Key personnel in Tampa Bay Rays’ rebound

Opening Day 2017 at Tropicana Field. (Photo Credit: Will Vragovic/Tampa Bay Times)

The Tampa Bay Rays did not have a good season in 2016. In fact, the Rays have not made the American League playoffs since 2013. They did make it to the AL Division series that year, losing to the eventual World Series champions the Boston Red Sox.

Since that time it has been some lean years for the Rays with three consecutive losing seasons, culminating in 2016’s record of 68 wins and 94 losses, their worst record since 2007.

This year the Rays have rebounded from last years debacle and are playing decent baseball again. Their record of 59 wins and 61 losses as of August 14th is a big improvement over last year’s 47 and 69 on the same date. They are currently only 2.5 games behind qualifying for a wild card playoff berth and have a legitimate shot at making it to the playoffs for the first time in 4 years. They bolstered their roster at the trading deadline, making some moves that they hoped may help in the stretch drive to the end of the season.

While it is too soon to tell if these moves will pay off, the fact that the team is in a position to trade for players in an attempt to win this year is a testament to the team they fielded at the start of the season. Third baseman Evan Longoria and starting pitcher Chris Archer are having serviceable years but several Rays that were on the opening day roster have improved their performance over last year. In some cases they are having the best season of their Major League careers. Let’s take a look at some players that have been instrumental in the Rays’ return to competitiveness.

Corey Dickerson – Left Fielder

Corey Dickerson was obtained by the Rays in trade with the Colorado Rockies prior to the 2016 season. He was coming off an injury plagued 2015 season in which he only appeared in 65 games. He had a decent year in his first with the Rays, hitting .245 with 24 home runs and 70 RBI. Determined to improve on that performance and fulfill his high self-expectations, Dickerson changed his diet and cut his weight down to 200 pounds for the first time since being drafted in 2010. He believe this gives him a better jump on chasing fly balls and allows him to stretch more singles into doubles on the base paths.

The formula seems to have worked for the left fielder and designated hitter. He has played well as the Rays’ leadoff hitter and earned the fan’s votes to become the starting AL designated hitter in the 2017 All-Star Game. He is on his way to a career best season in the power department already accumulating 22 homers and 27 doubles. His previous high for home runs was 24 in 2014 and 2016 and he should easily surpass those numbers if he remains healthy. Dickerson is also on pace to shatter his previous record for hits in a season which stood at 136. He currently has 131 hits and has raised his batting average from .245 last year to .285 in 2017. Corey is definitely one of the reasons that Tampa is in the playoff hunt this year.

Logan Morrison – First Base

Morrison was also obtained by the Rays in the 2015 off-season. It was hoped he would be the starting first baseman but Logan was hampered by arm and wrist injuries in 2016 limiting his productivity. Fully recovered from those ailments, Morrison is on pace to have his best hitting year since becoming a Major Leaguer. His 28 home runs blows by his previous best of 23 in 2011 when he was with Florida. That was also his most effective RBI season with 71 and he already has 67 this year with over 40 games left to play. Logan’s slugging percentage currently stands at .512, more than 50 points higher than in any previous season.

Morrison has also played a part in the Rays’ resurgence by his base running prowess. Though the first baseman will never be thought of as a stolen base threat, the Rays are one of the best teams in baseball when it comes to taking an extra base on a hit. He leads the team in the statistic called ultimate base running. This stat calculates the value of taking an extra base versus getting thrown out in the attempt. Morrison has the best numbers here, getting good reads on fielders and hustling for the extra base. These kinds of plays can be instrumental in a team’s success and Morrison is leading by example.

Steven Souza Jr. – Right Field

Steven Souza Jr. has been on the Rays since 2015. He is the starting right fielder and pre-season expectations were that he would have an average year. His offensive production has exploded this season. Souza Jr. has already accumulated 25 home runs, 18 doubles, 62 walks and 71 RBI. With about a quarter of the season left to play, numbers all exceed Steven’s previous best totals. His batting average of 259, OBP of .365 and slugging percentage over .500 are all career bests.

Remaining on his current pace, Souza Jr. projects to hit 34 home runs and drive in 96 this year. Considering the fact that his previous highs in the categories were 17 homers and 49 RBI you have to put him up near the top of the list when reflecting on the Rays’ improved team performance this season.

