Why are the Rays so Good?
By Will Stone
In their relatively short history as an MLB franchise, the Rays have operated in the shadow of major MLB teams. Ranking in the bottom tier in both attendance and payroll, the Rays year in and year out struggle to field a competitive team. However, in the past two seasons have seen the Rays make the postseason. And they just knocked off the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros to reach their first World Series since 2008. Despite their financial struggles, how are the Rays seem to win?
2020 MLB Team Payroll
Rays Rank
| Team | Win % | 2020 Total Payroll | Payroll Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 0.55 | $109,439,081 | 1 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 0.717 | $107,917,397 | 2 |
| Boston Red Sox | 0.4 | $83,710,390 | 3 |
| Houston Astros | 0.483 | $82,536,161 | 4 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 0.467 | $78,643,547 | 5 |
| New York Mets | 0.433 | $77,603,005 | 6 |
| Chicago Cubs | 0.567 | $75,596,171 | 7 |
| San Francisco Giants | 0.483 | $73,321,225 | 8 |
| San Diego Padres | 0.617 | $72,597,954 | 9 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 0.517 | $72,246,343 | 10 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 0.667 | $28,290,689 | 28 |
Due to their low payroll, the Rays are almost forced to look at alternative ways to win games with their roster. As a result, the Rays having a high roster turnover since they know they won’t be able to resign players in the future and want to recoup value on their players before they become free agents. This philosophy lends its hand to the Rays not having a household name on their roster as they often cannot retain their best players.
The central philosophy around the Rays success on the field relates to their run prevention strategy. The Rays ranked in the top five in fewest runs allowed during the last two seasons, both which saw them make the postseason. The reason for their defensive success is a result of the Rays employing unique pitching and fielding strategies to help win games. A couple years ago, the Rays introduced the opener to baseball and have used it ever since. In addition, the Rays often shift their defense more than any other team and sometimes use a fourth outfielder to aid in their theory of preventing runs. Their theory has worked with the Rays ranking 2nd in team era and 3rd in runs allowed this season. Not to mention, the Rays were a league leading 14-5 in one run games during the regular season and won game 5 of the ALDS by one run. The Rays ability to pitch and maneuver their defense is their biggest strength and an important reason why they are playing in the ALCS and potentially the World Series.
Throughout the season, the Rays have relied on an ensemble of players to dictate their success. The front office’s ability to manage their team’s limited payroll by making numerous trades and employing shrewd defensive tactics to prevent runs reveals the true reason for the Rays’ success these past couple of seasons and now this postseason.