September 25-27, 2054: at Houston (3)
 

Game 1: The losing continued for the Rays as they dropped a 2-0 decision to the Astros. Manny Cervantes (5-4) pitched well at 7 5 2 2 1 3 but the offense managed only 5 hits and never really threatened.

Game 2: It looked like the Rays would get back into the win column when they took a 3-1 lead into the 8th at Houston but the bullpen, and specifically Mario Berumen, lost it allowing 3 runs and Tampa Bay fell for the 5th straight game 4-3. Tim Johnson was decent at 5 3 1 1 4 4 and Joe Roberts started the trouble with a couple of walks and then Berumen (4-4) walked 3 around a hit without retiring anyone. Rays pitching walked 12 Astros in total, not a recipe for success.

Game 3: OK they were finally going to win this time. 6-0 lead through 5 and 7-2 going into the bottom of the 8th, how could they lose? Well you guessed it - they found a way thanks to another atrocious showing from the bullpen. Brad Villarreal deserved a win after going 7 6 2 2 0 4 but Chris Resnick started the disaster by allowing 3 in the 8th and then not only did Edgar Voisin (6-8) blow the save by giving up a 2-run homer in the 9th but he lost the game by giving up another 2-run homer in the 10th. So it's now 6 losses in a row and they'll have to 6-1 the rest of the way to win 100 games.

Team record: 94-61. The Yankees officially clinched the division thanks to the last loss. Next up: Back home for 3 against Toronto as we head into the final week of the regular season.

September 28-30, 2054: vs Toronto (3)
 

Game 1: The Rays finally snapped their 7-game losing streak with a 7-3 win over Toronto at Publix Park. All of the offense came via the longball with a 3-run shot from Jose Machado (#6) and 2-run blasts from the Avaloses, Ezequiel's 29th and Jesus's 45th. Dave Rose closed out another fine regular season with a 6 5 2 2 2 10 outing to finish 18-9, 3.53 with 244 Ks in 201 IP and 5.1 WAR.

Game 2: Back to losing ways as they were routed 15-5 by the Jays to make it 8 losses in their last 9, meaning they'll have to win their final five to notch 100. Randy Mastropietro (14-7) gave up a touchdown in the first inning and finished 3.1 8 8 8 3 2. They did get homers from Sung-min Yang (#25), Jesus Avalos (#46) and Dantel Chinchilla (#16).

Game 3: Tampa Bay bounced back to beat Toronto 3-1 and win the series behind a strong outing from Manny Cervantes. The veteran righty improved to 6-4 as a Ray behind a 7 5 1 1 3 2 outing and Edgar Voisin earned save #31 despite putting a couple of men on in the 9th. The big blow of the game came from Alex Brown, whose 2-run homer (#10) in the 4th was the difference.

Team record: 96-62. Next up: We close out the regular season with 4 games against the Yankees which were once circled on the calendar but are now meaningless. Speaking of meaningless, that's how the final weekend of the season is going to be around all of MLB as every playoff slot and division crown is settled, including the 2nd AL Wild Card as the Angels went into Austin and swept the Dukes in their big head-to-head series. LA will be coming here for the Wild Card Game next week.

October 1-4, 2054: vs NY Yankees (4)
 

Game 1: Had this game meant something more than merely keeping alive the Rays' quest to win 100 it might have been remembered as one of the games of the season, but instead it merely an entertaining night at Publix Park as they overcame a 5-run Yankee first to win 9-8 in 13 innings. As it was, Jose Machado continued his late-season walk-off heroics with an RBI double in the 13th to win it, atoning for striking out with the bases loaded and nobody out 11th leading to a failed rally. Before all that Nesty de la Rosa 3-6 with a double, HR #23 and 2 RBI and Luis Barela tied it with two out in the 9th on a pinch 2-RBI single. Tim Johnson was hit hard at 3.1 7 8 8 3 5 but the bullpen went 9 2/3 scoreless with Edgar Voisin (7-8) picking up the win.

Game 2: The Rays' drive for 100 wins stayed alive as they built a 5-1 lead and held on to beat the Yankees again 6-4. A 3-run homer from Ezequiel Avalos (#30) and a 2-run shot from Luis Barela (#26) accounted for the offense and Brad Villarreal finished his first regular season with the Rays 16-5, 3.73 by going 5.2 7 4 4 0 2, running out of gas allowing 3 in the 6th. Edgar Voisin closed it out for save #32.

