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#1
The Devil Rays have a lot of work ahead of them if they are gonna repeat as AL champions. After the fact, it seems like every person on Covers was all over the Rays last year in pre-season props. As someone who truthfully had them to win the AL East, I can say I have a lot of love for that squad. At the end of the day, it is pretty much the same team that took the division last year. They added Pat Burrell, an extra arm in the pen, and David Price is now running loose, but overall this is the same team as last year. One thing that may be a little different is the mindstate. It sounds stupid, but one of the main reasons I pounded the Rays last year to actually beat out the Yanks and Bo Sox, was an exhibition game I saw against the Yankees. Not only did they sport a lot of young talent, but those guys wanted it more than the Yanks. I vaguely remember a Tampa guy spiking a Yankee sliding into second and the Yankees crying like a bunch of vaginas. They made no apologies and came out even harder the next game. They went toe to toe with the big boys, and walked out victorious. Do they have that fire this year? I don't think so, no matter how much they may say differently.
So right off the bat, I have a big minus next to their team. Another thing that will bother the squad early in the season is some injury concerns and players filling in because of it. Pena, Upton, and Percival being banged up will have guys out of place to start the season, and it may be awhile until things go back to normal. Is the outfield being shifted? Will Pat just be the DH like planned? Will Price start? If not, is he closing? etc etc etc.
The offense:
(C)Navarro- He checked into camp having shed 15 pounds, so he is doing his part in improving on his best year as a pro. He doesn't have much pop, but a repeat .295 batting average is fine for a catcher in this league especially since after the top 5 guys, there is such a falloff at the position. Don't forget he is only 24 or 25, so I can see him improving off a decent 2008 season.
(1st)Pena- After a monster 2007, Pena fell off a little bit last year with a plummeting batting average and rising strikeout total. Despite that, he still hit over 30 HR's and 100 RBI's in the heart of the Rays lineup. I was projecting him for a bit of a bounce back year, but he did have surgery on his abdomen about a month ago, so a slow start is now a possibility. For now I'm looking at him as a .260 30HR and 90RBI season, although if he comes back healthy and in shape, he could be much better than that.
(2nd)Iwamura- Iwamura is average as a 2nd baseman and leadoff guy. He strikes out a bit too much, could be better in the field, and should steal a few more bags, so overall he is average and nothing more. He is one of the weak links offensively, but 2nd base is a thin position these days, so there could be worse out there.
(SS)Bartlett- Bartlett is a decent SS. Looking at his numbers, nothing jumps out at you, but this team was much better when he was in the lineup(78-47). He stole 20-something bases, and I believe led the AL against left handed pitching. I can see him improving in his 2nd year as a fulltime SS. The Rays also have a kid Tim Beckham that will be fighting for the SS position in the next few years. He looks to be a stud, but seeing him before 2010 is not probable.
(3rd)Longoria- This kid is incredible, and I don't want it to sound like I'm ragging on him after he unanimously took the AL ROY, but imo he is a candiate to struggle a bit in his 2nd season. Limited time in the minors can lead to some growing pains, as well as pitchers seeing some tape on him. He strikes out a bit too much, and could walk a bit more. With all that said, I think he struggles at times, but at the end of the year, he puts up comparable numbers to his rookie season with clear sailing for a very bright future.
(LF)Crawford-Burrell- I think Craw-daddy is coming back strong this year. He was bothered all last year between his finger and his hamstring, and his production obviously suffered. He should be back full force in the prime of his life(magic age of 27). The Rays one big pickup was Pat the Bat. I assumed he would be their fulltime DH, but with Upton possibly not making it back to start the season, I gotta think Crawford will slide to CF for a bit, opening up Burrell to play LF. Regardless of how things turn out, Burrell brings a veteran big bat for the middle of the lineup and should be good for 25+ HR's.
(CF)Upton- Upton is another young stud who had bit of a down season last year. It could have been his shoulder that hampered him(especially with his power stroke), but that has been repaired with offseason surgery. He's due to return in mid-April, so I can see him taking awhile to get to 100%. He should improve off a subpar 2008 in every aspect.
(RF)Joyce/Gross- Matt Joyce was a nice pickup from the Tigers a couple years ago. He had some some decent pop last year in about half a season, and if he gets the fulltime job, can improve. Gabe Gross will be fighting him tooth and nail for the spot and with Upton hurt, may get a decent amount of work even if he isn't starting.
After reviewing the Tampa Bay bats, they should have a pretty decent offense. A lot is gonna depend on Pena and Upton coming back healthy and Longoria keeping up the wicked pace he showed as a rookie, but if all goes well, they should be a potent offense and give the Yanks and Bo Sox a run for their money. The main reason I'm putting them behind both of those teams is the hunger and gel factor. No matter what they say, they aren't as hungry as last year and no matter what they say, it may take awhile to gel with guys being banged up and shifted around for exhibition and April play.
Onto pitching......
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