Tommy Hunter – Relief Pitcher

Journeyman reliever Tommy Hunter signed a minor league contract with the Rays before the start of the 2017 season. His work in spring training earned him a spot on the big league roster for the start of the season. Despite missing a month with a calf injury early in the season he has been a bright spot in the Rays’ bullpen. He is not the closer and has only one save this year but has contributed 14 holds keeping his team in the lead and setting it up for closer Alex Colome.

Hunter has accomplished this with some startling numbers compared with his previous season in MLB. His strikeout per 9 innings is at all time high of 9.66, almost a full strikeout per 9 better than his 2015 campaign. Tommy is sporting the fourth best ERA among American League relievers at 1.76 which is a tremendous improvement on his career numbers which stand at 4.12. The 9 years veteran of the Major Leagues may well have found a home in Tampa.

It All Adds Up

Combining the great years being put up by these 4 players, the steady work of Longoria and their starting pitching has given Rays fans hope for both this year and the future. Pre-season projections had the Rays finishing out of the playoffs for another year. They have shown once again that projections are often not worth the paper they are printed on as they make a late season drive to secure a wild card spot and play well into October.

Author Bio: I’m  David, the editor/co-founder of The Planet Of Baseball. Being a software engineer by day and a baseball blogger by night, I also participated in the training activities of a youth baseball team at my hometown. I have a huge passion for baseball, it pertains to my life from childhood until now. So, I’m here to share with you all things about this passion. Hope you find this helpful.

LBWMF: On Cash and Odorizzi; Rays acquire Cesar Puello, place Faria on DL

That double play turned by Adeiny Hechevarria though … off the catwalks no less. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

Despite losing to the Mariners Saturday night, 7-6, the Tampa Bay Rays did something they haven’t consistently over the last few weeks — hit the ball with authority.

Granted the team couldn’t overcome the early hole that Jake Odorizzi — and if we are being honest with one another, Kevin Cash — put them in, however, in an ideal world, that may be the spark of life they need moving forward. A moral victory if you will. The Rays start the day five-games under .500, yet four-games out in the Wildcard standings.

On Odorizzi and Cash…

Odorizzi has now allowed 15 runs (10 earned) in two starts this season against Seattle, while lasting a total of six innings. Jake was not sharp from the get-go last night, which attributed to a lack of life in his fastball and having no feel for his release point.

That Jake struggled to throw the ball was obvious to all of us in the stands, in the dugout, or watching at home. The Mariners had lots of loud, hard contact against the right-hander (20.7% soft, 34.5% medium, 44.8% hard), who got into trouble early on; Odorizzi threw 29 pitches in the first inning alone, including an 11-pitch at-bat with Robinson Canó.

It also should be noted that Odorizzi’s fastball (which averages out at 92mph) regularly sat at 89mph last night.

As if a third inning grand slam wasn’t enough, Kevin Cash allowed Odorizzi to take the mound again in the fourth despite his issues with command, presumably because he didn’t want to go to the bullpen that early. There of course is irony in that: six-hitters, three-runs and two-outs later, Cash pulled Odorizzi in favor of Chase Whitley.

Last night both Odorizzi and Cash knew what was on the line, yet the Rays skipper ignored the fact that Jake was hurling nothing more than 89mph batting practice fastballs, and allowed him to carry on at the detriment of the team.

The Rays entered play last night just three-games back in the Wildcard race, and had Odorizzi been pulled earlier, they would have exited the Trop two-games back on the heels of a massive momentum building come-from-behind win. But Cash being Cash didn’t want to lean on the bullpen early — which he did anyway — and here we are Sunday morning still waiting for the great leap forward — from the team, Cash, and Odorizzi.

Rays acquire OF Cesar Puello, Faria headed to the 10-day DL

The Rays made a flurry of moves following the game last night and this morning, placing Jacob Faria on the 10-day disabled list with a left abdominal strain (retroactive to 8/17), and acquiring OF Cesar Puello from the Los Angeles Angels. Faria said he’s dealt with left abdominal pain for several starts, and doesn’t think he will be on the shelf for long.

The Rays skipper also set the rotation for the upcoming series with the Blue Jays, with Chris Archer, Austin Pruitt, and Alex Cobb slotting in on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The team will have to make a 40-man roster move before game time Thursday in order to activate Cobb from DL. With the off-day on Monday, Archer and Pruitt will take the mound on regular rest.