Game 3: Tonight was ace Dave Rose's turn in the rotation but he didn't go as he's being saved for the wild card game. As a result Chris Giles was given the spot start and as a result the Rays won't win 100 regular season games this year as the Yankees hit Giles hard in a 6-3 loss. Giles gave up 5 runs in the first 2 innings in a rough 4.1 6 6 5 3 6 outing. They did score in the 9th and had the bases loaded with a chance for a walk-off win but couldn't pull it off.

Game 4: The Rays had to settle for 99 wins as they took the regular season finale 9-3 from the Yankees despite emptying the bench. (New York finished with 106 wins, one of the best non-Rays seasons from a team in this long-running save). One of the regulars who did play, Ezequiel Avalos, was 3-5 with 2 RBI, Cesar Scroggins added a 2-run homer (#4) and Josh Abney drilled a 2-run double. Randy Mastropietro finished the year 15-7 (and 34-13 over the last two) going 6 6 3 3 0 4.

Final Regular Season Record: 99-63. Next up: The AL Wild Card Game at Publix Park against the Angels.

Final 2054 Regular Season Standings and Rays Stats
 

https://i.imgur.com/tx54Qzy.png

As you can see Nesty won the AL batting crown with Jesus Avalos coming up just short of a triple crown, tying for the HR lead and finishing second in BA and RBI. He was tops in OPS and WAR and should be headed for an MVP award.

https://i.imgur.com/vEx450X.png

We were a 54-27 team in the second half, but that mediocre first half - especially the lousy June - cost us a real shot at the division. Nevertheless if we get by the Angels in the WC game I like our chances moving on in the postseason. The offense was great, except for the run game. 31 SB? For the entire year? Also as usual with us some quality pitchers put up subpar numbers as a result of shoddy defense. #1 in pitcher WAR but #7 in ERA out of 14 speaks to that.

https://i.imgur.com/E88pXgQ.png

What a season from J.Avalos, and E.Avalos wasn't chopped liver either. Chinchilla had a great second half with the bat and was one of the elite defenders at 2B, and Nesty was a big threat with the bat all year. Age has finally caught up to Luis Barela, and although he's still reasonably productive at the plate he can no longer really 3B. And with Kim's major tailoff in the second half I might play Abney at 3B and DH Barela in the playoffs.

https://i.imgur.com/5tv7fVY.png

The starters (except for Johnson) all pitched well this year even if their numbers were inflated by the defense (too many BABIPs starting with .3). It's a shame Hilton got hurt as he was having his best season but we still have 4 pretty good starters to fill out a playoff rotation provided we're not just playing one game.

https://i.imgur.com/OTqmkdt.png

The prospect pipeline really hasn't flowed of late but there are some signs of promise, especially after a good draft this year. Mattila is close, and 2054 picks Mendoza and Dominguez seem to be on the fast track.

October 6, 2054: AL Wild Card Game
 

Phew...

https://i.imgur.com/vPglpL0.png

It got a little hairy at the end but thanks to a brilliant outing from Dave Rose and a big homer from Dantel Chinchilla the Rays beat the Angels to advance to the ALDS against the big bad Yankees in a series matchup of teams that combined for 205 regular season wins. Edgar Voisin put the first two on and gave up a third hit to load the bases with two out, wild-pitched in a run to make it 3-2, but got a groundout to 3rd to end it. Manny Cervantes will pitch Game 1 at Yankee Stadium later this week.

October 7, 2054: NL Wild Card Game
 

October 8, 2054: ALDS Game 1
 

Advantage Rays...

https://i.imgur.com/3aCtA9F.png

It was the clash of the titans as the 99-win Rays took on the 106-win Yankees and the boys from the Bay made quite the statement with a 9-3 romp over the Bronx Bombers. They batted around in the decisive 6-run 4th inning and never looked back. Manny Cervantes was effective even if he did pitch to the score some, and the Rays will try to make it two wins in the Big Apple with Brad Villarreal going tomorrow.

In the other ALDS opener:

https://i.imgur.com/eoRffc3.png

October 9, 2054: ALDS Game 2 & NLDS Game 1
 

Going home looking for a sweep..

https://i.imgur.com/IEysfPy.png

Jose Lozada and the defense were the stars on Broadway tonight as the Rays beat the Yankees again 5-2 to go up 2-0 in their best-of-5 ALDS. The left fielder homered to put the Rays up 3-1 and then after the Yankees pulled within a run his RBI triple and subsequent score on a sac fly gave them critical breathing room. Brad Villarreal was shaky and helped out by 4 double plays behind him as he uncharacteristically issued 4 bases on balls in his 5 innings of work, but the bullpen was outstanding, especially Chris Hetzel who pitched a hitless 7th and 8th. So not only will the Rays be returning home with a chance to close out the Yankees, they'll have ace Dave Rose on the hill.

