ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Just like the smash hit by Big Time Rush, we are "Halfway There."
The Tampa Bay Rays have hit the midpoint of the season and ended the first half with a win Sunday afternoon against Kansas City.
The Rays currently have a league-best 54-27 record while leading the AL East. They have also broken many MLB records (modern era) and franchise records this year. You can see those accomplishments below:
- Tied the league's post-1900 record for 13 consecutive wins at a season’s start and matched the 13-0 start of the 1982 Atlanta Braves and 1987 Milwaukee Brewers.
- First team in MLB history to hit a home run in every game to start the season at 21 games
- Broke the franchise record of consecutive games with a home run in a single season.
- Team record for wins at any point in a season by topping a 12-game run in June 2004.
You get the gist, the Rays have been sublime so far.
But, they're only halfway there, and there are two ways this can go for Tampa Bay: Keep up their winning ways for the second half or slip ever so slightly and lose out on the AL East. According to Fangraphs, the Rays have a 99.2% chance of making the postseason. They also have an 83.1% chance of winning the division.
Tampa Bay is looking to become the sixth team ever to go wire-to-wire and win a World Series. The last team to do that was the 2005 White Sox.
So how has each player pitched in — no pun intended — to Tampa Bay's success midway through the season? 10 Tampa Bay Sports Director Evan Closky and 10 Tampa Bay Digital Content Producer Leo Santos give each Rays player a midseason grade.
For the sake of this article, we will be grading the Rays bullpen as a whole.
Pitchers
Shane McClanahan
LS: McClanahan is a stud. Plain and simple. There's a reason he leads the majors with 11 wins and it's because on his day, which appears to be every time he's out on the mound, he is one of the best. He may have those rare stinkers while pitching, but that's heavily erased with his strong displays so far this year. Grade: A+
EC: Tough to argue the former USF product is not one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball. As long as the recent back issue is not prolonged, McClanahan has the possibility of starting back-to-back All-Star Games. Having said that, his stuff has not been as dominant this season. In 2022, his K/9 was 10.50. This season it is 9.68. Last season his BB/9 was 2.07. This season it is 3.39. He boasts a 2.23 ERA, but per Fangraphs his expected ERA is 3.78. There is a chance McClanahan is pacing himself this year versus tailing off like he did in 2022. The No. 1 thing that stands out about him in 2023, though, is his maturity. Incredible to watch him battle through tough spots to give his team innings, while keeping opponents in check. Grade: A
Drew Rasmussen
LS: Injuries are currently hampering Rasmussen from expanding his winning 4-2 record. Overall, I think he has done what was expected of him before the season started: Be consistent, sharp and make life easier for your reliever. He has a 2.62 ERA and gives the Rays a 66.7% chance of winning when pitching. Grade: A-
EC: There still has not been an update on Drew Rasmussen after landing on the 60-day IL abruptly after a gem of a start against the Yankees with an elbow issue (again). If all goes well, we should see Rasmussen back in August or September. My guess is he would not pitch as a starter and move back into a relief role due to this injury. I also would tell fans to mentally prepare themselves to not have Rasmussen at all this season. If he is back, great! I think management needs to have a clear Plan B, though. This is really sad because he was off to a tremendous start and proving to be one of the better starting pitchers in the league. Grade: A (when he pitched)
Zach Eflin
LS: If it wasn't for McClanahan, Eflin would be labeled as the team's best pitcher this season — in my opinion. He's been healthy, makes games 'easier' for his relievers and is playing his best baseball since entering the league in 2016. Plus, he's 9-3 so far this year and is close to joining McClanahan to register double-digit wins. Grade: A+
EC: Many were in shock the Rays gave Zach Eflin their largest free agency contract ever -- and it has paid off. As Leo said, Tampa Bay has tapped into something the Phillies underutilized and has been a stabilizing force in this rotation, ignoring the quick 15-day IL stint he had near the beginning of the season. He is one of the few guys in Kevin Cash's stable that has not struggled with walks this year, which is nice to see. Grade: A
Tyler Glasnow
LS: Seems to be the same story for Glasnow: Injuries. He is now starting to come into the pitching fold and has recorded six starts. This is another Rays pitcher who if they can prevent getting injured — and avoid putting his team in tough places early on in games — can also easily be an impactful player for the Rays in the second half of the season. Grade: C+
