Much to the chagrin of most baseball fans, the Tampa Bay Rays are the best team so far this season. They currently possess the best record in baseball and sit on top of the AL East division. They even tied a record for the most number of wins to begin a season. The most impressive thing about their start is that they are doing it with a payroll of only $73,184,811. However, I don’t think the Rays will win the World Series.
A Vulnerable Bullpen
The big thing that will hold the Rays back from winning the World Series this season is their bullpen. Despite having sharp relievers in Jason Adam, Pete Fairbanks, and Colin Poche, their bullpen has struggled. The Rays bullpen has an ERA of 4.45 and has blown 11 saves. The only teams with a higher bullpen ERA than the Rays are the Athletics, White Sox, Royals, Cubs, Dodgers, and Nationals. The only teams that have blown more saves than Tampa are the Nationals, Orioles, Cardinals, Guardians, Twins, Braves, and Angels. To win a championship, a team must have a bullpen that can finish the game. Right now, the Rays have a bullpen that can’t be trusted.
Injuries to Their Pitching Staff
Injuries are a part of the game. However, having injuries to keep players hinders your chance to do big things. This season, injuries cost pitchers Jeffrey Springs, Shane Baz, Andrew Kittredge, and Garrett Cleavinger the entire year. One of their better starting pitchers in Drew Rasmussen won’t be able to return until August. Pete Fairbanks is also currently on the injured list, and they are still awaiting an MRI on Josh Fleming to understand how long he’ll be out. The more injured pitchers a team has, the harder it becomes to have success.
No Homefield Advantage
Next to the Oakland Coliseum, the Tropicana Field is one of the worst stadiums in Major League Baseball. Despite their historic streak, the Rays are only drawing 17,360 fans per game. Only the Royals, Marlins, and Athletics have a lower attendance average. Heck, whenever the Yankees are in Tampa it seems as though New York’s fans outnumber Tampa’s during those games. It’s harder to play in front of hostile fans much less ones that happen to occupy most of your home stadium.
The Rays Way Won’t Bring Them a Ring in 2023
Given the Rays’ low payroll, it’s very hard for them to beat the big-spending teams in the postseason. Baseball is actually better off if the Rays don’t win that way owners will continue to break open their checkbooks. Since going to the World Series during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Tampa Bay has bowed out early in the postseason the past two seasons. Given how leaky their bullpen is, the injuries to various pitchers, and the home-field advantage they lack, this team isn’t winning the World Series.
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