We are not far removed from the Tampa Bay Rays finishing a season with 99 wins, laying claim to the top Wild Card berth in the American League. We are also not far removed from the Rays making it to the World Series before falling to the daunting Los Angeles Dodgers.
Now, in 2025, things are different. The team has a different plan than it did then, though it is in line with what it has been for the last two decades: Lose, rebuild, win as much as possible, repeat.
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While they may be closer to the “win as much as possible” stage than the “lose” or “rebuild” stages, it will more than likely not be enough to get back to the postseason this year. The Rays currently hold a 14-15 record, and while they are third in the American League East, on paper, they do not have enough talent necessary to actually compete with the rest of the division.
What they can do, however, is be pesky. And how they have been exactly that to this point in 2025. From stealing bags with their legs and stealing hits with their gloves, the Rays are capable of doing just enough to play spoiler for the rest of the division.
At the plate, there is not much to write home about. The team has combined to post a .707 OPS entering play Wednesday, good enough for 15th in MLB. On the basepaths, however, they rank sixth in MLB with their 33 steals and third in the American League. They have also only been thrown out six times, tied for the second fewest in MLB among teams that have swiped 20 or more bags.
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On the pitching side of things, it is about what one would expect. The Rays are one of the preeminent pitching factories in MLB today, and they have performed that way in the early goings of the year. As a whole, they rank seventh in MLB with a 3.44 ERA, the rotation ranks 11th with a 3.69 ERA, and the bullpen ranks fifth with a 3.02 ERA.
Did I mention they swept the San Diego Padres?
It’s a long season and anything can happen over 162 games. On paper, while this Tampa Bay squad may not be good enough to contend, it can make contending harder for others in the division.
Sometimes, that is all you can ask for.