In the other DS action:

https://i.imgur.com/KK6M90E.png

October 10, 2054: NLDS Game 2
 

October 11, 2054: ALDS Game 3
 

Not so fast, my friends...

https://i.imgur.com/7pOoH62.png

After Sung-min Yang delivered a clutch 2-out RBI single in the 8th to put the Rays up 2-1, they were a mere three outs away from a sweep and a spot in the ALCS. But Edgar Voisin couldn't hold the lead in the 9th and gave up the winner in the 10th as the Yankees forced a Game 4 in the ALDS. It was probably too much to ask to sweep a 106-win team in the playoffs but it was a tough loss nonetheless. Randy Mastropietro will toe the rubber tomorrow with another chance to advance.


And the Astros move ahead:


https://i.imgur.com/e5c5xkI.png

October 12, 2054: ALDS Game 4 & NLDS Game 3
 

Welp...

https://i.imgur.com/2etKOjn.png

Another lead lost in the 9th inning and as a result the Rays are going to have make it 3 wins in 3 at Yankee Stadium as we head back there with the ALDS all tied up. Today it was Mario Berumen who couldn't get the job done with a tired Edgar Voisin (who ended up pitching in extras anyway) blowing a 1-0 lead in the 9th. Dantel Chinchilla's miracle two-out homer in the 9th brought us to extras, the Rays had a great chance to win in the 10th they squandered, and inevitably the Yankees broke through in the 12th. So it'll be a rematch of Game 1 with Manny Cervantes on the mound for the Rays and they'll be hoping for a repeat.

All of the other DSes are still alive with Minnesota and Houston also headed to a deciding 5th game:

https://i.imgur.com/UfgBAo3.png

October 13, 2054: NLDS Game 4
 

We have one LCS participant now:

https://i.imgur.com/LhBMDu6.png

October 14, 2054: ALDS Game 5
 

That was disappointing...

https://i.imgur.com/WCgqjvq.png

A 2-0 series lead. Leads going into the 9th in Games 3 and 4. The Rays couldn't have been in better position to advance but somehow they contrived to blow the ALDS and end up heading home for the winter after another tough 1-0 loss in Game 5. They got five brilliant starts from four starters and only two wins to show for it as the bullpen in Games 3 & 4 and the vaunted #1 offense in league scoring only 4 runs over the final 3 games were the culprits here. Today in particular it was galling to see them only manage 3 hits with one of them a leadoff double in the 8th from Dantel Chinchilla but he was stranded. It didn't help that the red-hot Jose Lozada injured himself in Game 4 beating out an infield single, severely straining his hip and out for the year, but there were plenty enough bats who had big years to make up for his loss but didn't. Jesus Avalos, who's going to win the AL MVP, hit a respectable .280 but failed to tally an extra-base hit or any kind of big hit in this series and playoff legend Luis Barela looked all of his 39 years by going 2 for 20 this postseason. It's going to be a tough pill to swallow and it's back to the drawing board for 2055.

The Yankees will be facing off against Minnesota as the Twins pulled off a miracle 3-run rally in the 9th to win 3-2 (that's former Ray Chris O'Brien picking up the win):

https://i.imgur.com/P0eErWF.png

October 15, 2054: NLDS Game 5
 

And it'll be the Cardinals and Dodgers in the NLCS:

https://i.imgur.com/6A32Dbj.png

As usual when the Rays are eliminated I'll just have summary posts for the LCS round and the World Series coming next.

The 2054 LCS Round
 

Not a lot of drama in the LCSes, but one major upset:

https://i.imgur.com/MYW5rBz.png

Not only did the Twins shockingly sweep the 106-win Yankees, they obliterated them by a combined score of 27-5 over the four games. Peraza was 9-19 with a homer and 6 RBI, driving in runs in each game.

https://i.imgur.com/gtleu6g.png

Former Ray Juan Viatoro was named MVP of the NLCS after hitting 2 HR and driving in 6.

So we'll have a rematch of the 1965 World Series, won by the Dodgers, and it's the first time the Twins have been in the Fall Classic since winning it in 1991. LA was there last year, losing to the Rays.

The 2054 World Series
 

An epic clash that went the distance with the Twins' championship drought now at 63 years and counting:

https://i.imgur.com/o97NCFM.png
https://i.imgur.com/aMTCXEO.png

2054-55 Offseason: State of the Team
 

2054 was a season of just coming up short for the Rays - finishing second despite winning 99 games thanks to a slow start to the year, and then losing the ALDS to the Yankees after winning the first two games. The good news is that a strong offense and starting rotation return, but the bullpen will need an almost total makeover.