EC: We were waiting for that 'he's back' start from Glasnow and hopefully his 5 IP, 12 K, 1 ER performance was it -- albeit, I don't want to brag about dominating the Royals. Look, this is a guy who has only thrown six starts and had his Training Camp shortened by an oblique injury. It is understandable he is going to need a little time to sharpen his stuff. Fans would love to know this man is not going to get injured again. He's also someone who is slated to get paid $25 million next season because he is viewed as a Cy Young contender and he has not looked like it. He has been just fine, but we're looking for extraordinary. Grade: C (Though, I think it is unfair to really judge him until he gets another view starts)
Josh Fleming
LS: Fleming has played 11 games, but it looks like he won't be available anytime soon. He's currently on the 60-day injury list, but there's no doubt in my mind if he comes back, he'll be back as his reliable self. Not much else to say here besides that he continues to serve as a solid pitcher in this league when healthy, but not much more after that. Just look at his 4.62 ERA this year, and as Evan mentions below, his future in Tampa Bay may appear uncertain. Grade: C
EC: Besides three starts, where Fleming gave up a combined 19 earned runs, he pretty much did his job in the other eight outings. Get once or twice through the order and hand the ball off to the relievers. He is nothing more than a No. 5 pitcher to eat some innings throughout the course of the season. Unfortunately, Fleming is hurt and the hope is for him to avoid Tommy John Surgery. If he can, that would be spectacular. Having said that, I do not know what his future looks like in Tampa Bay? If the team addresses pitching depth (both starting and bullpen) you wonder where he falls in the pecking order on the 40-man roster (if available to come off the 60-Day IL)? You wonder the viability of him making a Rays postseason roster? He avoids barrels at a 76% clip according to Baseball Savant, but everything else is ice-cold. He reminds me of the 2022 Ryan Yarbrough. A lefty who relies on soft-contact -- prone to blowup outings. My rant aside, again, he did his job for most of the season before the injury. Grade: C
Jeffrey Springs
LS: Look, I know a lot of people are Springs fans, and rightfully so, but for the amount of money the Rays paid to keep him, it's been heavily disappointing to see him on the injury list so early -- and I know that's not his fault. He's on the 60-day injury list and has only played in three games this year. Without a doubt, when -- or if -- he comes back in the rotation, he'll stack up more wins for Tampa Bay. But due to his injury, the grading, in this case, has to be low. Again -- not his fault that he got injured so early in the season and fans only received a glimpse of what he could've accomplished this year. Especially considering his career 3.40 ERA. Grade: D+
EC: This one sucks. Jeffrey Springs was my darkhorse for Cy Young entering the season. He was dominant in Spring Training and it carried over into the MLB season. Just a reminder, when combining those Spring Training statistics, he tallied 30 innings with 48 strikeouts, 9 hits and 1 run given up. Like, he was emerging as one of the best in the game. Sadly, we will not see him until mid-2024. Would have been an enormous piece to this magical team. Grade: Sadness
Taj Bradley
LS: Bradley was born in 2001 — yes, you had to say the word "and" after 2000. But you know what? For a rookie and a player his age, he has been nothing short of impressive. He's confident, keeps his head in the game when things may look like they're heading south and you can just see the energy he brings to the team when he's out on the mound. In his last three games, Taj has 23 strikeouts in 13 innings pitched. This kid is taking advantage of every opportunity he gets. Grade: A
EC: The rookie has 71 strikeouts in 49 innings. That is absurd. The control is a bit of an issue. Certainly has not been efficient, but that is to be expected with such a young kid. I even think the organization is a bit surprised how good he is so early in his career. Just like Glasnow, when you have vicious stuff, you will get a lot of foul tips and strikeouts. So, I expect him to be around 6-7 innings most of his career, but he is special and huge if he can continue to hone his craft throughout the year. Grade: A
Yonny Chirinos
LS: I'm not the biggest fan of Chirinos, and I think a lot of Rays fans would agree with me on that. He has pitched more innings than he has strikeouts and had a game to forget against Kansas City at the Trop recently where hitters kept on getting contact with his pitches. I will say, he has proved on more than one occasion this year that he can have two or three solid innings but then has one sloppy inning that completely unravels the game out of the Rays' flavor. 3-3 as a starter also doesn't help his case. Grade: D
EC: Chirinos was sporting a sterling, sub-3.00 ERA before getting blasted by Kansas City inside Tropicana Field. He was due for a bad outing, if we're being honest. He doesn't strike many batters out and batters tend to get hard contact against his pitches. He's been a decent fill-in for most of the season, but a regression to the mean is coming and it might be best for the Rays to send him back down to Durham to find a better 'bulk inning' guy. All in all, though, despite what I think will happen -- if we erase one bad outing, he's done his job. Grade: C
