Sunday, following the New York Yankees victory over the New York Mets, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays fell into second play in the American League East. This is the Rays’ first time in second place since April 22. Although Tampa Bay is still a strong team, and their 42 wins would put them atop any other division in Major League Baseball, perhaps chinks in the armor are starting to show for the young team.
Tampa Bay has thus far been 8-9 in the month of June. In their two most recent series, the Rays have lost two out of three to National League East leaders Atlanta Braves and the under-performing Florida Marlins. The Rays’ poor performance has stirred up the rankings in the AL East, considered the most intense division in the MLB. On May 23rd, the Rays led the division and were six games ahead of current leaders, the New York Yankees. Since then, they have gone 10-15 and are now tied with Boston (whom Tampa Bay they led by eight-and-half games during that same stretch).
At the beginning of the season, Tampa Bay was a fascinating team to watch. They seemed unstoppable, but played the game in their own unique manner. Unlike most dominant teams which rely on either home run hitting or strong pitching, the Rays seemed to win entirely on athleticism. It was an entertaining spectacle, and the Rays themselves described themselves as the baseball version of the run-and-gun high-paced game exhibited in the National Basketball League by the Phoenix Suns. Rather than being a key to success, the Rays’ athleticism may have been a necessary cover for the glaring weaknesses that are now starting to emerge. It seems the Rays may be likened to a flashy paint-job upon the rotting frame of an automobile.
The Rays’ leading home run hitter, Carlos Pena, has a respectable 15 shots, but also leads the AL in strikeouts. He is currently batting at a paltry .200, and even this is an improvement on his general average. In fact, this is the first time that Pena has climbed above the Mendoza Line since May 6.
The Rays’ talents are undeniable, but the youth of the roster seems unable to maintain the level of performance required during the lengthy 162-game MLB season. 24-year-old pitcher David Price was unable to secure the AL win lead in his loss to Florida, and the Rays’ general pitching has season a severe decline. Earlier in the season, the Rays were leading the MLB with a team ERA of 2.69, but with their current ERA of 4.82 Tampa Bay’s pitching is now ranked sixth-worst in baseball.
All teams have cold streaks and Tampa Bay certainly has the talent and youth to get over it and regain their form. Unfortunately, playing in the ultra competitive AL East gives them a limited time frame for resurgence. Prestigious teams like the Yankees rarely lose too much steam throughout the season, and teams like Boston are always late season contenders.
The Rays do have scheduling on their side though. They play 13 of the 19 games before the All-Star break at home, which gives them the ability to go into the break on top again. The Tampa Bay Rays are without a doubt one of the top five teams in baseball, the only problem is that might not be good enough to secure a playoff berth out of the AL East. The Yanks and Red Sox have won two of the last three World Series titles and to even secure the wild card in the AL East requires a team that would dominate most other divisions.
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