Normally this is the point where I go position-by-position but we're returning every position player except Doug Johns (who faded badly in the second half and is old) and Josh Abney, who served mainly as Luis Barela's defensive replacement at 3B. Kang-Cheol Lee will take on that Abney role as he's a similar player with good D at 3B, some pop, but not a lot of contact. Brian Whittaker will get a chance at taking Johns' place.

As for the rotation, we are going to need one starter as Ben Hilton is out for the year and Tim Johnson is a free agent. That makes Chris Giles the 5th starter but he's limited so top prospect Julio Mattilla has a shot.

And then there's the bullpen. We lose the following guys:

* Closer Edgar Voisin
* Top lefty setup man Joe Roberts
* Multi-inning middle reliever Chris Hetzel
* Second lefty reliever Warren Dalton
* Middle man Chris Parham

Mario Berumen becomes the closer by the default and guys who pitched in the middle like Devin Cefalo and Steve Cleland will pitch later in games. Thankfully good relievers aren't expensive so hopefully we can rebuild the pen without too much dropoff, but getting a lefty or two is a priority. Unfortunately we won't have a lot to spend since our current obligations are projected to be $143M and we were given a $150M payroll.

So it looks like it should be a relatively dull offseason but you never know.

2054-55 Offseason, Part 1
 

Retirements of note: OF Zack Wells, who spent most of his career with Toronto and was the pre-eminent leadoff man of his generation, had his #13 retired by the Jays, and the wonderfully-named Dusty Buzzard.

Former Rays hanging up the cleats: SP Gordie Ager, who won the 2046 Cy Young with Tampa Bay and went 73-26, 3.63 over 4 1/2 seasons with us and won 4 rings, closer Willie Minier, one-time backup C Akio Suzuki, IF Jeff Googins, 1B/DH Ben Hill, OF Jesus Castrellon, and RP Micah Crickenberger.

Awards season:

Gold Glove: Thought 2B Dantel Chinchilla would have a real shot but he was beaten out by Boston 2B and former Rays farmhand Tony Loera.

Reliever of the Year: Speaking of former Rays, our erstwhile lefty setup guy Mel Mejia took the AL award with Houston where he won 7, saved 40 and put up a 2.14 ERA, taking 28 first-place votes. Our Edgar Voisin, for whom I voted, finished 4th. In the NL Milwaukee's Josh Meenach saved 45 games with a 2.07 ERA for the nod there.

Silver Slugger: The only Ray to win was the obvious choice, CF Jesus Avalos who's probably destined for the MVP.

Rookie of the Year: In what was a virtual tie, LA's Ruben Cummings got the nod over Oklahoma City's Juan Mendez by virtue of one additional first-place vote (16-15) as they ended up tied on overall points. Cummings hit .276-21-80 while Mendez hit .274-21-110. Mendez also out-WAR'd Cummings 5.0 to 3.8 so he kind of got the shaft. In the NL there was no controversy as Cincinnati's slugging 1B Ramon Herrera won unanimously after putting up a rookie season for the ages at .310-50-125 with 7.2 WAR and he'll be heard from in the MVP race as well.

Cy Young: Houston's Randy Heller is your AL winner, taking 24 first-place votes after a 15-7, 3.15, league-best 5.9-WAR season. Our Dave Rose finished 4th. St. Louis' Lienhard Moser won the NL trophy with a 16-4, 3.02, 5.3-WAR season that earned him 29 first-place votes.

MVP: The worst-kept secret:

https://i.imgur.com/xvkQkoN.png

His 8.5 WAR was the AL's best and second in MLB. Our "other" Avalos, Ezequiel, finished 5th and Nesty de la Rosa finished a distant 14th. In the NL Bill Jones of Indianapolis, who was the MLB leader in WAR at 8.8, was voted MVP after a .324-54-145 mega-season, picking up 27 first-place tallies.

We made a trade to address the bullpen:

https://i.imgur.com/rYbzrau.png

Guardado is a lefty who's rated 65/75/46 and earned 3.6 WAR combined over the past two seasons, fine numbers for a reliever. He will cost us $4.3M this coming season, eating up about half of our available money, so this could be the extent of our offseason shopping spree. We'll still need a couple of more arms somehow, and we might have to trade some salary to get them.