Catcher
Christian Bethancourt
LS: Bethancourt — along with many of the others for this Tampa Bay offense — have done what they've been asked of. But if we're being honest, the Rays do not have one of the best catchers in the league. He's good, yes, but not one of the best. He does have the same amount of home runs this year as when he joined the team last year. That's a good thing, right? Grade: B
EC: See Mejia below
Francisco Mejia
LS: Mejia is also a solid player to have alongside Bethancourt in the catcher position, but that's a position the Rays, as of now, feel content in having two average players. Personally, I’d take Bethancourt over Mejia in that position, not only as a catcher but also to have in the lineup as a hitter. Bethancourt tops Mejia in runs, hits and homers. Grade: C
EC: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I think catching is probably the biggest positional weakness for this team, has been for most of Tampa Bay's existence. When you tally Mejia and Bethancourt's numbers together, you'll probably have a roughly two WAR players tallying close to 20 HR and 70 RBI. Having said that, these two need to reach some projections coming down the stretch into the second half of the year to make those numbers a reality. Bethancourt has definitely been better than Mejia. If the team can find a long-term upgrade at the position, it would be for the best. Grade: C-
First base
Yandy Diaz
LS: This man is on fire – and that’s not an understatement. He should be considered for the MVP this season. He’s currently performing at his best in a Rays jersey with 80 hits, 51 runs and 12 homers. Not to mention, he has been solid defensively. If there was a grade higher than an A+, Yandy has certainly earned that. Grade: A+
EC: Yeah, I mean -- what else is there to say about this man? He was gifted a nice offseason deal by the franchise and it has paid off. He has taken some more chances with his swing which is why we see 12 home runs. That's absurd considering his career-high is 14. He has always hit for average and has always gotten on base, but the power is the biggest surprise sporting a .922 OPS. He should easily be an All-Star. Hopefully he stays healthy because he seems pretty beat up right now. Grade: A+
Luke Raley
LS: Raley has been one of the unsung heroes of this Tampa Bay team. He may not have as much fanfare as Randy Arozarena, Josh Lowe or Wander Franco, but he's been doing work. In his last 15 game, Raley has logged 13 runs and 18 hits, not to mention he's already hit two home runs, which is three shy of matching his career-high homer record. He's also been stealing bases. Who saw that coming? Raley has positional flexibility which is an asset. Grade: B+
EC: I love this man. After struggling in April, he really found his groove and has a legit shot at 25 home runs this season (most likely will hit 20 because he's a platoon player). The Rays needed a power lefty bat badly in the offseason. Did not acquire one. Raley was the first option and if he did not work out, star prospect Kyle Manzardo would have probably earned that opportunity. At this point, Manzardo is blocked in 2023. Raley is smoking the ball. According to Baseball Savant, he's in the 98th percentile with barrels and 97th percentile in expected slugging. I fear there will be a rough slump in the future at some point, something we're seeing with Josh Lowe in June, but until then...Grade: A
Second base
Brandon Lowe
LS: This is kind of a tough one for me. Brandon started the campaign on a strong note, including his first walk-off win back in May. He is good offensively -- 36 hits, 26 runs and seven home runs -- but a few of his defensive issues have cost his team. Being placed on the 10-day injured list is also not helping his case, as well as the good defensive form of Taylor Walls. I'm one for hoping he has a rebound when he returns from injury, but how can you if a guy like Taylor Walls is in good form? We'll have to wait and see. Grade: C
EC: Ugh. Brandon. Was very much on the struggle bus before another, non-related, back injury. There is hope he will be back around July 4. When in the lineup, his power is undeniable, but his average is unbearable. I'm a staunch Brandon Lowe believer, but I understand the frustrations from fans. He's the 2022 version of Joey Gallo. His contract is very cost-effective and he's locked in for $8.75 million in 2024. So, I don't see him going anywhere in 2023. However, at some point down the stretch, if Lowe is still not producing -- we have to go through the thought process of playing a defensively-minded guy like Walls more or a defensively troubled guy, with great offensive potential, in Jonathan Aranda. Grade: D (before injury)
Taylor Walls
LS: Walls is someone who flashed more and more on the radar for fans this year. He's an OK hitter with a .214 batting average, but when you have other superstars and elite hitters next to you, I think Kevin Cash won't mind him at bat. It's really his defensive excellence that's putting him in contention to beat out Brandon Lowe for the starting second base position when he returns from injury. Rays fans hope he keeps this up in the second half of the season. Grade: B-
