2024 season: Eliminated on Sept. 25, 4th in AL East
Let’s take a look at the season that was for the 2024 Tampa Bay Rays, the questions the team must address this winter and the early outlook for 2025.
Read more: 2024 MLB offseason previews: What’s next for the White Sox, Reds, Rangers and more?
Things that went right
There were few significant positives during a season in which the Rays snapped their five-year postseason streak.
Tampa Bay has long been known for its pitching success, and after struggling in that area in the first half of 2024, the Rays ranked among the league leaders in ERA after the All-Star break. Shane Baz and Jeffrey Springs returned in July from their respective Tommy John surgeries, and they joined Ryan Pepiot, Taj Bradley and Zack Littell to create an effective rotation. Edwin Uceta was a dominant force in a relief corps that featured several successful hurlers.
After struggling in a brief cameo last year, coveted prospect Junior Caminero made his 2024 debut on Aug. 13. Caminero didn’t set the league on fire, but the 21-year-old held his own and took valuable steps toward eventually being a centerpiece in a low-scoring lineup that desperately needs one.
Things that went wrong
After ranking fourth in baseball in runs scored last year, the Rays were among the lowest-scoring teams in the league in 2024.
Josh Lowe’s strikeout rate ballooned, and in turn, his on-base percentage dropped. His struggles were mainly isolated to the first half of the season, when he dealt with an oblique injury and posted a .652 OPS across 44 games. Yandy Díaz experienced an even larger decline than Lowe, as both his on-base rate and his power numbers took significant tumbles. Christopher Morel was acquired at the trade deadline in the Isaac Paredes deal, but instead of sparking the lineup, Morel struck out often and made the problems worse.
Offseason plans
The Rays have plenty of pitching. Similar to Springs and Baz, Drew Rasmussen has returned from elbow surgery and will be ready to contend for a rotation spot in spring training. Shane McClanahan will hopefully be ready to resume his role as the staff ace by Opening Day, as he returns from his 2023 Tommy John procedure. Add in Pepiot, Bradley and Littell, and the Rays have more appealing rotation options than most organizations. The bullpen is in a similarly good spot, as key relievers…