The first half of the Tampa Bay Rays 2024 season is in the books, with the team going 40-41 through 81 games. A far cry from the success in past seasons, the Rays have struggled with mediocre play from key players in 2024. Add in injuries, and it seems almost a small miracle that the Rays don’t find themselves in last place in the AL East.
It’s fair to say that I may be a bit tough on the team, but as a former teacher in a past life, I feel equipped to assess the Rays’ performance this year.
The Rays 2024 Grades in Each Category
Pitching
Usually the team’s strong point, Rays pitchers have seemed all too eager to make every lead the team has been able to eke out feel unsafe. As a matter of fact, the Rays are tied for the third most blown save opportunities this season with a whopping 17. Inconsistent pitching by relievers has driven the fanbase wild as they watch leads melt away pitch by pitch.
The starting rotation is not without blame either. Of all pitchers that have more than one start this season, not a single one has a winning record. Only Ryan Pepiot and Shawn Armstrong had an even number of wins and losses, 4-4 and 2-2 respectively.
With all that being said, there are signs of potential improvement. Taj Bradley returned to the rotation after suffering a right pectoral strain during Spring Training that kept him out for the first six weeks. While his first few starts were a bit shaky, he’s settled in and shown why his presence has been sorely missed. Beleaguered reliever Chris Devenski, and his 6.75 ERA, was designated for assignment and replaced by Edwin Uceta, who has a 0.00 ERA in six innings pitched so far.
Taking all this into account, I give Rays pitching a C for the first half. Technically still enough to pass, but plenty of room for improvement. The imminent return of starter Shane Baz could go a long way towards that improvement.
Hitting
If Rays pitching has been mediocre this season, their hitting has been outright terrible. There is no other way to put it. Across all major categories, Rays hitting is lacking in comparison to their performance last year.
Starting with batting average, the 2024 Rays have been hitting a collective .236 in the first half. That number places the team at 19th overall in the Major Leagues. Compare that number to 2023 when the team hit .259, good for third-best overall for the season.
The Rays are also averaging more than a full run less scored per game this season, 4.05, compared to last year, 5.25. The 2024 number places the team 23rd overall in the state category, compared to 4th best in 2023.
This sharp decline in production is thanks in large part to the poor performances of players like Randy Arozarena and Johnny Deluca. Arozarena and Deluca have both languished below the Mendoza line for most of the season. Jose Siri and Brandon Lowe have not faired all that much better, hitting .216 and .217 respectively in the first half of the season.
Rays hitting gets a D for their performance so far. The only thing saving them from getting an F is a recent upswing in production that has seen the team win seven of their final 10 games of the first half. During that stretch, the Rays outscored their opponents 54 to 40, signaling a potential return to form.
Overall
Despite the relative poor performances of the team’s pitching and hitting so far, the Rays have won more games than expected.
How can that be you ask?
Looking at Relative Power Index stats, the Rays were only expected to win 34 games in the first half of the season. With 40 wins, the team has surpassed expectations by six wins, the most in the MLB. With a small bit of improvement, the Rays will actually be on pace to match their anticipated number of wins on the season.
By simply finding ways to win and recent standout performances by players like Siri, the Rays get an overall bump from me and get a C+ overall. An extra win or two would have pushed them to a B-, but they’ll have to be content with what they get.
Do you agree? What grade would you give this Rays team?
Main Image: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