EC: Man, I love Taylor Walls, but he is what he is. The .306 average in April was an aberration. He has hit south of .200 in back-to-back months, however, his fielding is impeccable. Considering this team is one of the best offenses in the league, it is OK to have Walls in your lineup as long as there are hitters around him. His glove is an asset and I think fans are not as critical of the bat because of it. Grade: B
Third base
Isaac Paredes
LS: Isaac -- alongside his fellow countryman Arozarena -- has continued his incredible displays at the World Baseball Classic into the 2023 MLB Season. He may not be one of the most outspoken players on the team, but he's sharp at third base and already has 13 home runs. His batting average is north of .250 and also has a .362 OBP. This guy usually needs that spark to continue a good trend of runs and hits. So whenever that sparks dies out a little, you can expect Paredes to light it up again. He poses a threat whenever he's at bat, and that's everything Kevin Cash could ask for. Grade: A
EC: He has the second highest OPS of any third baseman in MLB. He is one of three third basemen with 50 or more RBI. The other two are Nolan Arenado and Rafael Devers. According to Fangraphs, he's No. 4 with 2.0 WAR at the position. Reminder, Paredes is 24 years old. If I'm the Rays, I'm seriously considering a long-term extension at the end of the season. He's a bit streaky, but overall, what a second season for him in a Rays uniform. Grade: A
Shortstop
Wander Franco
LS: For some reason, this player is a little tough to grade. For starters, Franco has stayed healthy for most of the year -- something that has hindered his progress as a pro in recent seasons. Cash has admitted to Franco showing frustrations both on-and-off the field that led to a temporary benching. Look, he's a young guy, and as a Gen-Zer myself, times may be tough as a young buck. But in Wander's case and as he's making millions of dollars, you can get off track here and there. It was great to see that when Cash returned Franco to the lineup, he hit a home run, which shows how the 22-year-old can just flip the switch like that. He's only scored two homers since early May, but continues to be on base a lot and has a batting average of .287. He is still a top-tier shortstop, however. Despite the off-field issues, I'm going to settle on the brighter side of things for Wander. Grade: B
EC: Objectively, he is one of the best players in Major League Baseball. Exceptional hitter. Exceptional fielder. He is living up to the hype and is just 22 years old. As Leo alluded to, he's running into some clubhouse issues which is a big no no. It takes a lot for an organization to publicly admit to a 2-game, internal suspension for being a not-so-good teammate. Whatever Kevin Cash told us, we probably do not even know the half of it. It is really hard to create negative energy in such a magical season, so this needs to be corrected now. When I was 22, I was quite the knucklehead and I certainly did not sign a mega-contract in that process. He is young. He will learn, hopefully. The Rays need Franco more than any other player on this team. Grade: B+ (Character flaw knocks it down a letter grade)
Vidal Brujan
LS: I think Brujan's role in this team is simple: Come in whenever someone else is injured, needs a rest or defensive flexibility. He is a solid role player, but unfortunately, at least for this season, he will continue to be just that. Grade: C+
EC: Not much to say here. Brujan will probably be back to Durham soon. As not blossomed into the highly-touted prospect we thought he would be. Seems a little bit stuck in AAAA status. I don't know how many more opportunities he has left to prove himself, though his positional flexibility and speed save him. Grade: C-
Left field
Randy Arozarena
LS: Cross your arms if you've heard this before — Randy Arozarena is elite. Ever since the world saw Arozarena in the WBC, all eyes seem to be on him whenever he steps onto the field. He has 14 home runs, continues to make ridiculous catches in the outfield and has a couple of sections dedicated to his fans at the Trop. Yeah, he's still the man of the moment. Grade: A+
EC: Randy Arozarena has been a stud and the biggest improvement has been his walk rate. That went from 7.1% to 13%. That small change has turned him into a very good player to an All-Star. He's an affable personality who loves the big stage. Fangraphs projections believe he could reach 25 home runs and 99 RBI. He might need to relax with the stolen bases, has not been effective there this season, but overall, what is there not to like? Grade: A+
Center field
Jose Siri
LS: Fourteen home runs and 38 hits -- not bad for the man Tampa Bay acquired midway through last year as the heir apparent to Kevin Kiermaier. He is pretty good and has shown that he is willing to put his body on the line to make some tough catches in the outfield. Solid player starting to come into his own for Tampa Bay. Grade: B+
EC: The power has shown up in a big way homering 12 times since May 7. I think he is a little banged up still. Been dealing with a shoulder injury he suffered making a game-saving catch in Boston. Also had a soft-tissue injury, which cost him most of April. It is weird he has not been stealing more, but his defense is phenomenal. He's been better than expected at the dish. Grade: B-
