Are the Rays proving to be an AL East powerhouse?
Kevin Kiermaier, left, Willy Adames and Tampa Bay continue to find ways to win, forcing the Yankees and Red Sox to play catch-up.
BOSTON – For much of their existence, especially in recent years, the Rays have been like the proverbial younger sibling. The little brother who desperately wants to hang out with the big kids only to be patted on the head and sent home when the streetlights come on.
This year, though, Tampa Bay Rays might still be hanging with the big boys when the bright lights of the postseason are shining.
Entering the week with the best record in the majors (21-12) and a starting pitcher tied for the most wins in the majors and leading the American League in ERA (Tyler Glasnow), the Rays are proving they belong. While some of the ways the go about their business might be unorthodox, they are not a fluke. (An opener? Who didn’t laugh that off a year ago?)
“If something doesn’t work, they’re going to be an easy target,” center fielder Kevin Kiermaier said of the team’s decision-makers. “But over the years, it’s worked every time we’ve done that, so they look like geniuses.
“So, yes, we’re not afraid to be unorthodox with a certain style of what we do. Unorthodox might be the greatest word to describe our team, but at the same time success follows behind unorthodox, and that’s OK.”
Kiermaier epitomizes the organization’s orthodoxy. A 31stround (941st overall) pick out of Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois, in 2010, he’s lucky to have made it to the major leagues. Now the team’s longest-tenured player, he is a twotime Gold Glove winner and AL Platinum Glove winner (for the league’s best defensive player) in 2015.
“For the guys that come over from other organizations, I’ll explain whatever I can to them,” Kiermaier said. “And I think more people in the baseball world realize how much is changing in our industry.
“I think the game is changing each year. There’s just nothing normal in baseball anymore.”
If a different kind of approach leads to success, the Rays are more than happy to employ that.
“I think we do a good job of valuing players, valuing players’ strengths and then trying to find a way to manage that throughout a long season, getting the most out of them,” manager Kevin Cash said.
“Not every team is built with 200-inning pitchers. We’re definitely not, so we’re going to try and maximize and get the most out of the pitching staff.
“And then we want to be versatile enough on the offensive side when we can use our bench, which we think is really good. On any given night, we feel really good about our bench, when we’re healthy, that they can come in and make an impact on the game. I don’t think there’s many American League clubs that can go into a game — or a season, for that matter — saying our bench can be used to help us win a game every single night. We feel that way. So if that’s unorthodox, so be it.”
Does the approach determine the roster, or does the roster determine the approach?
“That’s a good question,” Cash said. “At the end of the season last year, our guys in the front office did a good job of evaluating what took place, what we have, what we need to do to complement the team. I think, though, you have to be able to adjust who you acquire, who you sign to free agency, who you acquire via trade, whatever it is. But I think that’s very fair, chicken-and-egg is a good way to put it, because I’m not sure which comes first. A lot of discussions, I know that.”
Stellar second half continues
After their accomplishments last season, there shouldn’t be much surprise at their success this season. The Rays were the only 90-win team to miss the playoffs last season. They were the first team in major league history to use at least 23 rookies and finish at least 18 games over .500.
This season has been a continuation of last season, when they went 41-25 (.621) in the second half.
Right-hander Glasnow was acquired at the trade deadline last season in the deal that sent starter Chris Archer to Pittsburgh. After disappointments and inconsistencies since making his major league debut with the Pirates in 2016, Glasnow has burst out of the gate this season at 6-0 with a 1.47 ERA in his first seven starts.
The change of scenery has helped bring about a change in mentality, he said.
“Just a really relaxed atmosphere,” Glasnow said after beat
ing the Red Sox in Fenway Park at the end of April. “It’s kind of that go-out-and-have-fun, play-baseball in-the-backyard mentality.”
The word “fun” is often heard in the Rays clubhouse to describe the team’s approach.
“It’s been awesome,” said catcher Mike Zunino, acquired in a trade with Seattle in November. “It just allows you to have fun, it allows you to be yourself, and allows you to enjoy playing the game. We put a lot of work in; we work really hard. But at the end of the day, it’s an environment where you can have a lot of fun, and I think that’s why you see such young guys having great years and great opportunities to succeed is because they can be themselves.”
With Glasnow, free agent acquisition Charlie Morton and reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, the Rays have a solid rotation, along with occasional starter Yonny Chirinos. Right-hander Ryne Stanek has been an opener. Of his first 13 appearances, eight were as a starter. He had gone seven scoreless starts before giving up three runs on May 1 at Kansas City.
Coming up through the Rays’ system (third-round pick in 2010), Stanek was accustomed to the organization’s philosophy.
Still, he was somewhat surprised when the team introduced the concept of an opener in May 2018.
“I thought it was weird,” he said with a chuckle. “I definitely thought it was weird.”
But he was willing to follow the lead of veteran right-hander Sergio Romo.
“The fact the somebody who’s been in the league for 10 years is willing to do it kind of opened everybody’s eyes,” Stanek said.
That kind of buy-in and leading by example has helped the team’s success, Kiermaier said.
“We had the personnel to do it,” he said. “A lot of young guys who don’t have a lot of pull or a lot of say … (but willing) to be innovative, creative, unorthodox and trying to win games.”
The Rays are relatively young, with an average age of 27 compared to the Yankees (28.2) and Red Sox (28.1), and inexpensive, with an opening-day payroll of $53 million (the Yankees, $205 million; the Red Sox, $204 million).
The Rays’ payroll, in fact, was the lowest in AL. But they’re not intimidated by the big boys in the neighborhood.
“I think over here everyone believes that not only can they play at this level but they can contribute,” said outfielder Tommy Pham, acquired at the trade deadline last season.
“(It’s a) tough division. The Red Sox and Yankees are two great teams. They have unlimited financial resources. And Toronto, I feel like they’re a great team as well. But we know it’s going to come down to September in this division and every game matters.
“We don’t take anything for granted. We play the game hard, play the game the right way, and we’re trying to perfect our craft in all facets of the game. Granted, we’re not perfect, but we’re working on it. We’re perfectionists over here.”
Likewise, the Rays are not being taken for granted either.
“They’re not going anywhere,” Red Sox left-hander David Price told the Tampa Bay Times. “I don’t know if anyone has more depth at the bigleague level like Tampa Bay does right now, with guys being able to come off the bench, and matchups and whatnot, and their bullpen. They’ve got a good team.’’