The Rays' Complementary Pieces Have Stepped Up This Month

Even With Key Players Slumping, the Rays Keep Winning

The Tampa Bay Rays moved to 64-44 yesterday after defeating the Texas Rangers 3-2, now 20 games over .500 and 3.5 games up on the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. A huge reason for their success has been the contributions from almost every player on the roster and the depth they possess, even with some unfortunate injuries.

On the pitching side, Nick Martinez, Drew Rasmussen, Shane McClanahan, and Griffin Jax, who has transitioned into the rotation, all have sub-3.30 ERAs. When those four hand it over to the bullpen, they are giving it to guys like Garrett Cleavinger, who has a 3.52 xERA over 32.2 innings, Bryan Baker, who collected his 30th save yesterday, and Kevin Kelly, who has a 2.17 ERA and a GB% north of 60% on the season, among others.

The offense is anchored by Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz, and Jonathan Aranda, and when all three are locked in, they are arguably the best trio in baseball. The complementary pieces may not be as plentiful as those on the pitching staff, but several players have stepped up in a big way both over the last month and throughout the season.