Red Sox ALDS: Taking a look at some Tampa Bay Rays numbers
A look at Rays numbers as they face the Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays will now face off in the American League Division Series, and they are certainly no stranger to each other. The division rivals finished 11-8 in head-to-head competition, with Tampa gaining the edge. Examining the Rays, three numbers catch my attention like shiny keys.
The first number is the most significant, and it is 100. That is the number of wins the Rays collected in 2021, and the Rays have a history of winning. They won the hectic and competitive American League East and are no novices to that position.
The second number is 71,000,000, or converting it to $71 million, it is Tampa Bay’s approximate payroll. This is one area the Red Sox blew away the Rays with a $184 million (and change) payroll, per Spotrac. The Dodgers, who could conceivably face Tampa again in the World Series, are on the books for $267 MM.
The last number is rather embarrassing if you are a Rays or baseball fan – 761, 072 or the Rays attendance for 2021. On August 30th, the Rays faced the Red Sox at Tropicana Field at 6,753 showed up. That same evening the Red Sox Triple-A team in Worcester drew more fans.
The Rays have traditionally been an attendance sore spot for baseball. Rays principal owner Stu Steinberg recently backtracked on placing a sign in Tropicana Field regarding a potential split season with Montreal. Now back to the important stuff, the team.
The Rays are a remarkably balanced team, and when you win 100 games and finish first, that is no surprise. Examining FanGraphs, the Rays show this quite clearly. This is one formidable outfit, and they are the defending AL champions.
Baseball managers figured out that you win if you score more runs than the opponent, and the Rays score runs. The Rays scored 857 runs and just six behind Houston for the league lead. The Ray’s do not do it with batting average hitting .242 as a team, but they are extra-base machines. The Rays had 288 doubles, 35 triples, and then came the bombs.
The Rays hit home runs – 222, the same as the recently departed New York Yankees. With that also comes an abundance of whiffs as the Ray racked up 1542 – tops in the AL. And Boston? The walk of shame was 1386 or tenth place in the AL.
Brandon Lowe topped the Rays with 39, catcher Mike Zunino slammed 33, outfielder Austin Meadows hammered out 27, and ancient Nelson Cruz hit 13, but Cruz did it in just 40 games. Last year’s playoff sensation Randy Arozarena had 20.
Somewhere during the coming playoff, Cruz will bring pain to Red Sox Nation. This will be elderly abuse in reverse as the right-hand slugger feasts on Boston pitching.
The Rays took a crushing blow during the season, losing ace Tyler Glasnow. Pundits immediately wrote off the Rays, but I enjoyed having a rare moment of clarity and did not follow the herd. Florida has orange groves, and somewhere secreted away is a grove that grows pitchers. The Rays pitching grove.
Surprisingly, the Red Sox staff have a 19.2 fWAR to Tampa’s 18.7 fWAR. If there is an edge in the breakdown, the bullpen where the Rays are tops in the AL. Manager Kevin Cash is quite masterful at utilizing his staff which may be a combination of metrics, hunches, and luck. Whatever it is – it works.
The Rays have only two pitchers with ten wins – no shock considering their focus on the bullpen. That honor belongs to lefty Shane McClanahan (10-6, 3.43) and fellow southpaw Josh Fleming (10-8, 5.09). I can’t get giddy about their rotation, but that ‘pen can be a real stopper.
Remember Collin McHugh? The righty was with the Red Sox in 2020 but didn’t play. Think the Red Sox could have used his 6-1 record and 1.55 ERA? Right-hander Andrew Kittredge (9-3, 1.88 ERA) will see plenty of time in the coming series. Like the entire team, the bullpen has plenty of no-name players.
Defensively this team is strong up the middle, starting with the catcher Zunino, the double play combo of Lowe and rookie sensation Wander Franco, and Kevin Kiermaier in center field. Lowe with -7 defensive runs saved is the weakest link.
Tampa finished with a 14.4 UZR, and the Red Sox had a -5.1 UZR. One note item is that Hunter Enfroe gets plenty of ink for his defense, primarily via his arm. Former Red Sox farmhand Manuel Margot is ranked higher.
Speed can influence a game. If Aaron Judge was a step quicker the Yankees may have been in, but the Rays can run with 88 steals. Boston had a mere 40. Light hitting (.202) Brett Phillips had 14 swipes in 17 attempts.
Next. Wild Card game perfect end to Yankees' season. dark
Two under-radar Rays for me are Joey Wendle and Ji-Man Choi. Wendle locks down third base, plays solid defense, contributed a 106 wRC+, and has some punch. Wendle, however, also carries a 5.6 BB% and 22.6 K%. Choi is a lefty who has to be spotted. Choi carries some punch with 11 home runs in 83 games. The portly Choi is not Gold Glove material at first but can make the plays.