The 2022 (and beyond) Tampa Bay Rays

[Art Deco]

Transaction: Wander hits the IL with his hip strain and 3B Freili Encarnacion is up from Durham. Encarnacion filled in admirably for Marco Luciano in the second half of last season and he'll get to play some with Luciano shifting to SS at times.

Game 1: 8-6 W. WP-Dodson (1-0). S-Diaz (9). Starter-Orze (3.1 6 5 5 2 3). HR-Santana 2 (12). Rays erased 3-0 and 5-3 deficits largely thanks to a pair of 2-run shots from Santana, the second of which put them ahead to stay. Caminero was 2-4 with 2 RBI and the rookie Haro was 3-5 with 2 doubles, a triple and a ribbie.

Game 2: 11-6 W. WP-Dodson (2-0). Starter-German (3.2 7 5 5 2 5). HR-E.Green (5), Santana (13). Rays scored 5 in the first and never trailed, although German couldn't handle the lead given to him. In addition to another Santana 2-run homer, Lee and Luciano each drove in a pair.

Game 3: 7-5 W (10). WP-Diaz (2-2). Starter-Swanda (6 7 5 5 2 6). HR-Santana (14). Swanda put them in an early 5-0 hole before he settled in and the pen was sparkling, buying them time for a comeback which saw Santana come off the bench and hit a 2-run pinch-homer in the 9th, his 4th of the series. Caminero then drove in his 3rd run of the game with an RBI single in the 10th and Elijah Green's RBI double provided insurance as the Rays swept the A's and made it 9 wins in their last 10 and 11 in their last 13. And at least this run has been good enough to propel them into first place as the Jays dropped a couple of games.

Team record: 28-23. Next up: off to Kansas City for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 6-2 W. WP-Tavarez (1-0). Starter-Eldridge (1 1 0 0 1 2). HR-Haro (2), Wood (9). Rays won what turned out to be a bullpen game after Eldridge left with back tightness. Haro's 2-run homer in the 1st was the game's big hit.

Transaction: Eldridge goes on the IL but he should be back when his 15 days are up. Daniel Espino is recalled from his rehab assignment and will take Eldridge's spot in the rotation.

Game 2: 3-5 L. LP-Diaz (2-3). Starter-Bradley (5 7 2 2 0 5). Rays took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the 9th when Diaz melted down, giving up the tying run then a 2-run homer to let KC walk it off. Albies drove in all 3 Rays runs with a double and a triple.

Game 3: 3-4 L. LP-Acosta (3-1). Starter-Orze (3.2 7 3 3 3 4). HR-Luciano (7). Luciano brought them back from 0-3 down with a solo homer and 2-run double but Acosta gave up a solo homer in the 7th and the Rays dropped the series.

Team record: 29-25. Luckily for the Rays the Jays were swept so the division lead is up to 1 1/2 games. Next up: A day off then 3 games in Chicago against the White Sox.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 6-0 W. WP-German (3-1, 9 2 0 0 1 10). HR-DeLoach (10), Caminero (10), Santana (15). Luis German was flat-out brilliant tonight pitching a 2-hit shutout on 108 pitches, the first of his career as well as his first complete game. Caminero's 2-run homer in the 5th broke it open.

Game 2: 0-3 L. LP-Dodson (2-1). Starter-Swanda (3.2 0 0 0 1 3). As you can tell by Swanda's abbreviated start he was hurt. Fortunately it's only an oblique strain which will keep him out a little over a week. Otherwise Chicago returned the shutout favor and held Rays batters to only two hits.

Game 3: 5-3 W. WP-Espino (2-1, 7.2 5 2 2 3 8). S-Diaz (10). HR-Santana (16), Luciano (8). Daniel Espino was excellent in his spot start, taking a shutout into the 8th before leaving with two men on, men who scored when Jovani Moran gave up a 3-run homer to let Chicago back in it. Edwin Diaz had the shakiest of saves, loading the bases but striking his way out of it.

Team record: 31-26. Toronto also took 2 of 3 so the division lead remains 1 1/2. Next up: 4 games in Boston.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 8-4 W. WP-Bradley (6-1, 7 6 1 1 1 5). HR-Santana (17), Haro (3). Taj was dazzling and the rookie Haro had a big game with 2 doubles and a 2-run homer while Santana's 3-run shot in the 4th got them going.

Game 2: 0-12 L. LP-Orze (2-3, 4.1 5 4 4 1 5). It was a game as ugly as the scoreline indicated and Orze's struggles continue as his ERA is up to 6.53.

Game 3: 8-4 W. WP-German (4-1, 5 4 2 2 2 8). HR-Haro (4). Santana's 2-run single in the 6th broke a 2-2 tie and Haro's 2-run homer broke it open as Luis German turned in another fine start.

