2009 Tampa Bay Rays Predictions

Written by Jason Lowry

rays-baseball It was a season for the ages for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008, as the Rays had never before won more than 70 games, and finished outside of last in the AL East every year but one in their 10 year existence. In 2008 the Rays shocked everyone jumping the Red Sox and Yankees by winning 97 games and taking over first place in the AL East, but that wasn’t all, as the Rays went on to make it to the World Series, where they fell short against the Phillies. The Rays have pretty much the same team coming back in 2009, but whether this team can keep repeat its success of 2008 is still up in the air. The Rays added some help in the outfield, as they picked up Pat Burrell, Matt Joyce, and Gabe Kapler. With the start of the season just around the corner, here is a closer look at the 2009 Tampa Bay Rays, and my prediction on where I see them finishing in 2009.

Offense: The Rays offense will have to find a way to get even better in 2009, as the Yankees and Red Sox are going to do whatever it takes to keep the Rays out of first in 2009. The addition of Burrell should really give this team a lift, as Burrell hit 33 home runs with 86 RBI for the Phillies last season. The Rays will find plenty of use for the additional help to the outfield, as they will be without CF B.J. Upton to start the season. The Rays still have the big bats of AL Rookie of the Year Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena in the middle of the lineup, and if these two guys can improve on their numbers from 2008, the Rays should be in business. Longoria it 27 home runs with 85 RBI in just 122 games, while Pena spent the start of last season battling injuries before turning it on late to hit 31 home runs with 102 RBI. The Rays would also like to see RF Carl Crawford return to the form of 2007 where he hit .315 with 50 stolen bases, as Crawford battled injuries in 2008, and wound up hitting just .273 with half as many stolen bases. The Rays also have some good talent in the middle of the infield in 2B Akinori Iwamura and SS Jason Bartlett, but neither is a real threat at the plate and are much more important to this team with the defense they play. Once Upton returns to health, it will leave Kapler, Joyce, and Gabe Gross to battle it out for the majority of the playing time. That leaves catcher Dioner Navarro, and this is a guy the Rays think will be behind the plate for them for a number of years, as the 25-year-old had a career year in 2008 hitting .295 with 7 home runs and 54 RBI in just 120 games. The key is Burrell and if he can bring that extra power this team will need to stay on top of the Yankees and Red Sox.

Pitching: The Rays should have no problems when it comes to starting pitching, as the Rays have some of the best young talent in all of baseball in their starting rotation, and it could get even better if the star youngster David Price can make the smooth transition to the starting rotation, after helping this team out in limited action in 2008. The starting staff is already loaded with the likes of James, Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, and Andy Sonnanstine, as all 4 won more than 10 games and finished with a winning record in 2008. This could wind up being the best rotation in baseball, and thats saying something with Shields being the oldest of the bunch at just 27-years-old. The bullpen was a bit of a concern for the Rays heading into the off-season, as the will be without closer Troy Percival for an extended period of time, and that will leave Dan Wheeler, Grant Balfour, and J.P. Howell fighting for the opening day closers role, but keep a close eye on Jason Isringhausen, who the Rays signed to a minor league contract.

Prediction: 3rd in AL East. I know that this team has all the potential to return to the form of 2008, but I just don’t think the pitching will hold up for this team in 2009. I think back to when the Tigers made it to the World Series with all their great young arms, and how they were suppose to be the team to win it all the following year, but instead returned to struggling to just win games. I think the Rays are better than that, but I still feel like there will be a little drop off in 2009.

Archived Season Previews:

2010
2008

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