Right field
Josh Lowe
LS: It seems like all of the Rays' outfielders have done very little wrong this year. They're sharp when defending and even better on the offense. Josh Lowe is a big reason for that. He has been regressing just a tad in June, but I think what he has done for the majority of the season -- 11 homers, .284 batting average -- has cemented himself as the starting right outfielder. Especially considering he was on the outside looking in regarding claiming a starting spot on this team. Plus, it helps that Manuel Margot has been underwhelming this year. Grade: A-
EC: Let's get the bad part out of the way first, he has come back to Earth in the month of June. His average went from .304 to .284. Having said that, he has been a huge surprise and, arguably, the greatest story of the season considering how bad 2022 was for him. He is a 5-tool player who could be a 20/20 guy in his first, full season in the league. Lowe is looking like a guy this franchise could build around for many years to come. Grade: A
Manuel Margot
LS: I get why people rate Margot high, but I'm not one of those people. Yes, he's had his moments this year, but for the most part, I think he's been underwhelming. He lost his starting spot to Josh Lowe in the right field and when you have players like Lowe, Arozarena and Siri setting the bar so high, Margot has not quite reached those heights — yet. He has been putting in the work in recent games, I'll give him that. Seven hits, five runs and one home run in his last seven games, that's not bad. Let's see if he can keep up this good run of form. Grade: C
EC: Margot has definitely underwhelmed this year, but he's looked more like himself recently. He is hitting .305 in June and has gotten a hit in 9 of his last 10 starts. His fielding is always great in right field. He does not get many starts against righties because Josh Lowe and Luke Raley have earned that right. He's a veteran leader in the clubhouse and still provides a stabilizing presence towards the second-half of the year. I'll buy Margot stock. Grade: C-
Designated Hitter
Harold Ramirez
LS: I was on the fence about Harold Ramirez entering the season, and if I'm being honest, not much has happened to change my mind as to him being the team's starting designated hitter. He is pretty much the same guy as 2022, only with more power. Yes, he has a good batting average that's close to .300, but when you have players like Yandy Diaz and Randy Arozarena on them, you should be on par with them. Grade: C-
EC: Harold Ramirez is one of the more beloved players in that clubhouse. His power has surprised me as he had 6 HR last season and has 9 in 2023, two off his career-high. He also smokes left-handed pitching hitting .375 against southpaws. However, he hits just .268 against righties with an OBP of .321. In my opinion, the Rays should have Aranda play against righties and Ramirez against lefties, but it is tough for a roster to boast a platoon DH situation. I like having a pure, contact hitter on the roster. Grade: B-
Bullpen
LS: Oh boy, where should we start. Let's look on the good side of things. Pete Fairbanks keeps doing his thing and Garrett Cleavinger was solid. Now to the bad, Fairbanks is not always consistent and Cleavinger has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an injury. Look, this bullpen has its problems, including being tied dead last in the league for saves. I'm not totally convinced about Jason Adam either, he appears to get a little nervy when trying to close games out. The trade deadline is soon upon us, and if there's one place Cash should look into bringing a new guy into the facility, it should be someone to help out this bullpen. Grade: D
EC: Bad. I'm just being honest. Their stats have improved recently, but the season stats are also misleading since bulk guys like Flemming and Chirinos get thrown into the mix, so it is not worth my time to use any of that for analysis. What I can say is the team has blown 16 saves, which is tied for last in Major League Baseball. Jason Adam's stuff looks fine, but he is grinding through outings. His high-leverage role might need to be given to Kevin Kelly who has been the most pleasant surprise in that stable, next to the addition of Jake Diekman. Robert Stephenson was a solid addition via the Pirates, but the team needs more juice. The bullpen simply does not strike out enough batters. The increased walk rate from the unit has been puzzling. Ryan Thompson and Jalen Beeks have been sent down to Durham. Garrett Cleavinger is out for the season. Pete Fairbanks is great, but he cannot pitch in cold weather. Kevin Cash needs a flame-thrower or two who can get strikeouts with ease. This will be an emphasis before the trade deadline. Grade: D-
There's still plenty of baseball left to play, and players with lower grades can earn their way to a higher letter — and vice versa for those with good grades.
Tampa Bay's next game to begin the second part of the season is scheduled at 9:40 p.m. Tuesday on the road against Arizona.