Puello, who was recently designated for assignment by the Angels, is a corner outfielder that bats from the right-hand side of the plate. The 26 year-old posted solid numbers in the Pacific Coast League (split between the Rangers and Angels Triple-A affiliates), performing to a .327 BA/.377 OBP/.526 SLG/.903 OPS line in 329 plate appearances, with 13 home runs, 66 runs scored, and 61 runs batted in.

Puello has a favorable history against left-handed pitchers in the minors, although his numbers have been split this season. Since he is out of options, it will be interesting to see how Tampa Bay moves around its roster pieces once Faria returns from the DL.

The New What Next

Blake Snell (1-6, 4.78 ERA, 4.84 FIP) will take the mound for the Rays this afternoon, pitching opposite of Yovani Gallardo (4-8, 6.41 ERA, 5.50 FIP).

Snell battled through six innings in his last turn. And even though he allowed four earned runs, manager Kevin Cash said it might have been Snell’s best start of the season because of his ability to come up big the last inning when his team needed it. After Snell gave up an early run on a fluke double, the left-hander locked it in and forced weak contact while keeping hitters off balance with his mix of pitches, including some particularly deadly off-speed stuff. As with his previous start, Snell played off his live fastball (53 thrown, 32 strikes), then followed with a pretty good changeup (30 thrown, 21 strikes) — both of which he moved around the zone.

Gallardo, the 31-year-old right-hander, is 0-1 with a 9.45 ERA over his past three starts. He lasted just four innings with eight runs and two homers in his previous start against Baltimore. The former Oriole/Ranger/Brewer is 3-2 with a 4.71 ERA in seven career starts against the Rays. He has not faced Tampa Bay this season. Key Matchups: Corey Dickerson (5-13, 2B, HR, 4 RBI), Lucas Duda (5-13, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB), Adeiny Hechavarria (2-8), Brad Miller (5-15, 2 2B, 3B, 3 BB), Trevor Plouffe (5-17, 2 HR, 3 RBI), Steven Souza Jr. (3-10, 2B, 2 RBI)

You can read more about the series in our preview.

Rays 8/20/17 Starting Lineup

Kiermaier CF
Duda DH
Longoria 3B
Morrison 1B
Souza Jr. RF
Dickerson LF
Sucre C
Miller 2B
Hechavarria SS
Snell LHP

Tampa Bay Rays 8/19/17 starting lineup and pregame notes

The Rays got Erasmo’d last night. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays will try bounce back from a string of tough losses on Saturday, when they face the Mariners in the second game of a three-game set at the Trop. For all of their offensive struggles and woes — and trust me, there have been many — the Rays are STILL relevant in the AL Wildcard chase, albeit less so; just three-games out of the second slot with 38 games left to play.

We all know the culprits, and to be fair the Rays have been tough to watch in August.

Nevertheless, it is absolutely incumbent on Tampa Bay to string together some wins and fast, as they have seen their odds of a playoff berth drop precipitously over the last few weeks — from 45% in late July to 8% now. In short, with a glut of teams that haven’t been able to run away with the final Wildcard spot, a postseason is still attainable assuming, the bats can wake up, although it’s certainly not imminent.

…Waiting for the great leap forward, I’d reckon.

The New What Next

With an eye toward continuing where he left off in his last start, Jake Odorizzi (6-6, 4.30 ERA, 5.64 FIP) will take the mound tonight, pitching opposite of Ariel Miranda (7-6, 4.75 ERA, 5.43 FIP).

Odorizzi was solid in his last start against Toronto and buckled down to control his stuff after allowing a first-inning home run. This was a good sign for the right-hander that is coming off back-to-back short outings. Odorizzi gave up a two-run homer to Josh Donaldson in the first inning, but cruised to a quality start through the next five frames. Unfortunately the Rays couldn’t come to life against Nick Tepesch, dropping Odorizzi to his sixth loss of the season.

Miranda is 0-2 with a 7.23 ERA over his past seven starts. He has given up 12 home runs over that stretch. The southpaw threw a complete-game victory against Tampa Bay on June 4 in Seattle, scattering just four hits and one run with nine strikeouts. That was the only time Tampa Bay has faced Miranda. Key Matchups: Trevor Plouffe (1-2), Daniel Robertson (1-3, 3B), Steven Souza Jr. (1-4)

You can read more about the series in our preview.

