Tampa Bay Rays Odds Defying Postseason Berth

Tampa Bay Rays Odds Defying Postseason Berth

The Tampa Bay Rays clinched the postseason last night in a 3-1 win over the Houston Astros. The win was stamped by a walk-off home run from third baseman and MVP hopeful Junior Caminero. It is Caminero’s 40th home run of the season and the Rays’ first postseason in three years. 

The Rays are the first team this season to clinch the postseason. They currently boast an 88-59 record and sit first in the American League East, three games ahead of the New York Yankees. 

However, the biggest story is not that the Rays simply clinched the postseason, it is how they defied the odds to reach this point. 

The Rays have been a surprise team to many this season. The MLB opening day power rankings had Tampa Bay as the No. 23 team in the MLB. BetMGM preseason betting odds placed the Rays at 77.5 wins and had them as a +2500 longshot to win the AL East. 

The Rays also have one of the lowest salaries in the MLB, sitting at No. 26 with a total salary of $119 million, more than $200 million less than the No. 1 team. They similarly are the only AL East team not within the top 15 in salaries. 

All signs pointed to the Rays struggling to keep up with their wealthy rivals this season, so what changed? 

Junior Caminero’s Emergence 

Tampa Bay’s success can directly be tied to the emergence of Caminero as one of the best players in the MLB. Caminero hit home run No. 40 in the walk-off win over the Astros last night as he is on track to beat his record of 45 last season. 

Caminero has been one of the best power hitters since bursting onto the scene last season, but his overall game left a lot to be desired. His defense was largely viewed as subpar and some of his hitting was inconsistent. This season he has tightened up across the board. 

Caminero now boasts a higher batting average at .279, on base percentage of .365 and a wins above replacement of 5.4, all three up from last season. He has shown big improvements on defense while plugging holes at the plate to become an all-around star for the Rays that is leading the charge. 

A Perfectly Constructed Roster

Another key to the Rays success is the construction of the roster. The aforementioned salary deficit has done nothing to stop the Rays from being a top team on both sides of the diamond. The Rays currently sit as the No. 1 hitting team in the MLB with an average of .260 and the No. 3 pitching team with 88 wins. They lead the MLB in saves with 55 and are No. 3 in steals and hits. 

Despite sitting in the lower half in home runs and strikeouts, the Rays continue to find a way to win. Whether it be the bunting boom they kickstarted early in the season, or how they continue to scrape out wins over teams with salaries much larger, the Rays end up on top. 

Tampa Bay is a team truly built on chemistry. The Rays started the season as longshots for the AL East and now look to enter the post season as legitimate World Series contenders.