Transaction: JP Sears is activated from his rehab assignment and will get a start in the finale with Swanda still hurting. Andri Tavarez was DFA'd to make room.

Game 4: 3-4 L. LP-Sears (0-2, 4 8 4 4 1 1). HR-Caminero (11). JP Sears wasn't terribly effective in his return from the IL and the bats couldn't come all the way back.

Team record: 33-28. Toronto has gotten insanely hot, winning 7 straight and a result moving back past the Rays into first by 1/2 game. Next up: The good news is we're home. The bad news is that it's three games against the 39-23 Diamondbacks.

MLB News: The once-great Noah Syndergaard, who is currently with Durham, announced his retirement at the end of the season.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 7-3 W. WP-Espino (3-1, 6.2 6 2 2 1 7). HR-Wood (10). A huge day for James Wood who hit a grand slam and a 2-run double to give him a 6-ribbie day. Espino was outstanding again in another start and may end up keeping his rotation spot.

Game 2: 0-2 L. LP-Bradley (6-2, 7.1 7 2 2 0 2). A fine start from Taj was wasted as the offense had its chances, leaving 10 men on base. To make matters worse, Ozzie Albies was hit in the face with a pitch and suffered a broken cheekbone which will sideline him for six weeks.

Transaction: Albies goes on the IL and Max Viera, up in past seasons, is recalled from Durham.

Game 3: 4-3 W (11). WP-Okuda (2-3). Starter-Swanda (6 5 3 3 2 5). HR-Haro (5), Luciano (9). Rays came back from a 3-0 deficit and won it in the 11th on an Arizona error. The rookie Haro had another nice game with a solo homer and an RBI double which tied it up.

Team record: 35-29. We moved back into first place by 1/2 game after Toronto dropped 2 of 3 to the Dodgers. Next up: San Francisco visits for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 2-3 L. LP-Ramirez (0-1). Starter-German (5 2 1 1 3 8). HR-Wood (11). Another brilliant start for German was wasted thanks to a lack of offense and Santana's dropped fly ball in the 7th which led to a pair of unearned runs. Caminero was 3-4 with 2 doubles and an RBI.

Game 2: 4-8 L. LP-Orze (2-4, 4.1 5 2 2 1 3). Orze has been terrible this year so expectations were low coming in but he wasn't the problem - it was the bullpen as Sears and Dodson combined to allow 6 runs. Haro was 3-5 with a double and RBI.

Transaction: Bryce Eldridge comes off the IL to start the finale and Roel Ramirez is DFA'd. He'll take Orze's place in the rotation as Daniel Espino keeps his.

Game 3: 6-5 W. WP-Diaz (3-3). Starter-Eldridge (7 4 1 0 1 3). HR-Wood (12), Santana (18), E.Green (6), Haro (6). Disaster averted as the Rays held a 5-1 lead on Santana's 3-run homer and a great return outing from Eldridge before Trey Riley blew it allowing 4 runs in the 8th. But it was Nelson Haro to the rescue as the rookie capped another 3-hit day by walking it off in the 9th with a homer to salvage a game from this series.

Team record: 36-31. Fortunately the Jays dropped 2 of 3 in Arizona so we remain 1/2 game up on them. Next up: A day off then 3 games in Minnesota against the 41-27 and Central-leading Twins, holders of the best record in the AL.

MLB News: Boston's Trevor Story hit career homer #300.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 4-11 L. LP-Dodson (2-2). Starter-Espino (4 7 2 2 2 4). HR-Franco (7). A close game got away in the 7th when Minnesota scored 7 times, including 5 off Charlie Ruegger and as a result a brilliant game from Wander (4-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI) was wasted.

Game 2: 2-6 L. LP-Bradley (6-3, 4.2 8 5 5 2 4). HR-Santana (19), Franco (8). Once again a big inning was the Rays' undoing as Bradley was hit for 4 runs in the 5th to break open a 1-0 game.

Game 3: 6-3 W. WP-Swanda (3-4, 7.2 6 0 0 1 3). S-Diaz (11). HR-Caminero (12), Santana (20). Swanda was excellent but with a 6-0 lead into the 9th, Eric Orze gave up 3 runs and put two more men on, necessitating Diaz to come in for the save as Orze can't seem to get it done in the pen either. Santana's 3-run shot in the 7th put the game away and turned out to be the difference.

Team record: 37-33. Toronto swept its series, dropping the Rays 1 1/2 games behind in the AL East and they're also 1 back of the third wild card. Next up: The Mets come to the Trop for 2 games.

Some news:

It was announced today that Tampa Bay left fielder Natanael Santana has been acclaimed by the American League as the Player of the Week for his outstanding play last week.