November 27: We lost our only arbitration case as Dantel Chinchilla will make $11.8M instead of $10.8M we offered, so there's another million we won't have to spend, and here's our situation in black and white (and green):

https://i.imgur.com/bCsttxU.png

December 15: Former Ray Jon Morales, whose career looked to be on a Hall of Fame trajectory after winning MVPs in his first and third MLB seasons in 2049 and 2051 with us before falling off a cliff and being dealt to Oakland, signed a 4/71 deal with San Diego. After a dreadful 2053 he did bounce back to hit 33 HR for the A's last season and earned 4.4 WAR, so perhaps he'll get going again.

December 17: Tim Johnson, who went 31-11 in his first two seasons with us before pitching his way out of the rotation last year, signed a modest 1-year, $3.6M deal with St. Louis which of course is even too rich for our blood.

December 18: We signed a free agent! How, you say? Well he didn't cost anything as it was a minor league deal but say hello to this guy:

https://i.imgur.com/IYCwDZf.png

The Korean came over in the pro IFA wave and has the makings of a leadoff hitter-type with strong contact, speed and defense potential (although it looks like he swings at everything so his OBPs will be iffy).

December 21: Placed 3B Bobby Tafoya, 3B Xavier Bush, 1B Vinny Colon and OF Angel Vigil on the 42-man roster.

None of these guys are slam-dunk prospects but could provide useful depth down the road. Tafoya and Bush are bat-first guys who are more 1B/DH-types than real 3B, one-time bonus baby IFA Colon probably won't hit enough to be a regular MLB 1B but just might, and Vigil seems a well-rounded CF who could make it in the next year or two. We still have 4 spots open so if someone intriguing is available in Rule 5 we could take him like we did BJ Boys last year, although Boys didn't really contribute much and may go to Durham next year.

December 22: Selected P Phil Westrom from the NY Yankees in the Rule 5 Draft, lost 1B/DH Marco Cano to Oakland.

We added another bullpen arm in Westrom, who isn't overpowering but effective, rated 50/60/60 with 65 control potential. The 27-year-old had pitched for Detroit and put up a 3.15 ERA in 34 IP with the Yankees last year with a 7/25 BB/K ratio. He'll probably be the last man out of the pen but he came free. Cano is a 36-year-old DH who did hit .330 in limited action at Durham but is nobody we'll miss.

2054-55 Offseason, Part 2
 

January 2: Chris Hetzel, a fixture in our pen the last several years, is now an Oriole on a 2/13.6 deal.

January 5: Last year's closer Edgar Voisin joins Cincinnati for 3/31.

January 6: The Hall of Fame voting is in, and it isn't pretty:

https://i.imgur.com/MjdNKJP.png

Four Rays greats on here with only Kawase coming real close as the Hall pitches a shutout this year. Boba Shett is hanging in there but only has two more years to get 5.6% more.

February 10: Another of our bullpen diaspora was located as Warren Dalton joined the Nationals for a year at $990K, which is still too rich for us.

As I said, it was a boring offseason.

2055 Opening Day Roster & Preseason Predictions
 

We were really hard up for relievers and with no money to add one we had to make a swap:

https://i.imgur.com/WoKIwOy.jpeg

Last year's Rule 5 guy Boys was moved for Baez, a 60/50/45-rated arm. There was a pretty good reliever on the Opening Day waived dump making only $920K and we couldn't claim him because we can't afford him, to show you how bad our $ situation is. I contemplated trading Dantel Chinchilla to free up $13M or so since we have other options at 2B, but as usual this is a lousy defensive team and he's by far our best defender.

So this is how the roster shakes out to start the season:

C-D.Morales, Scoggins
1B-de la Rosa
2B-Chinchilla
SS-A.Brown
3B-Barela
IF-Machado, Lee
LF-Lozada
CF-J.Avalos
RF-E.Avalos
OF-Macias
DH-Yang, Tsujimura

Macias is Rogelio Macias, an OF with a great glove we picked up in a deal with the Yankees last year. He's speedy, has excellent gap power and an above-average eye. Unfortunately that comes with 40 contact (45 potential). Tsujimura has been up at times before and was out of options - he'll give us a RH bat who could platoon with Yang at DH and back up Nesty at 1B.

SP-Rose, Cervantes, Mastropietro, Villarreal, Weststrom
LR-Matilla, Giles

MR-Baez, Birth, Cefalo, Cleland
SU-Resnick, Guardado
CL-Berumen

Some unfamiliar names here. Brandon Birth was a 14th-round pick of ours in 2048 rated 45/45/50, he'll be the last man in the pen and an indication of how thin things have gotten pitching-wise. Julio Matilla is our top pitching prospect but not ready to join the rotation so he'll be used in long relief. This bullpen is going to be an adventure.

As a result the preseason predictions are not bullish on us:

https://i.imgur.com/GRpSNlr.png