ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays reached the midway point of their season on Sunday afternoon in a good place.
And no, we don’t mean that in the literal sense about Tropicana Field, although they are 31-12 inside their home dome this season.
They were in a good place in the standings, too. The Rays finished the weekend with an American League-best 48-33 (.593) record, a game ahead of the Yankees (48-35, .578) for first place in the AL East. They matched the 2010 club for the third-best 81-game start in franchise history, behind only the '23 (54 wins) and ‘08 (49) teams.
As important as any of that? They’re back in a place where they can feel good about the way they’re playing. That wasn’t always the case as they went 9-17 during a monthlong skid that dropped them out of first place.
“It’s too bad there's an offday,” starter Drew Rasmussen said. “We talked about having a minor hiccup, and everyone's going to go through it, but I do think it's nice to see us right the ship and get heading in the right direction again.”
With 81 games down and 81 to go, let’s hand out three awards, evaluate three things that went right and examine three areas to watch the rest of the way.
FIRST-HALF AWARDS
Team MVP: We’ll go with Junior Caminero, though it’s a very close call over Yandy Díaz -- and team RBI leader Jonathan Aranda isn’t far behind. Caminero leads the team with 3.3 WAR, per Baseball-Reference, and has a team-high 22 home runs and 167 total bases. Díaz has been more consistent, leading the Majors with a .336 average while posting a .931 OPS.
Cy Young: We’ll pick Rasmussen in another extremely close call. Nick Martinez has been incredible in the clubhouse and on the mound, recording a 2.66 ERA (third-best in the AL) in 16 starts. But Rasmussen has been even more dominant, posting a 2.45 ERA (second-best in the AL) with an AL-leading 0.87 WHIP, 94 strikeouts and only 16 walks in 16 starts.
Top reliever: Kevin Kelly is back to being one of the most underappreciated relievers in baseball, but the answer is Bryan Baker, who has emerged as a lockdown closer with 21 saves, tied for second-most in the Majors. Baker deserves All-Star consideration, and his value to the group has been incalculable, with Edwin Uceta still injured and Griffin Jax now a starter.
WHAT WENT RIGHT
The Big Three: Entering Monday, there were four qualified AL hitters batting at least .285 with an OPS better than .850. One was Houston's Yordan Alvarez, and the other three were Rays. It is almost impossible to overstate how good Díaz, Aranda and Caminero have been, particularly when lined up one after the other.
The starting staff: Did you know the Rays lead the AL with a 3.29 starters’ ERA? Only the Brewers (3.16) and Dodgers (3.26) have been more effective. Rasmussen and Martinez have been brilliant. Shane McClanahan had a tough June, but he was so great in May that his overall numbers are still strong. Jax has made a terrific transition into the rotation.
The hot stretch: The Rays’ 22-4 run from April 22-May 20 pushed them into first place and gave them the Majors’ best record for a time. It gave them confidence, too, validating their belief they could outperform expectations. More importantly, it gave them margin for error. Because of the wins they banked, their subsequent skid didn’t derail their season.
WHAT TO WATCH
Bringing in bats? The Rays have gotten by with their Big Three and an offense that strikes out less often than any other, but it’s clear they could use another threat to lengthen the lineup. Aside from Díaz, Aranda and Caminero, the Rays have just one hitter with an above-average OPS+: Ryan Vilade, at 118. (Jonny DeLuca is right at 100.) Rehabbing left-handed hitters Jake Fraley and Gavin Lux should help soon, and getting speedster Chandler Simpson back to his early-season form would go a long way here.
Pitching depth: Ryan Pepiot’s season-ending hip injury left the Rays without a key source of innings, and Steven Matz has been moved to the bullpen and banged up. So they’ve been using openers and bulk-inning arms to fill the last rotation spot, which is not ideal for the bullpen when they already have starters facing workload restrictions. Getting reliever Manuel Rodríguez and others back will help the ‘pen, but another starter feels like a priority at the Deadline.
Health matters: He says he’ll be fine, but even seeing Díaz leave Sunday with a nagging left shoulder strain was a reminder of how important it is to keep Tampa Bay’s stars aligned and on the field. The aforementioned depth issues make their top hitters, starters and relievers that much more important, especially if they’re playing in October.