The Tampa Bay Rays were largely carried by their starting pitching and bullpen in 2022, reaching the postseason as the third American League Wild Card team.
Unfortunately, it was the offense that let them down when it mattered the most.
The team scored just one run in their Wild Card series loss to the Cleveland Guardians.
But if all goes according to plan, the Rays should be competitive in a stacked American League East division this season.
On Monday, Bally Sports Florida’s Tricia Whitaker stopped by High Heat with Christopher Russo to discuss the outlook for the Rays in 2023 and what needs to go right for them to compete for a spot in the postseason.
The Rays are gearing up for a big 2023 season 👀@TriciaWhitaker breaks down the club's loaded starting rotation and lineup depth leading up to Spring Training.#HighHeat | @MadDogUnleashed pic.twitter.com/1TKHrG6UO5
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 31, 2023
Whitaker talked about how the Rays’ starting rotation is their ultimate strength.
In that rotation are Shane McClanahan, Tyler Glasnow, the newly signed Zach Eflin, Jeffrey Springs, and Drew Rasmussen.
Glasnow missed much of the 2022 season recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, but returned late in the year and started Game 2 of the Wild Card series.
Whitaker talked about the importance of having him healthy for a full season and what it could mean for their rotation.
The X-factor for the Rays is their offense.
Whitaker mentioned Brandon Lowe and Wander Franco as the ultimate keys to the success of the offense, as both of them dealt with injuries in 2022, stressing that if they remained healthy, the Rays lineup could be dangerous.
The pitching is Tampa Bay’s strength, but as Whitaker mentioned, the ultimate key for them is keeping everybody in their lineup healthy if they hope to compete in a stacked division.
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