Rays 8/19/17 Starting Lineup

Kiermaier CF
Bourjos LF
Longoria DH
Souza RF
Ramos c
Duda 1B
Plouffe 3B
Hechavarria SS
Robertson 2B
Odorizzi RHP

Noteworthiness

— With Evan Longoria getting a DH day, and back in the third spot in the order, Trevor Plouffe (I know, ugh) will take over at third base tonight, hitting seventh.

—  Rays skipper Kevin Cash said the Outlaw will be the primary leadoff hitter pretty much fulltime from here on out. As for Longoria, the experiment with him in the two hole is over, and he will hit out of his normal spot from now on.

— Matt Andriese (right hip) was struck on the left ankle Friday by a comebacker on the second pitch of his rehab start with Class-A Charlotte. He left the game, walking to the clubhouse without a limp … although in a walking boot. Andriese said his left leg, where he took the line drive, is sore. He will play catch this afternoon with a bullpen session scheduled for Sunday. The right-hander is expected to make his next rehab start five days from now (Thursday, August 25).

— Cash said Cobb looked good during live batting practice this afternoon.

He will forgo a rehab stint and likely will return to the rotation during the next series against Toronto. The team will announce today where he slots in.

Rays Roster Moves: Welcome back, Kevin Kiermaier

Kevin Cash told interviewers with MLB Network Radio that Kevin Kiermaier will be in the lineup Friday night. (Photo Credit: MLB.com)

At long last Kevin Kiermaier, who was placed on the disabled list with a hip fracture back on June 9, has been activated and will appear in the lineup Friday night. Since the injury the Rays have gone 29-32, as fans waited restlessly for the return of the Outlaw.

In an interview this afternoon with MLB Network Radio, Rays manager Kevin Cash broke the news before anything was made official.

Hey, look at that! Not only is KK back, but he’s hitting in the leadoff spot.

In order to make room on the 25-man roster, Mallex Smith has been optioned back to Triple-A Durham … although he will be back soon enough with September call-ups just around the corner. Since the Rays had room on the 40-man roster, they only needed to make a 25-man move.

Kiermaier slashed .258 BA/.329 OBP/.408 SLG/.737 overall, largely due to a poor month of April. However, he began to get toasty in May, then red-hot in June when he posted a .364 BA/.364 OBP/.591 SLG/.955 OPS/.227 ISO/.368 BABIP/.401 wOBA over 22 plate appearances leading up to his injury.

The addition of Kiermaier to the lineup not only shores things up defensively, but also could prove to be the sparkmarker Tampa Bay needs to make a postseason run.

The New What Next: Rays vs Mariners — a series preview

The face of the Rays is none too happy with his team’s offensive struggles. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays returned home, from a relatively quick road jaunt, where they’ll face the Seattle Mariners over the next three days, ahead of a previously scheduled off-day on Monday. Tampa Bay is coming off a three-game series loss to Toronto, while Seattle took two of three from Baltimore.

(Stats: ESPN)

Hanging in playoff contention by a thread, something that has more to do with the fact that none have run away with the final Wildcard spot than it has with quality play of the Rays, a frustrated Evan Longoria opined that “losses are definitely tough at this point in the year.”

With just 39 games left of the regular season, Longoria has a point. The Rays have been hard to watch, yet here we are with a team that is still in the hunt … one with an opportunity to make up some ground against a ball club that sits ahead of them in the Wildcard standings. But time is of the essence, and the Rays cannot afford to continue to squander quality starts by the pitching staff which has worked to a 2.92 ERA over the month of August.

We’ve got to turn it around, Rays manager Kevin Cash said. You can only delay it for so long and say there’s time, there’s time. Time is of the essence. We’ve got to start playing good baseball games whether we matchup well against that team or not, forget it. We have to play good baseball.

There are a couple of bright sides. Seattle is just two games removed from a five game losing streak, and Scott Servais will start three hurlers with +4.00 ERA’s over the last 14-days. Hopefully, yes hopefully, the Rays offense can muster enough offense to take at least two-out-of-three from the M’s.

