subject: Tampa Bay Rays Tickets - The Rays Are For Real [print this page] For a good part of the last decade, the Tampa Bay Rays resided in the cellar of the American League East; that is, until 2008 when the Rays came seemingly out of nowhere to win the division and reach the World Series. The Rays came back down to Earth a bit last season but have looked like the best team in baseball so far this year. Through 22 games, Tampa sits atop the A.L. East with a cozy 17-5 record, 2.5 games up on divisional powerhouse New York. But the question is whether the Rays are simply off to a good start, or are they for real?
Tampa Bay boasts a really good lineup that could very well finish among the league leaders in offensive output this season. Jason Bartlett and Carl Crawford start things off for the Rays offensively, and it's a nice way to get things going. Bartlett is one of the most underrated shortstops in the game from a hitting perspective and Crawford is among the fastest players in the league. They do a great job of setting the table for the middle of the lineup. Utility man Ben Zobrist has hit in the three-hole a lot this season and is a quality hitter than really broke out in a big way in 2009.
The best hitter on this team is third baseman Evan Longoria, who literally has Hall-of-Fame potential. He's got the talent to put up some monster seasons in coming years. Numbers like .320, 40 HR, 130 RBI and 15 SB are not out of the question. I think he's an MVP-caliber player and he was my preseason pick to win the award this season. Hitting behind Longoria is Carlos Pena, a true throwback to the classic power hitter. Behind Pena lies B.J. Upton, who may never fully realize his talent but is a terror on the base paths and still has potential for a power influx.
While it may be the potent lineup that sells the bulk of the Tampa Bay Rays tickets people purchase, it's the starting pitching that has taken this team to the next level. Coming into the 2010 season, we knew the Rays were going to hit. Their rotation, on the other hand, was much less stable. Headed up by the dependable James Shields, this rotation has been fantastic thus far in 2010. Shields is by no means the team's most talented hurler, but he's been the most reliable in previous years. I do not expect him to be the opening day starter in 2011, though; in fact, I would not be surprised to see him end up third in the rotation next season.
The reasons I think Shields will slide down in the rotation are Matt Garza and David Price. Garza came over to Tampa a couple of years ago in the Delmon Young deal, which was essentially a swap of supremely talented players that had cast some doubt on whether or not they'd ever truly realize their potential. As of now, it looks like the Rays guessed right. Garza is off to a fine start in 2010, boasting a 4-1 record in five starts, as well as a 2.06 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and 34 strikeouts in 35 innings. The biggest problem that Garza has had in the past has been with his command. He seems to be throwing strikes this season and it could be his breakout campaign.
The same goes for Price, who will probably end up being the ace of this staff one day. He was once the top pitching prospect in the game and looks like he's ready to show the world that such a ranking was warranted. Through four 2010 starts, Price is 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. He too had control issues last season, but seems to be putting those behind him. Price truly showed was he is capable of on April 25th, when he tossed a complete game shutout against the Blue Jays, allowing just four hits and fanning nine Toronto batters in the process. He's got genuine number one starter potential.
Considering those two hurlers are likely to be followed by Shields and promising youngster Wade Davis, this team should be really tough to score runs on for years to come. One also has to keep in mind that the Rays have a big-time pitching prospect just waiting to be called up any time now in Jeremy Hellickson. They've also got a top outfield prospect in Desmond Jennings, which will make trading Carl Crawford, or letting him walk after this season, that much easier.
The Rays are not only good now, they're going to be good for the foreseeable future. They're young, talented and incredibly deep. I recently heard ESPN's Buster Olney say that a league executive told him that if baseball was played with 15 guys, the Rays would win 130 games. I think a statement like that speaks volumes to the staying power of this team. I believe that this young team is here to stay, and could be making life for the Yankees and Red Sox a lot harder for years to come. So in summation, yes, the Rays are for real.