Santana posted a .478 batting average as he collected 11 hits in 23 at-bats, 3 home runs and 8 RBIs.

So far this season Santana is hitting .287 with 20 home runs.

Also some other news, not as good: Grayson Rodriguez's comeback attempt for 2029 is over as he left his second rehab start at Durham and will have surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. His ratings were already seriously downgraded (essentially to replacement-level starting pitcher) so it's possible he doesn't pitch for us (or anyone) again as we still have him under contract for 2030.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 7-5 W. WP-Riley (1-1). S-Diaz (12). Starter-German (4.1 6 4 4 2 6). HR-DeLoach (11), Rivera (3). B.Jordan (3). Looked like a long night at the Trop when German struggled and the Rays were down 5-0 in the 6th. But a 3-run rally keyed by a 2-run Wood double got them back in it and Blaze Jordan completed the comeback with a 3-run homer in the 8th.

Transaction: Signed free agent 2B Kolten Wong to a minor league deal with a $130K bonus, added Wong to the active roster, DFA'd IF Brooks Lee. Wong was the best free agent still sitting out there and with Albies still out for another month we needed better than Lee, who was hitting 126/198/195. Wong's 10-15 HR power and .250-.260 BA isn't sexy but it's an upgrade.

Game 2: 4-2 W. WP-Eldridge (7-2, 7 5 1 1 3 4). S-Acosta (1). HR-Rivera (4), F.Encarnacion (1). Eldridge was excellent and Angel Rivera homered for the second straight day, this one a 3-run shot in the 4th which provided the necessary offense as the Rays sweep the 2-game mini-series at home.

Team record: 39-33, 1/2 game behind Toronto. Next up: We're off to Citi Field to play 2 more against these same Mets.

MLB News: A milestone was reached in the first game of the series when Mets 3B Matt Chapman hit career homer #300.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 3-6 L (13). LP-Orze (2-5). Starter-Espino (5 4 0 0 4 4). HR-Rivera (5). Angel Rivera's 3-run homer marked the third straight game he's gone deep and gave the Rays a 3-0 lead but Trey Riley blew the lead in the 7th, giving up a 3-run shot of his own and then in the 13th Orze gave up a 3-run homer to Andy Pages to lose it. The bats only managed 5 hits through 13 innings.

Game 2: 2-3 L (11). LP-Sears (0-3). Starter-Bradley (5.2 5 1 1 2 4). Deja vu all over again as the Rays gave up a 2-1 lead in the 8th (thanks, Okuda) and lost it in extras. The offensive has been anemic in wasting a pair of good starts in this series with only seven hits today.

Team record: 39-35. Toronto won both its games so the Rays have dropped 2 1/2 back. Next up: 3 games in St. Louis, where the Cards are 35-39.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 7-5 W. WP-Swanda (4-4, 5 11 4 4 1 3). S-Riley (2). HR-Franco (9). Swanda and the staff gave up 14 hits, but 3 DPs and a man thrown out at the plate allowed them to avoid too much danger and Wander had a huge game with 2 doubles, a homer and 3 RBI. Luciano was also 2-3 with 2 RBI.

Game 2: 2-3 L. LP-German (4-2, 6 5 3 3 1 8). HR-Franco (10). A tough one for the Rays as German gave up a 2-run homer to Henry Davis that was the difference.

Game 3: 9-2 W. WP-Eldridge (8-2, 5 4 2 2 3 8). HR-Haro (7), Franco (11), Luciano (10), E.Green (7). Luciano's grand slam capped a 5-run 7th and broke open a 3-2 game in the Rays' favor.

Team record: 41-36. Toronto also won 2 of 3 so the Rays remain 2 1/2 behind in the division, although they did move into the third wild card, 1/2 game ahead of Oakland. Next up: An off-day then 39-39 San Diego comes to the Trop for 3 games.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 3-7 L (11). LP-Diaz (3-4). Starter-Espino (3.2 5 3 3 4 7). HR-Franco (12), DeLoach (12). Rays had a great chance to win this in the 9th with men on 1st and 3rd and 1 out but couldn't get the runner home and the Padres got a 2-run homer off Edwin Diaz in his second inning of work to pull out the win. DeLoach and Wander (who homered in his fourth straight game) combined for 7 of the Rays' 10 hits.

Game 2: 2-1 W. WP-Diaz (4-4). Starter-Bradley (6.2 4 1 1 2 8). HR-Luciano (11). Kolten Wong's first big hit as a Ray was a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 9th as Taj was brilliant and deserved a win.

