Rays 2023

[SteveA]

Now 8-0, with all 8 wins by at least 4 runs.   No team ever has done that.

Of course, they have played Detroit, Washington, and Oakland so far (and one more with Oakland tomorrow, then 3 with the Red Sox).

Still quite the accomplishment.

The last MLB team to start 7-0 was the 2016 Orioles, by the way.

[Sports Guy]

Entered the year as a top 3 AL team.  They may be #1 with some of the struggles and injuries Houston is dealing with.

[Tony-OH]

The Rays are certainly the gold standard for fielding a competitive major league team with a small budget. There really is not anyone close.

[btdart20]

1 hour ago, Tony-OH said:

The Rays are certainly the gold standard for fielding a competitive major league team with a small budget. There really is not anyone close.

In the Westburg thread you mentioned the recent O's draft strategy and was going to reply there, but you're right it was going off topic.  So many ways to discuss this topic, but for now...

Outside of SS Wander Franco, they field a Frankenstein defense around the IF.  Even most of their top prospects (Mead, Manzardo, Aranda) are bat first infielders.  They are strong across the OF though.  We have the makings of a Franken-D bat-first IF here too.  

They also landed a stupendous trade from Pittsburg.  Hopefully we can find our sucker in the near future too!

[Frobby]

Was listening to a Keith Law podcast and they mentioned that Tampa is one of few teams that still has a lot of pro scouts looking at the talent in other organizations, and that’s why they’re so good at getting the better end of trades. Something like 2/3 of their team was acquired in trades.  

[btdart20]

17 hours ago, Frobby said:

Was listening to a Keith Law podcast and they mentioned that Tampa is one of few teams that still has a lot of pro scouts looking at the talent in other organizations, and that’s why they’re so good at getting the better end of trades. Something like 2/3 of their team was acquired in trades.  

I'm curious what "a lot of pro scouts" means?  10?  30?  75?  And how the O's compare?

Quite a bit is available digitally in these tech-laden days.  Data can be scattered breadcrumbs without context.  Scouting sees the context.

[Just Regular]

Two bits from Brian Kenny's show last couple days - Rays Org also credited with lack of fear about Selling High on short-term good performers, and a strong "delivery" system of the nerds content to the jocks.    There was an anecdote about strong buy-in from the Players - Jeffrey Springs taken out of a no-hitter gave a quote like "I trust whatever tactics they want to implement".

With the 2022 injuries and Wander scuffles, it did kind of obscure they led the AL in Wins in 2020 and 2021.    This offseason I did feel like Wander probably had the Eye of the Tiger watching the world fawn over Judge, Adley, etc.

I think the Red Sox are about as good a bet as any AL team not obviously in the Bottom 3 to be the 4th worst in the league, so curious to see how it travels to Toronto this weekend for the first matchup against somebody any good.    It would be classic April baseball if TOR caught TB by Sunday.

[spleen1015]

It's a very Rays thing for their #1 pitching prospect to come up and dominate like he is tonight.

It kind of makes me jealous.

[SteveA]

55 minutes ago, spleen1015 said:

It's a very Rays thing for their #1 pitching prospect to come up and dominate like he is tonight.

It kind of makes me jealous.

Dude's given up 3 runs in 5 innings.   Isn't that one of their worst starts of the season?

[spleen1015]

2 minutes ago, SteveA said:

Dude's given up 3 runs in 5 innings.   Isn't that one of their worst starts of the season?

I posted that after 3 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, & 5 Ks.

[Moose Milligan]

3 hours ago, spleen1015 said:

It's a very Rays thing for their #1 pitching prospect to come up and dominate like he is tonight.

It kind of makes me jealous.

This Rays team is everything I’ve ever wanted the Orioles to be. Jealousy doesn’t even begin to describe how I’m feeling right now. 
 

They produce pitchers the way Ralph Lauren produces polo shirts.  It’s unbelievable. Meanwhile we’ve got a guy who’s lost his mojo after an oblique injury. 

[Just Regular]

Rays not being precious about Taj Bradley's feelings after a credible debut - maximizing that roster spot again today.

Kremer or Irvin maybe shouldn't go to Chicago, be interesting to see how Elias plays it.

[Just Regular]

Yankees broadcast booth just had the tidbit at 13-0 the Rays have hit 32 homeruns, and yielded 30 total runs.

[OriolesMagic83]

O's don't see Tampa till May 8.  Hopefully by then then the O's will have a reasonably dependable starting rotation and the Rays will have cooled off.

[Frobby]

I’m glad I wasn’t expecting the O’s to win the division.