Congrats to Taj on winning the MLB ERA crown!
The playoff tree:
Final Rays team stats:
A pretty good season overall, especially in July/August before a late swoon cost them a multi-game lead (with the tiebreaker in hand) in the AL East. Only minor complaints - the offense could have gotten on base a little better and the defensive efficiency could have been better, but this is still a good team but one that will have to jump an extra hurdle in the playoffs.
Some real pleasant surprises here, especially Campusano who broke out when given the chance to play every day after backing up Adley Rutschman the last couple of years. We didn't miss Rutschman at all thanks to him and quality backup work from Heim. Also it could be said our July/August run was down to the acquisition of Cruz - Williams' injury may have been a blessing in disguise forcing us to go out and deal for Cruz, who put up 3.5 WAR in half a season with us.
Bradley and Pepiot might have been the best 1-2 punch in baseball as they finished 1st and 3rd in the AL and backed it up with their peripherals, combining for nearly 9 WAR with Taj the AL Cy Young favorite. Guan was a solid deadline pickup to be the 3rd starter and the rookie McGee looks like the real deal as our 4th playoff starter. Of course we said that about Smith, who was brilliant in his rookie year last season, and he regressed badly in 28 while the likes of Gasser and Horton were pretty lousy in the 5th starter role. Thanks to all the homers he allowed Bautista was pretty much at replacement level despite 32 saves and a 2.83 ERA, but he's still our best bet to close and McMillon and Rule 5 draftee Baumeister were probably our best relievers overall. Unfortunately our main lefty Scott was largely dreadful.
The farm system isn't bad, especially thanks to our really good draft this year which brought in prospects 1, 3 and 6 among others, and our first-rounder Jabari Parquet is down at #22 for some reason despite big numbers in the minors after signing and plus contact and power potential. Murphy is our catcher of the future, Moreno is the shortstop and the 2-way Schoolcraft actually bopped 54 homers at 3 stops including Durham to go with his potential 70 starter stuff on the mound.