Game 3: 3-2 W. WP-Acosta (4-1). S-Okuda (2). Starter-Swanda (6 6 2 2 2 4). HR-Santana (21), Luciano (12), Haro (8). Haro's homer in the bottom of the 8th broke a 2-2 tie and with key arms in the pen exhausted from the previous two nail-biters we held our breath and went with Okuda to close it out, and sure enough he got the final two outs. Somehow despite scoring 8 runs in the 3 games the Rays took the series.

Team record: 43-37. Still 3 1/2 back of Toronto and now 1/2 back of Oakland for the third wild card. Next up: We're off to Wrigley for 3 against the Cubs.

[Art Deco]

It's been a trying year for the Rays, who got off to a poor start and have struggled to stay more than a few games above .500. Diego Cartaya is missed behind the plate, and the bullpen lost several key arms from last year and neither have been adequately replaced. Throw in injuries (Wander and Albies have barely played together this year as or the other's been hurt quite a bit) and what you see is the end result. And it's doubtful we pick up a sparkplug rental like Riley Greene was last year.



We're lucky Toronto is playing as well as they did last year or we'd be 10 out, but they have played a lot better of late in opening up the 3 1/2-game lead. My biggest regret of the offseason was not signing Corbin Carroll late in the offseason when he was still sitting out there; while he was coming off only a 2.3 WAR season he ended up signing for the Dodgers for only $3.3M on a one-year deal and now he's leading the NL in batting average and already worth 2.7 WAR. At the time I didn't think he was a significant improvement over Santana or Wood but now it's apparent he was (at least w/r/t Wood).



Mediocrity is thy name. Actually the offense is worse than mediocre which is why despite a horrific 6-16 record in one-run games, we're only one game worse than our Pythagorean record. The only thing we do well at the plate is hit homers but so many of them are of the solo variety. We're doing well at run prevention (2nd in the AL) thanks to an excellent starting rotation and despite how bad Eric Orze was in pitching himself out of it. The bullpen is brutal though - while Edwin Diaz is still very good as the closer, getting the ball to him is the big problem.



Missing Wander for 20 games and Albies for 20 games (and counting, he'll miss most of July) has been a problem and James Wood continues to confound - the scouts upgraded his contact tool to 60 and he has 65 power, but little of it seems to be translating to game action. But it's the Cartaya to Angel Rivera dropoff that might be the steepest in the lineup. And as you can see all the bench bats have been lousy as well.



The better half of the team, at least as far as the rotation and a few of the relievers go. You can see how bad some of the other relievers have been with their names at the bottom of the sorted-by-ERA list here. And then there's Orze, who basically assured us of losing every fifth day until he was yanked from the rotation. He was without a doubt BABIP-unlucky, but there was nothing unlucky about him allowing 11 HR in 59 IP.

And there really isn't any help forthcoming from the farm now that Nelson Haro is up:



All of the "top" guys, such as they are, play in A-ball or lower as this system has really gone to seed. Drafting near the end of the 1st round hasn't helped, but I need to put more money into player development or hire better coaches.

So we'll see how the second half goes; hopefully we can at least limp into a wild card spot. But it appears the dominant run which brought three titles in four years from 2024-27 is coming to an end.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 5-1 W. WP-German (5-2, 5 3 1 0 4 4). S-Riley (3). HR-E.Green 2 (9). Elijah Green hit a pair of 2-run homers to lead the Rays to victory with six pitchers combining to hold the Cubs to one run.

Game 2: 3-6 L. LP-Eldridge (8-3, 4.1 6 5 5 2 4). HR-Haro (9), Encarnacion (2). Nelson Haro and Freili Encarnacion each had 4-hit games with a homer but none of their teammates picked up the slack and Eldridge's rough outing doomed them.

Game 3: 3-4 L. LP-Dodson (2-3). Starter-Espino (4 5 3 3 3 3). Rays had a 3-1 lead into the 5th before Espino put two on before Dodson came in and gave up a 3-run homer. Despite several chances to tie or go ahead Tampa Bay couldn't come up with the big hit and lost the series.

Team record: 44-39. We're now 5 1/2 behind Toronto as the division drifts out of sight, and up 1/2 game over Oakland in the third wild card. Next up: 4 games in New York against the Yankees.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 2-7 L. LP-Bradley (6-4, 3 5 1 1 1 3). HR-Luciano (13). A disaster of a day in more ways than one as Taj Bradley, 3rd in the AL and 5th in MLB in ERA at 2.95, tore a meniscus and is done for the year, further thinning our already-weak pitching depth. The pen was terrible behind him, but the offense didn't do much either.

Transaction: Bradley goes on the 15-day IL for now and we acquired reliever Jake Cousins from Atlanta for a minor leaguer not worth mentioning. Cousins is rated 65/45/55 so good stuff when he keeps the ball in the park. JP Sears, who has been uncharacteristically lousy this year in relief, will now get a shot in the rotation.

