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Two Key Areas Where the Rays Are Looking for More Production From Their Outfield

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Rays' lineup looks set in stone at a few spots. Their infield, should they not make any trades involving players on the roster, looks to be one of the more productive in the MLB.

Junior Caminero is already an elite run producer at third base despite being only 22 years old. Brendan Lowe is incredibly productive at second base. At first base and designated hitter, there are Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda.

Shortstop has some question marks, but at the very least, the Rays know they will receive elite defense and base running from Taylor Walls when healthy. Carson Williams remains a high-upside option as the team’s top prospect.

Catcher is a position Tampa Bay is going to look to make changes to. At the very least, experienced depth needs to be added with Nick Fortes and Hunter Feduccia as the only players at the position on the roster.

Alas, finding a backstop isn’t the only area on the roster where the Rays have work to do. They have a potential logjam in the outfield with several players looking capable of handling extensive playing time. However, the team needs more impactful producers.

Rays want more power, run production from their outfield

“You look at our kind of outfield production in total, that's something that -- by championship-caliber standards -- we need to find a way to create more, certainly, power and run production out of that group,” said president of baseball operations Erik Neander, via Adam Berry of MLB.com.

Complimentary players are all that are needed in the outfield, especially if the infield core is retained. However, that group struggled mightily to even provide a role-player kind of production on the field.

As a collective, Tampa Bay outfielders hit 29 home runs, the fewest in the MLB. That isn’t all too surprising when Chandler Simpson and Jake Mangum, two players whose games are predicated on speed and contact, are occupying one of the spots.

The Rays outfielders hit .255 on the season, which was the sixth-best in baseball. They stole a league-high 116 bases, but don’t walk much and provided very little pop.

Defense was also lacking in Rays outfield

That lackluster production at the plate is a little easier to stomach when an impact is made elsewhere. Throughout their history, defense would make up for production with the bat, but that wasn’t the case in 2025.

Tampa Bay outfielders were below average across the board in defensive metrics, finishing 16th in Defensive Runs Saved (-6), 20th in Outs Above Average (-9) and 26th in Fielding Run Value (-12)

Something is going to have to be done with this group over the winter. Their projected starter in center field for 2025, Johnny DeLuca, appeared in only 20 games because of injury. If he can stay healthy, he could provide an impact as a platoon player against left-handed pitching.

Right now, the Rays have speed as the only surefire impactful asset in their outfield. Based on what Neander said in his end-of-season press conference, they will be on the lookout for some power bats this winter.