With Opening Day just a month away, the Tampa Bay Rays are looking to get back to the World Series. However, there is a lot of pressure on their lineup to score runs in 2021 after the loss of starting pitchers Blake Snell and Charlie Morton. Tampa Bay ranked in the top half among MLB teams in 2020 with 289 runs scored, averaging 4.82 runs per game. They will likely need to improve on this performance in 2021 in order to keep up with the New York Yankees, as well as the new-and-improved Toronto Blue Jays. The Rays will also need to rely heavily on bullpen arms, or look to see a significant improvement from their starting pitchers.
HITTING
While Tampa Bay ranked just 21st in team Batting Average (.238) among all MLB teams in 2020, they ranked 2nd in Walks (243) and 11th in On Base Percentage (.328). The Rays return their top five leaders in Walks for the 2021 season. This includes: Yoshi Tsutsugo, Brandon Lowe, Yandy Diaz, Kevin Kiermaier, and Ji-Man Choi, all of which recorded twenty or more walks in 2020. If the Rays continue to emphasize getting on base, they’ll have no problem continuing to score runs in 2021.
Top prospect, Brendan McKay, could be another player to look out for in the lineup as the season continues. McKay suffered a season-ending injury in 2020 which will limit his pitching this year. However, February reports have stated the two-way player has been working as a hitter during his rehab. This could be a huge addition to the Rays lineup, as McKay batted .328 during his time at Louisville while also hammering 28 Home Runs in three seasons.
PITCHING
As for pitching, Tyler Glasnow looks to be the early pick as the ace of the Rays pitching rotation. After a stellar start to the 2019 season in which he posted a 1.86 ERA in 8 starts, he suffered an injury which sidelined him for most of the season. Glasnow is looking to return to his 2019 form after a disappointing 2020 in which he posted a 4.08 ERA in 11 starts. Glasnow will likely be followed by Ryan Yarbrough, Chris Archer, Michael Wacha, and Rich Hill. The bullpen will be key for the Rays in the 2021 season, as none of these starters were able to finish 2020 with a sub-4.00 ERA. Key bullpen arms for the Rays will include:
- Brendan McKay (if he is able to return as a pitcher)
- Diego Castillo (1.66 ERA in 21.2 IP in 2020)
- Nick Anderson (0.55 ERA/26 SO in 16.1 IP in 2020)
- Josh Fleming (a SP in 2020 who could be serviceable as a LRP in 2021)
PLAYOFF HOPES
The Rays will likely be looking to earn a Wild Card spot, at best, with the New York Yankees returning most of their stellar lineup and rotation. However, this will prove to be a challenge with the Toronto Blue Jays gearing up for a playoff run led by new addition George Springer, and other young talent such as Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guererro Jr. Other teams who will likely be battling the Rays for a Wild Card spot include the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox, who seem to be the current favorites for the AL Central division, with the worse of the two teams likely securing a Wild Card berth.