Tampa Bay Rays: Stock up, stock down
After a historic start to the season, the Tampa Bay Rays are the best team in baseball with a 54-27 record. With an electric offense, the Rays have been able to piece their pitching together after numerous injuries and will be looking for ways to continue to upgrade as they make a postseason run -- barring a second-half disaster -- in 2023.
Here are a few players that are enjoying great starts in 2023 and a few that are struggling.
Stock Up
Yandy Diaz, first base: In his seventh season in the majors, Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz is having the best season of his career despite missing 15 games.
Slashing .316/.404/.518 with 12 home runs and 38 RBI from the leadoff spot, Diaz is only two home runs off of his career-high. Working on improving his launch angle this offseason is paying off big time. His .316 average would be the best of his career, showing that he didn't have to sacrifice his contact skills for the increase in power.
With all of this production coming from the leadoff spot, it's easy to see why Diaz remains a crucial piece of the Rays and the driving force behind their potent offense.
Randy Arozarena, outfield: Like Diaz, Arozarena is having a career year with a career-high batting average of .292 to go with 14 home runs and 54 RBI.
He also brings speed on the base paths and above-average defense in the outfield, making him a true five-tool player.
Not only has his play been stellar this season, Arozarena has established himself as a fan-favorite and a special member of the community. The Rays have dedicated sections in the left field seating to him, calling it "Randy Land".
Not eligible to become a free agent until after the 2026 season, the Rays will have time to hammer out a contract extension that could see Arozarena finish his career with the Rays.
Stock Down
Brandon Lowe, second base: After being limited to only 65 games in 2022, Lowe has seen injuries disrupt his season this year as well. In 50 games played he has posted a .205 average with nine home runs and 29 RBI.
Not known for his defense, he relies on his bat to provide value to the Rays, but with that regression at the plate his value to the team continues to diminish.
With a career-year in 2021, Lowe hasn't been able to replicate the 39 home runs and 99 RBI he achieved that season, but the Rays hold out hope that he will look more like himself after his recent stay on the injured list.
The Rays gave Lowe a team-friendly extension in 2019, buying out his arbitration years. Holding club options of $10.5M in 2025 and $11.5M in 2026, Lowe will need to prove that he can stay on the field enough to produce at those levels.
Starting Pitching: While the production from the starting pitching has been great in 2023, the health of the pitching staff has been the polar opposite.
Having already dealt with the loss of two pitchers off to career-best starts in Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen for the season, the Rays have also had a scare with ace Shane McClanahan, who left his most recent start with slight back stiffness.
With Tyler Glasnow still figuring things out after his return from injuries over the past two seasons, the Rays are relying on a mixture of rookies and journeyman pitchers to give them innings while their offense helps provide the spark in most games.
While the rotation has been successful, the Rays could still use depth to help them spread around innings to get through the regular season as healthy as possible as they have a World Series title on their mind in 2023.
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