On the contrary, however, the Rays faced the Mariners in early June and were swept in a three-game series.

(Stats: FanGraphs)

Over the next three days Kevin Cash will lean in Austin Pruitt (1-2, 3.08 ERA, 4.32 FIP), Jake Odorizzi (6-6, 4.30 ERA, 5.64 FIP), and Blake Snell (1-6, 4.78 ERA, 4.84 FIP). Scott Servais will counter with former Ray Erasmo Ramirez (4-4, 4.73 ERA, 4.61 FIP), Ariel Miranda (7-6, 4.75 ERA, 5.43 FIP), and Yovani Gallardo (4-8, 6.41 ERA, 5.50 FIP).

(Stats: FanGraphs)

Pitching Matchups

Pruitt notched a quality start in his last turn against Cleveland, and has turned a corner of late. Over his last three starts and (spanning 18-1/3 innings) the right-hander has allowed just four runs on 11 hits and three walks. He also has worked to a 1.96 ERA along the way.

Ramirez will face the team that traded him before the deadline for Steve Cishek. Erasmo has been spotty since the deal, going 0-1 with a 4.40 ERA in three starts. He, however, is coming off his best outing with Seattle — throwing six innings of one run, three hit baseball against the Angels. But with .211 BABIP over the last 14 days, it’s safe to say Erasmo has been the beneficiary of good luck. For the sake of the Rays, who have been the recipient of bad luck over the same span, the luck dragons have got to change for both parties at some point. We all know what to expect from Ramirez: a zippy fastball, a whiffy changeup with a ton of movement, and a sinker that he tries to keep at the bottom of the zone.

Odorizzi was solid in his last start against Toronto and buckled down to control his stuff after allowing a first-inning home run. This was a good sign for the right-hander that is coming off back-to-back short outings. Odorizzi gave up a two-run homer to Josh Donaldson in the first inning, but cruised to a quality start through the next five frames. Unfortunately the Rays couldn’t come to life against Nick Tepesch, dropping Odorizzi to his sixth loss of the season.

Miranda is 0-2 with a 7.23 ERA over his past seven starts. He has given up 12 home runs over that stretch. The southpaw threw a complete-game victory against Tampa Bay on June 4 in Seattle, scattering just four hits and one run with nine strikeouts. That was the only time Tampa Bay has faced Miranda. Key Matchups: Trevor Plouffe (1-2), Daniel Robertson (1-3, 3B), Steven Souza Jr. (1-4)

Snell battled through six innings in his last turn. And even though he allowed four earned runs, manager Kevin Cash said it might have been Snell’s best start of the season because of his ability to come up big the last inning when his team needed it. After Snell gave up an early run on a fluke double, the left-hander locked it in and forced weak contact while keeping hitters off balance with his mix of pitches, including some particularly deadly off-speed stuff. As with his previous start, Snell played off his live fastball (53 thrown, 32 strikes), then followed with a pretty good changeup (30 thrown, 21 strikes) — both of which he moved around the zone.

Gallardo, the 31-year-old right-hander, is 0-1 with a 9.45 ERA over his past three starts. He lasted just four innings with eight runs and two homers in his previous start against Baltimore. The former Oriole/Ranger/Brewer is 3-2 with a 4.71 ERA in seven career starts against the Rays. He has not faced Tampa Bay this season. Key Matchups: Corey Dickerson (5-13, 2B, HR, 4 RBI), Lucas Duda (5-13, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB), Adeiny Hechavarria (2-8), Brad Miller (5-15, 2 2B, 3B, 3 BB), Trevor Plouffe (5-17, 2 HR, 3 RBI), Steven Souza Jr. (3-10, 2B, 2 RBI)

Noteworthiness

— Kevin Kiermaier (hip, back) is expected to rejoin the Rays on Friday.

We’re hoping all goes well, Cash said of his Thursday afternoon rehab start. He’s very, very close.

Mallex Smith likely will be optioned to Triple-A Durham to make room for Kiermaier.

— Alex Cobb (turf toe) is slated to throw a bullpen session on Saturday at Tropicana Field. If all goes well, he will rejoin the rotation next week, potentially as soon as Tuesday.

— Matt Andriese (hip) started for the Charlotte Stone Crabs Thursday night in the second of three scheduled rehab outings.