When we last left the Tampa Bay Rays — on the field — they were getting swept out of the 2023 playoffs in two games by the eventual World Series champions, the Texas Rangers.
OK, Rays fans. Take a deep breath and get that taste out of your mouth. And as the 2024 Opening Day arrives, let’s remember why Tropicana Field’s fish tank is always at least half full.
The Trop is sold out for Game 1 of 162, as the Rays meet the Toronto Blue Jays at 4:10 p.m. Thursday.
The starting pitchers will be right-handers Zach Eflin for the Rays and José Berríos for the Blue Jays. Eflin, a 29-year-old Orlando native, earned the role after a strong first season in Tampa Bay, going 16-8 with a 3.50 ERA and 186 strikeouts.
The Rays won 99 games last season and nearly held on to win the American League East Division despite major injury problems down the stretch. They still reached the postseason for the fifth straight season.
Cash closes in on Maddon
Sure, the Rays have one of Major League Baseball’s lowest payrolls, but they return most of an offense that ranked second in the league in batting average, second in on-base percentage, second in slugging percentage, second in runs scored and fourth in home runs.
The Rays also boasted the AL batting champ in first baseman Yandy Diaz and speedy slugger Randy Arozarena, who had four home runs during spring training to lead the team.
Kevin Cash, entering his 10th season, has been with one team longer than any other current manager in the majors. On Thursday, he will surpass Joe Maddon (2006-14) as the Rays’ longest-tenured manager and needs 16 wins to pass Maddon as Tampa Bay’s leader in managerial wins.
But there are setbacks that could prevent anything close to last season’s 13-0 start. Starting pitchers Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Spring are still recovering from injuries, and ace Tyler Glasnow was traded during the offseason. Shortstop Wander Franco's status remains amid a Dominican Republic investigation over accusations that he had an improper relationship with a minor.
Like the Rays, Toronto earned a wild-card playoff spot and were swept in the first round. They remain a dangerous team, however, with plenty of star power. Bo Bichette hit .345 in the spring while Vladimir Guerrero hit .463, including three home runs. George Springer hit .415 in the Grapefruit League.
Who will win the East?
The AL East has changed a lot from the days when the big-market behemoths would overpower the rest of the division. But when experts analyze New York, Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Toronto, none of them seems like much of an underdog.
Baltimore hasn’t made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since 1996-97 but has a chance to become a postseason mainstay. Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman could be among the best players in baseball at their positions, and manager Brandon Hyde should have all sorts of options when filling out the lineup. A recent trade for pitcher Corbin Burnes gave the Orioles an ace they can lean on.
The Yankees won 99 games and the division two seasons ago, and after barely finishing above .500 last year, they made a major offseason splash when they acquired three-time All-Star Juan Soto. A lineup with Soto, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres is powerful enough to lift New York, but a lot will depend on health after Judge's troublesome toe was such a problem last year.
Boston has finished last in the division two straight seasons despite closing with a not-that-terrible 78 wins each time. Such is life in the AL East. Boston has some punch in the lineup thanks to Rafael Devers and Triston Casas, but the starting rotation has plenty of questions.
Baseball prognosticators mostly expect the Rays to finish the middle of the AL East pack. But don't be surprised if this comes down to the final innings of September.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
