Tampa Bay Rays Move Up in MLB Power Rankings

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Joe Rutland | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 10:45 PM ET

Just take a look at what has been happening with the Tampa Bay Rays over the past couple of weeks. They have been one of the hottest teams in the American League, overcoming their slow start with a bunch of wins.

Their offense has shown signs of improvement and the Rays' pitching staff has been performing much better. Rays manager Kevin Cash must be overjoyed with what he's been seeing on the field.

Thanks to their improved play, Tampa Bay has bumped up to the No. 10 spot in the latest MLB Power Rankings from The Athletic.

Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen has been a major contributor to team's recent success

In offering his views on the Rays' recent play, Chad Jennings of The Athletic pointed toward starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen emerging at the right time.

Drew Rasmussen might be one of the most underrated SP in Major League Baseball!

He now owns a 2.33 ERA after throwing 6 scoreless innings while allowing 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 5 batters.

He is pitching like an ace!#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/FA2AXsRPer
— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) May 28, 2025

"Drew Rasmussen has stepped into the No. 1 starter role while Jonathan Aranda is the latest multi-position Rays hitter to emerge from obscurity," Jennings wrote. "The Rays endured loads of injuries in their outfield, but once again, they’ve found a way to stay competitive. They have a winning record in their temporary home ballpark."

Rasmussen, a right-hander, is 6-4 with a 2.55 ERA. He has 62 strikeouts with a 0.946 WHIP. He's been a guy who has stepped up to help the Rays get out of their early-season hole.

What about Aranda? He's hitting .323 with eight home runs and 39 RBIs. His batting average is far and away much better than his career .266 average. Let's not leave out the contributions from Yandy Diaz, too.

Tampa Bay is 40-33 on the season, sitting in second place in the American League East Division. Right now, they are in the middle of a home series at George M. Steinbrenner Field against the Baltimore Orioles. If the Rays can add some more wins at home, then they can possibly look to move on up those MLB Power Rankings again next week.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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