For Rays, a return to bunting has made for a whole new ballgame

MINNEAPOLIS — When it comes to their offensive style of play this season, the Rays have come a ways from recent years.

A good 8 to 10 feet anyway.

A team that used to rarely bunt has now been dropping them down somewhat regularly — and with considerable success.

Manager Kevin Cash insists it was not a shift in philosophy — organizational or personal — as much as a change in personnel combined with a priority to boost the offensive production.

“I think it’s more a credit to the players to be able to do it, be good at it, and kind of embrace doing everything we can, like we talk about, to score runs,” Cash said.

That last part is important, because the Rays aren’t necessarily into the old-school sacrifice bunting of giving up an out to just move a runner from first to second. They are more likely to do it when it can lead directly to a run, or at least greatly improve their chances to extend a rally. And, sometimes, to try to get something going with a bunt hit.

Through Wednesday’s games, only three teams had tried more bunts than the Rays’ 33. Only one team had as many bunt hits as the Rays’ 14. And no was close to their seven RBIs off squeeze bunts. (In contrast, the Rays have only eight sacrifice bunts, and 12 teams have more.)

The Rays’ Chandler Simpson lays down a sacrifice bunt during the second inning of a May 27 game against the Twins. [ JASON BEHNKEN | AP ]

The bunting Rays?

“Well, we are now, I can tell you that,” infielder/outfielder Jose Caballero said after squeezing in a run Monday. “It’s part of our game now. We have so many guys that do little things and we can run the bases well. So it makes sense for us as a team to continue to do that.”

Other teams have become aware of the Rays’ new stratagem, but haven’t been able to do much about it. Before last week’s series in Kansas City, the subject came up in friendly pregame chatter between Cash and staff and Royals manager Matt Quatraro and bench coach Paul Hoover, who are former Rays coaches.

“They were prepared for it, because it’s on video now, and guys know we’re doing it,” Rays hitting coach Chad Mottola said. “The fact that we’re still doing it and executing it and getting the job done is a compliment to the players.”

Certainly in the June 25 game. That’s when the Rays scored all three runs in a second-inning rally in which only one ball actually cleared the infield, and Cash called for — and got — two squeeze bunts. One by Caballero, who is one of their frequent bunters (and has a team-high four bunt hits), and the other by catcher Danny Jansen, who is not.

The short version of the background to the bunting blitz is that after their dismal 2024 offensive performance, the Rays realized they had to be willing to consider any and all ways to improve. Notably in situations with runners in scoring position and specifically getting runners in from third.

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“It’s something that can provide a heck of a lot of incentive to try some new things,” baseball operations president Erik Neander said. “It leaves the doors wide open to try just about anything you’d like to try as we prepare for the season. And give (Cash and staff) credit for running through those doors and being open-minded to doing some things differently in camp, and for our players to follow suit and buy in.”

The Rays’ Taylor Walls bunts during the ninth inning of an April 8 game against the Angels. The Rays have opted for the bunt 33 times this season. [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]

There was increased focus on situational play during spring games, restructuring of some drills and more emphasis on bunting as a weapon.

Between players they expected to be on the team, such as Caballero and Taylor Walls, and a few starting in the minors who could help at some point, such as Jake Mangum and Chandler Simpson, the Rays figured they had an opportunity to take advantage of their speed by bunting more, and they got to work on it. That carried over to the regular season and eventually into Cash’s playbook.

It wasn’t going to be like during the Joe Maddon days, when they pretty much bunted anytime they had runners on first and third, a play from the wizardry of Don Zimmer.

But the Rays were going to talk about it, they were going to do regular drills (that have continued into the season) on it, and, with the proper personnel, were going to be better at it.

“We attempted it in the past years, and whether it was a foul ball, or it was popped up, or led to a strikeout, we didn’t get the job done. There’s no sugar coating it,” Mottola said. “Now guys have embraced playing baseball more, and bunting is part of baseball. And throughout our lineup, we have guys that have the ability to do it. …

“So it’s one of these things that when you’re executing it right, it’s easier to call again.”

Though Cash says it’s all about the players, Neander said he deserves some credit.

“There’s parts of Cash — who he is, his love for the game, his energy — that are as consistent as can be. But when it comes to getting the most out of our players, he’s highly adaptable,” Neander said.

“Cash has never been one that has been anti-bunt, but you have to have confidence that the person can get them down. And I think you look at our personnel and the group we have this year, we’re equipped with a few more guys that are capable of doing it. And I think once you see some of them have that success, it’s a little more motivating for some others to kind of want to join in and partake in the small-ball activity. So I think some of that’s what’s going on.”

Rays manager Kevin Cash disputes a call with first base umpire Bruce Dreckman, after Josh Lowe bunted against the Orioles in a June 16 game. [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]

The overall team speed and the proficiency at small ball has added a new dimension to the Rays offense, which also still can be a power show, as they have four players in double digits in homers. Plus, there’s a tangential benefit to all hitters as teams fearing the bunt start changing how they position fielders and sequence their pitches.

And as long as the Rays keep getting bunts down and runners in, Neander said, it makes sense for Cash to keep calling for it, and players to embrace doing so.

Some of the veteran players, however, still find some surprise in Cash’s willingness to use, and even like, the bunt.

“I don’t know if that’s in his vocabulary to ‘like’ bunting,” eight-year veteran Brandon Lowe said. “I think it’s just how he adapts as a manager.

“There have been teams where we’ve been reliant on one facet of the game, where nobody on the team bunted. Because, to be fair, I don’t know if anybody on that team could have bunted. So it’s just him understanding that these guys can bunt and get the job done. … and let’s see if we can use it a little bit more often. It’s definitely started some chaos on the field a few times. And it’s been pretty fun to watch.”

Yandy Diaz, a Ray since 2019, had a similar take.

“Since I’ve been here, I thought he didn’t like the bunt and bunting the ball,” said Diaz via team interpreter Eddie Rodriguez. “But from what I’ve seen this year, he’s liking it, and it’s been getting the results he wants.”

Walls said he got the sense the disinterest in bunting was more an organizational thing, perhaps tied to the analytic anathema against giving up outs.

“I know they never used to do it. They used to tell you not to do it,” Wall said. “But I’ve kind of seen, I don’t know if it’s a change in philosophy, but just kind of the implementation of it throughout the past couple years.

“The conversation picked up from two years ago to last year. And this is the year I feel like it’s actually, ‘You know what? Screw it. It’s going to help us win ballgames.’ They probably have some numbers run that statistically the chances of us getting that run across are much better if we do it versus if we don’t.”

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