on how the game goes. Maybe you see Morton and Brendan McKay, Snell and Trevor Richards, Glasnow and Jalen Beeks, and Yonny Chirinos and Ryan Yarbrough. Those four pairings would get through the first six innings and hand it over to the back end of the bullpen.
The Rays have been known to think outside the box, so an idea like this wouldn’t surprise many. If however, they go with the more conventional five-man rotation, expect Yarbrough and Chirinos to have the upper hand for the last two spots.
Lineup
Like most teams, the Rays will have several “everyday” players as well as those who will platoon or spot start. Austin Meadows and Hunter Renfroe are expected to man the corner outfield positions. Willy Adames and Brandon Lowe will continue to work the middle infield. Ji Man Choi should get the majority of the reps at first base but there are several others who could see some time there as well. With those being all but set, what positions could we see a battle or platoon at?
Center Field
But wait, don’t the Rays have the best defensive center fielder in the league with Kevin Kiermaier? Yes, they sure do, just this time they have a qualified back up in Manuel Margot. Margot is an elite defender in center who hit .330 against left-handed pitching last season. Don’t be surprised to see a straight platoon take form. It also shouldn’t be shocking to see both in the outfield when the final out is recorded.
Third Base
Third base is probably the most open position battle. With that said, Yandy Diaz will be given every opportunity to be the main man at the hot corner. When healthy, Diaz’s bat needs to be in the Rays lineup. Against lefties, he should be a virtual lock on the lineup card hitting in the first inning. His health however has failed him a few times so seeing someone else at third could happen more than hoped for.
Joey Wendle will be the utility man and primary backup middle infielder but has shown the ability to pick it at third. Yoshi Tsutsugo will handle the DH duties more often than not but has experience at third as well. Perhaps the most intriguing option is Nate Lowe. Lowe has entered camp slimmed down and ready for any role he is offered. This includes moving across the diamond from first to third. If he wants any consistent at-bats, third base just might be his best option.
Designated Hitter
For many years, the Rays just used it as a fourth outfielder spot or a veteran looking to retire in the Florida sunset. This year will be a little different. The Rays have brought in two heavy-hitting bats to fill the DH role. Jose Martinez comes over from the St. Louis Cardinals as a hit-first type player. Left-handed pitching is his specialty, as he hit .329 while slugging .600 in 2019. Against southpaws, expect to see Jose hitting in the middle of the lineup. With right-handers on the mound, Japanese sensation Yoshi Tsutsugo will man this spot in the order. Yoshi will look to add some much needed thump to the middle of the lineup.
Prospects
All eyes will be on the teenage phenom Wander Franco. As much fun as it would be to see the kid step into the box at 19, the odds aren’t in his favor. Other than Franco, there are 12 other top-30 prospects find themselves on the 60-man player pool roster.
Brendan McKay will all-but-certainly see time on the mound and could get a chance to swing the bat a time or two. After him, no one is a guarantee. Vidal Brujan and Lucius Fox both have the speed tool that could land them a spot, especially given the extra inning rule in effect. As the saying goes, you can’t teach speed.
Peter Fairbanks and Shane McClanahan are two relievers who can light up the radar gun. Fairbanks has had some time in the bigs with both the Texas Rangers and the Rays last year and is on the bubble of an opening day roster spot. McClanahan, on the other hand, is a top-10 prospect who does it with his left arm. Many are hoping to get a glimpse of what this tall lefty can do.
Expectations
If the Rays enter the season at full strength, there is no reason to believe they can not compete and return to the playoffs. They are projected to go 34-26, which should be a great number for playoff contention. They have one of the best starting pitching trios in the league and have added much needed firepower to their lineup.
With a 60-game sprint, every game is amplified even more than ever before. Kevin Cash will have the tough task of playing the hot hand versus playing the matchup game. The Rays look healthy and ready to go, let’s just hope the season gets here soon enough.
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