Fresh faces, new rules: What to watch at Rays camp
This story was excerpted from Adam Berry’s Rays Beat e-newsletter. To learn the total e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it usually in your inbox.
TAMPA, Fla. — First, a programming observe: This might be the final time you’ll see my byline for a couple of month. For good motive! My spouse and I welcomed our first baby final weekend, a wholesome child woman. Getting to spend the following 4 weeks collectively at residence has us much more excited than we’re drained — and we’re (very) drained.
MLB.com will nonetheless have each day protection from Rays camp, with my good friend and former Spring Training roommate Joe Trezza taking the primary leg at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complicated as pitchers and catchers report within the coming days.
I’m thrilled about all of the household time this subsequent month will convey. After that, listed below are the highest three storylines I’m wanting ahead to catching up on and following after I report again to Tropicana Field:
1. How is the lineup coming collectively?
Don’t get me mistaken: I’m clearly intrigued by the Rays’ probably dominant rotation and deep bullpen, in addition to the crew’s run-prevention basis, and need to see each in motion. But good pitchers wanting good in camp could be extra “dog bites man” than a storyline, whereas this broad query accounts for a number of extra particular ones.
• Will the Rays make any strikes earlier than Opening Day? Last spring, they acquired Harold Ramírez and swapped Austin Meadows for Isaac Paredes. There are nonetheless free brokers obtainable and potential trades to think about. Tampa Bay may create some 40-man roster flexibility for additions early in camp by shifting gamers with long-term accidents to the 60-day IL.
• Should we imagine within the bounce-back/breakthrough candidates the Rays are relying on? It’d be enormous if Josh Lowe might be almost as productive within the Majors as he has been in Triple-A. Or if Jonathan Aranda does the identical. Or if Taylor Walls combines his Minor League on-base skill together with his spectacular infield glove. Or if Jose Siri extra persistently interprets his ridiculous athleticism into offensive manufacturing. You get the purpose. We’ll get to see how they give the impression of being this spring.
2. Changing methods for altering guidelines?
MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince answered questions about MLB’s rule adjustments for the 2023 season. They shall be in impact for all of Spring Training, giving groups time to regulate in sport settings earlier than all of it turns into actual on Opening Day.
The pitch timer ought to actually decide up the tempo of play. The accompanying rule limiting pitchers’ “disengagements” also needs to have an fascinating impression on the operating sport, particularly together with the incremental good points that include bigger bases. Could Arozarena steal 40? (He’ll definitely attempt.) What does it imply for the worth of speedsters like, say, Siri or Vidal Bruján? And how vital would possibly Christian Bethancourt’s arm behind the plate be?
The Rays basically pioneered the trendy use of defensive shifts greater than a decade in the past, however they really used heavy shifts lower than common final 12 months and in 2020 and had been center of the pack in ’21.
Still, the brand new limitations — the defensive crew should have a minimal of 4 gamers on the infield, with a minimum of two infielders utterly on both aspect of second base — will have an effect on a few of their hitters, notably Brandon Lowe and the lefty-hitting aspect of Francisco Mejía. It ought to underscore the significance of rangy infielders like Walls, too.
It shall be fascinating to see if anybody employs extra daring methods in pursuit of latest benefits underneath these guidelines. A famously progressive crew just like the Rays, maybe?
The Rays once more have a deep farm system each when it comes to expertise and the way it’s distributed from Triple-A to the complicated leagues. That has made it enjoyable to place collectively their Top 30 Prospects checklist for MLB Pipeline, nevertheless it’s extra enjoyable to see these prospects work towards the massive leagues.
There shall be a gaggle of them almost prepared for the Majors in large league camp, headlined by infielder Curtis Mead, starter Taj Bradley and rehabbing reliever Colby White. It wouldn’t be a shock if all three contribute within the Majors sooner or later this summer season.
And it’ll be exhausting to disregard the possibly fast-rising duo of first baseman Kyle Manzardo and starter Mason Montgomery, the membership’s reigning Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year. Reliever Evan Reifert additionally confirmed large league bullpen-type stuff throughout an absurdly dominant Arizona Fall League run. How distant would possibly they be?