Game 2: 2-4 L. LP-Swanda (4-5, 5 8 4 4 1 4). The losing streak reached 4 as the bats were limp again with only Haro's 3-4 with an RBI double worthy of mention.

Game 3: 6-5 W. WP-Riley (2-1). S-Diaz (13). Starter-German (4.1 5 3 3 2 8). HR-DeLoach (13). Finally back in the win column thanks to a big late comeback. Down 5-2, DeLoach's 2-run shot in the 7th got them back in it, Encarnacion's RBI single in the 8th tied it and Santana's grounder in the 9th with the bases loaded was muffed to allow the winning run. DeLoach had a 3-hit, 3-RBI day overall.

Game 4: 8-5 W. WP-Orze (3-5). S-Diaz (14). Starter-Eldridge (4.2 11 3 3 0 3). HR-Santana (22), Rivera (6). Rays salvaged a split but nearly frittered away an early 6-0 lead in this one. Santana's 3-run homer in the first was the big hit but Eldridge didn't really have it today although he limited the damage, giving up 11 hits and 2 homers but only 3 runs, Orze got the win despite allowing two more homers including an inside-the-parker and New York got within 6-5 but Rivera's 2-run shot in the 8th provided much-needed breathing room.

Team record: 46-41. Now 6 1/2 back in the division but still 1/2 game up in the third wild card (actually the second, tied with the Angels).

MLB News: Veteran Dodgers closer Emmanuel Clase picked up save #300.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 5-4 W (10). WP-Acosta (5-1). Starter-Espino (4 6 3 3 4 2). HR-Wood (13), Rivera (7). Rays wiped out an early 3-0 deficit to take this one as Wood's RBI single in the 10th was the winner and Rivera's 3-run shot in the 6th keyed the comeback. Acosta went the final 3 scoreless for the win.

Game 2: 5-1 W. WP-Orze (4-5). Starter-Sears (4.1 5 1 1 3 6). HR-Wong (1). Caminero had a big RBI double while Wong doubled and hit his first Rays homer. Orze got Sears out of a bases-loaded jam unscathed to earn the win.

Game 3: 4-8 L. LP-Swanda (4-6, 2.1 8 8 8 1 2). HR-Wong (2). Swanda pitched his worst game in six seasons as a Ray, putting them down 8-0. Wong had another good day with two doubles and a homer.

Team record: 48-42. Toronto was surprisingly swept by the 28-59-coming-in Brewers so we've moved within 4 1/2 of the division lead and now sit in the second wild card spot. Next up: the All-Star break then 4 games in Baltimore beginning on Thursday. Also the draft beckons.

[Art Deco]

The rosters:

American League:

SP Robert Ahlstrom (TEX)* - 12-3, 2.19 ERA, 131.2 IP, 0.99 WHIP, 11.4 K/9, 5.0 WAR
SP Brandon Barriera (KC) - 8-4, 3.04 ERA, 121.1 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 3.0 WAR
SP Taj Bradley (TB) - 6-4, 2.95 ERA, 103.2 IP, 1.08 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 1.6 WAR (Injured)
SP Tanner Houck (OAK) - 8-6, 3.24 ERA, 100.0 IP, 1.15 WHIP, 6.8 K/9, 1.5 WAR
SP Jacob Lopez (HOU) - 5-3, 3.96 ERA, 72.2 IP, 1.33 WHIP, 8.7 K/9, 0.9 WAR
SP Dakota Stone (BOS) - 9-3, 3.53 ERA, 109.2 IP, 1.13 WHIP, 10.7 K/9, 2.3 WAR
SP Franklin Torrado (OAK) - 10-6, 3.00 ERA, 135.0 IP, 1.13 WHIP, 7.4 K/9, 4.1 WAR
SP Ryan Weathers (LAA) - 7-5, 3.33 ERA, 100.0 IP, 1.30 WHIP, 6.8 K/9, 2.6 WAR
RP Mick Abel (MIN) - 1-4, 17 SV, 2.37 ERA, 57.0 IP, 1.07 WHIP, 10.9 K/9, 1.4 WAR
RP Edwin Díaz (TB) - 4-4, 14 SV, 1.87 ERA, 33.2 IP, 1.07 WHIP, 15.0 K/9, 0.8 WAR
RP Juan Garza (TOR) - 1-1, 6 SV, 2.36 ERA, 49.2 IP, 1.13 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 0.6 WAR
RP Ofelky Peralta (NYY) - 3-1, 2.82 ERA, 51.0 IP, 1.25 WHIP, 9.5 K/9, -0.1 WAR
CL Daysbel Hernandez (CLE) - 0-3, 31 SV, 4.17 ERA, 36.2 IP, 1.20 WHIP, 11.5 K/9, 1.6 WAR
CL Billy Sullivan (OAK)* - 1-2, 20 SV, 1.64 ERA, 33.0 IP, 0.91 WHIP, 13.6 K/9, 1.0 WAR
C Jorge Francois (CLE) - .287/.357/.517, 209 AB, 13 HR, 1 SB, 134 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
C Reese McGuire (DET) - .251/.329/.409, 215 AB, 5 HR, 94 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
C MJ Melendez (KC) - .225/.313/.455, 253 AB, 14 HR, 5 SB, 104 wRC+, 1.4 WAR
C Adley Rutschman (BAL)* - .304/.375/.527, 148 AB, 7 HR, 142 wRC+, 1.9 WAR (Injured)
1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR)* - .310/.382/.532, 342 AB, 20 HR, 1 SB, 145 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
1B Teoscar Hernández (MIN) - .326/.392/.544, 331 AB, 19 HR, 2 SB, 154 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
1B Drew Wiegman (CLE) - .264/.318/.580, 348 AB, 32 HR, 6 SB, 134 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
2B Euribiel Angeles (OAK) - .352/.412/.451, 344 AB, 5 HR, 7 SB, 141 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
2B Bo Bichette (TOR)* - .368/.427/.663, 329 AB, 23 HR, 5 SB, 194 wRC+, 6.0 WAR
2B Noelvi Marte (SEA) - .265/.320/.494, 336 AB, 22 HR, 4 SB, 120 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
2B Ryan Reckley (MIN) - .294/.350/.456, 327 AB, 5 HR, 21 SB, 117 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
3B Luisangel Acuna (TEX) - .283/.381/.470, 321 AB, 11 HR, 12 SB, 132 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
3B Wilfred Veras (CWS)* - .233/.326/.470, 317 AB, 20 HR, 1 SB, 112 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
SS Wander Franco (TB)* - .320/.396/.523, 266 AB, 12 HR, 9 SB, 147 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
LF Jackson Castillo (NYY) - .304/.397/.588, 306 AB, 23 HR, 166 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
LF Alex Kirilloff (MIN) - .332/.375/.552, 355 AB, 20 HR, 3 SB, 150 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
LF Ismael Mena (BAL) - .273/.367/.577, 293 AB, 25 HR, 8 SB, 151 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
LF Juan Soto (CLE)* - .268/.450/.544, 272 AB, 21 HR, 4 SB, 173 wRC+, 3.7 WAR
CF Julio Rodriguez (SEA)* - .361/.434/.716, 296 AB, 31 HR, 15 SB, 209 wRC+, 5.6 WAR
CF Mike Trout (LAA) - .253/.398/.493, 292 AB, 18 HR, 5 SB, 147 wRC+, 3.4 WAR
RF Ketel Marte (BOS) - .300/.373/.451, 317 AB, 7 HR, 122 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
RF Shohei Ohtani (LAA)* - .275/.394/.654, 153 AB, 17 HR, 5 SB, 178 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
RF Luis Rodriguez (LAA)* - .298/.398/.466, 208 AB, 8 HR, 6 SB, 138 wRC+, 1.5 WAR (Injured)


National League:

SP Sandy Alcantara (LAD) - 9-4, 2.81 ERA, 102.2 IP, 1.18 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 2.1 WAR
SP Corbin Burnes (SD) - 11-5, 3.72 ERA, 121.0 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 10.6 K/9, 2.5 WAR
SP Deivi Garcia (ARI)* - 9-4, 4.12 ERA, 109.1 IP, 1.32 WHIP, 11.9 K/9, 1.8 WAR
SP Brailyn Marquez (PHI) - 10-5, 3.91 ERA, 117.1 IP, 1.24 WHIP, 12.0 K/9, 2.9 WAR
SP Max Meyer (MIA) - 5-3, 2.71 ERA, 83.0 IP, 0.98 WHIP, 9.0 K/9, 2.0 WAR
SP Jaron Nevarez (COL) - 5-3, 2.30 ERA, 62.2 IP, 1.21 WHIP, 7.8 K/9, 2.3 WAR
SP Trevor Rogers (LAD) - 9-3, 2.84 ERA, 123.2 IP, 0.90 WHIP, 10.4 K/9, 3.3 WAR
RP Julian Fernandez (STL) - 5-2, 2.36 ERA, 45.2 IP, 0.99 WHIP, 10.1 K/9, 1.0 WAR
RP Ethan Roberts (CHC) - 1-4, 2.51 ERA, 57.1 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 10.7 K/9, 1.2 WAR
RP Ricky Tiedemann (WSH) - 2-0, 1.43 ERA, 50.1 IP, 0.85 WHIP, 9.7 K/9, 1.6 WAR
CL Josh Hader (MIL) - 4-2, 17 SV, 0.47 ERA, 38.2 IP, 0.62 WHIP, 14.7 K/9, 2.5 WAR
CL Luis Montas (ARI)* - 1-3, 10 SV, 1.39 ERA, 32.1 IP, 0.84 WHIP, 11.4 K/9, 1.2 WAR
CL Will Vest (ATL) - 4-0, 25 SV, 0.64 ERA, 42.1 IP, 0.80 WHIP, 14.2 K/9, 2.0 WAR
C Francisco Alvarez (NYM)* - .258/.337/.497, 155 AB, 12 HR, 128 wRC+, 1.3 WAR (Injured)
C Ivan Herrera (MIA) - .223/.337/.375, 224 AB, 10 HR, 1 SB, 100 wRC+, 1.2 WAR
C Keibert Ruiz (WSH) - .299/.361/.477, 174 AB, 5 HR, 124 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
C Tyler Stephenson (CIN) - .235/.333/.354, 260 AB, 5 HR, 1 SB, 91 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
1B Alex Ballesteros (CIN) - .272/.338/.551, 334 AB, 25 HR, 136 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
1B Stephon McNeil (CHC)* - .315/.383/.610, 346 AB, 27 HR, 166 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
2B Nolan Gorman (ARI)* - .277/.326/.556, 329 AB, 25 HR, 129 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
2B Jonathan India (SA) - .239/.337/.471, 297 AB, 17 HR, 3 SB, 120 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
2B Jorge Polanco (NYM) - .277/.342/.488, 332 AB, 18 HR, 4 SB, 125 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
2B Trea Turner (CHC)* - .312/.367/.518, 359 AB, 17 HR, 4 SB, 140 wRC+, 3.1 WAR (Injured)
3B Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD)* - .296/.407/.571, 294 AB, 22 HR, 5 SB, 165 wRC+, 4.6 WAR
SS Edwin Arroyo Jr. (SF) - .259/.344/.377, 239 AB, 5 HR, 6 SB, 101 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
SS Jacob Gonzalez (ARI) - .267/.313/.521, 330 AB, 23 HR, 4 SB, 118 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
SS Francisco Lindor (NYM)* - .250/.347/.435, 308 AB, 13 HR, 7 SB, 118 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
LF Corbin Carroll (LAD) - .332/.399/.508, 313 AB, 9 HR, 13 SB, 148 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
LF Dean Moss (CHC) - .272/.372/.501, 335 AB, 22 HR, 138 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
LF Spencer Torkelson (WSH)* - .312/.390/.628, 317 AB, 27 HR, 1 SB, 169 wRC+, 4.2 WAR (Injured)
LF Zac Veen (COL) - .295/.348/.607, 346 AB, 26 HR, 5 SB, 147 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
CF Byron Buxton (PHI) - .293/.329/.617, 311 AB, 26 HR, 1 SB, 150 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
CF Dylan Carlson (STL)* - .274/.349/.524, 340 AB, 21 HR, 19 SB, 137 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
CF Daulton Varsho (ARI) - .281/.366/.541, 303 AB, 16 HR, 138 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
RF Ronald Acuna Jr. (ATL) - .269/.374/.525, 301 AB, 19 HR, 8 SB, 142 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
RF Joey Gallo (STL)* - .237/.336/.529, 240 AB, 22 HR, 2 SB, 134 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
RF Aaron Judge (ARI) - .274/.365/.589, 248 AB, 22 HR, 1 SB, 154 wRC+, 2.7 WAR

Among the three Rays selected it's the 1st nod for Taj Bradley, who unfortunately will be out injured, the third for Edwin Diaz and the 7th for Wander Franco.

The Home Run Derby (with no Rays included unsurprisingly):



The game:



Not exactly a midsummer classic with Wander going 0-1 with a walk and Diaz pitching around a leadoff walk to throw a scoreless 8th for a hold.

[Art Deco]

Dreher:



A high-school kid from Missouri with tremendous potential but will have to develop that changeup.

Irizarry:



Taken with our supplemental pick for losing Diego Cartaya to free agency, Irizarry is a bit of a risk as the University of Michigan product is going to have to hit lots of dingers to have value as he can't play defense or likely hit for average. We'll have to hope he grows up to become Kyle Schwarber.

Valenzuela:



After going way under-slot on Irizarry we made up for hit by going well over-slot on Valenzuela, who could be the best player we draft this year given his abundance of tools. The Illinois high-schooler "looks like a potential regular in a key role for a contending team" according to our head scout Rob Metzler.

Castro:



Less exciting than the preceding picks, this California high-schooler does have decent hitting potential and came cheap.

Echevarria:



He's probably destined for the bullpen but this Puerto Rico product could still be a really good one.

Cantu:



High school 1B from cold-weather states (New Jersey here) aren't the optimal picks to make but at least he shares his surname with a former Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays all-star, Jorge Cantu.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 4-5 L. LP-Eldridge (8-4, 5.2 10 5 5 1 6). Rays were up 4-1 in this one thanks to 3 RBI from DeLoach, including a 2-run double but Eldridge imploded in the 6th and to add insult to injury it was former Ray Yandy Diaz with a 3-run homer to provide the difference.

Game 2: 5-3 W. WP-Swanda (5-6, 5 3 3 3 4 4). S-Diaz (15). HR-Rivera (8). Angel Rivera's 2-run homer in the 6th broke a 3-3 tie while DeLoach had another big day with 3 hits including an RBI double and an RBI triple.

Game 3: 2-1 W. WP-Moran (1-2). S-Diaz (16). Starter-German (4.2 5 1 1 2 6). HR-Rivera (9), Wong (3). Kolten Wong's homer in the 9th won it for the Rays as he's given the squad a real boost since signing as a free agent (300/402/543).

Game 4: 0-2 L. LP-Sears (0-4, 5.1 6 2 2 2 4). The bats were woeful today scratching out only four hits as a team hovering just above .500 did what you'd expect in a four-game series: split it.

Team record: 50-44. Still 4 1/2 behind Toronto and still in the second wild card, 1/2 place ahead of third and two ahead of fourth. Next up: An off-day then Colorado visits for 3. At 49-45, the Rockies are kind of our doppelgangers.

MLB News: Toronto's star SS Tim Anderson will miss 5 weeks with an elbow strain.

[Art Deco]

Transactions: Finally had it with James Wood (190/280/354, 108 Ks in 311 AB) despite his good ratings and was optioned to Durham while Mitsuyoski Arakawa was recalled to play RF against righties. Arakawa won't hit for average, but has power, speed, and can play RF (70). Also Walt Khattak was activated from his rehab assignment and will rejoin the rotation, taking the place of Daniel Espino who was DFA'd. Espino cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Durham.

Game 1: 1-4 L. LP-Khattak (2-4, 5 9 2 2 3 1). HR-E.Green (10). Colorado left 14 on base or the score would have been a lot worse as you can see from Khattak's line.

Game 2: 4-0 W. WP-Eldridge (9-4, 6 4 0 0 3 6). HR-Santana 2 (24), Luciano (14). Santana hit a pair of solo homers, Eldridge was excellent and so was the pen.

Game 3: 3-12 L. LP-Swanda (5-7, 3 6 7 7 2 3). Rays were actually ahead 3-1 after 3 before Swanda lost it and then Orze poured gasoline on the fire, walking four and giving up two hits while only getting three outs. Swanda has seen his ERA rise from the mid-3s to 4.99 over his last four starts.

Team record: 51-46. Still 4 1/2 back of Toronto but now in the third wild card, a game up on the Angels. Next up: 3 games in New York at Yankee Stadium.

MLB News: The Mets' Francisco Lindor banged out career hit #2000.

[Art Deco]

Game 1: 0-4 L. LP-German (5-3, 1.1 4 3 3 0 2, 3 HR). German left early with a blister but not before giving up 3 solo homers and the bats were limp noodles, only managing four hits.

Game 2: 8-10 L. LP-Moran (1-3). Starter-Sears (5 6 3 3 1 10). HR-Arakawa (1), Wong (4), Santana (25), DeLoach (14). Quite possibly the worst loss of the year as they were up 8-2 in the 6th before the pen gave up 4 runs in both the 6th and 7th to lose the game as Cousins, Dodson and Moran combined to go 2 8 7 7 2 3 and waste a good day from the offense and a 10-strikeout start from Sears. Arakawa (his first in MLB) and Santana's homers were 3-run shots.

Game 3: 9-4 W. WP-Khattak (3-4, 5 8 4 4 2 8). HR-DeLoach 2 (16), Arakawa (2), Franco (13), Caminero (13). The bats were homer-happy again especially DeLoach, who had a 4-hit day including his pair of solo shots. Khattak wasn't very good outside of the whiffs but got the win as the pen actually shut down New York the rest of the way for a change.

Team record: 52-48. Now 5 1/2 back of Toronto and in the third wild card spot, 1/2 game ahead of Oakland and 1 game up on two more teams. Next up: Home for 3 against Cleveland.

MLB News: Ketel Marte, in his first season with Boston after 12 with Arizona, recorded his 2000th career hit.