Rays' Rotation Can Carry Tampa

Despite sitting in 4th place in the American League East with a 39-35 record, the Tampa Bay Rays' season is not over just yet.

They have scored the most runs in the AL, and have an expected Win-Loss record of 44-30. Their expected W-L (based on runs scored and runs against) would give them the best record in the AL.

This team is still stacked, and still improving. They are about as close as you can be to a complete offensive club. They hit, they run, and they hit for power.

The bullpen, an element that carried them at times last season, has obviously struggled at times. But suspect relievers like J.P. Howell and Dan Wheeler seem to be turning it around.

Lastly, the starting rotation has had it's ups and downs this season, but has shown the ability to be dominant. The Rays will need them to step it up in the season's second half. Let's take a look at who these guys are and what they're doing on the mound....

David Price

David Price has forced himself into the Rays' rotation early in his professional career. He burst onto the scene with his nasty playoff relief outings last season and has covered for the injured Scott Kazmir in '09.

The 23 year old can really bring it. He features his 94-96 MPH fastball and sharp slider, two pitches that translated quickly from college to the pro game.

He'll try and work the corners with his fastball, but he doesn't really need to. The pitch is tough to hit due to velocity alone.

Once ahead in the count, Price attempts to back-ankle his slider to righthanded batters, or get lefthanders to chase it off the plate.

Price uses a changeup as his distant third offering. It's a pitch he's supposedly been working on forever, but he still hasn't come close to mastering it.

David has had some bouts of wildness, which has led to walks and short appearances. Major League hitters are also getting more comforable at-bats knowing they don't have to worry about an off-speed pitch.

by 60ft6in.com fastball(92-97), slider(83-88), changeup(81-86)

Jeff Niemann

Niemann is a big man, and he throws hard. He looks a little awkward on the mound, possibly due to his large frame and overall lack of athletic ability.

Don't be mistaken though, this guy is throwing hard. He touches 95 MPH often, getting some decent arm side run on the fastball.

However, his secondary stuff can be lacking. Niemann throws a slider around 81 MPH that rounds out of his hand, giving hitters plenty of time to lay off. If Niemann could add some velocity to this pitch, giving it some late break, he could become a real force.

Jeff's curveball gets some decent 12-6 action, but it's fairly standard as far as curveballs come. It also doesn't differ enough from his slider at this point to be very effective.

Niemann's fourth pitch is his changeup, a pitch he throws with a modified split-finger grip.

Niemann was the fourth overall selection in the 2004 draft and will be given plenty of opportunity to succeed with Tampa. He certainly has the arm to compete in the major leagues if he can refine his repertoire.

by 60ft6in.com fastball(88-95), slider(80-84), curve(74-78), changeup(83-84)

Scott Kazmir

Kazmir's been Tampa's best pitcher over the last four years, consistently posting low ERAs and high strikeout totals. He shows good velocity from the left side and has been flat-out tough to hit.

On the other hand, Scott's had some control and durability issues. But the strikeout totals seemed to take care of the walks, and well. Since the Rays were always out of contention anyway, it didn't really matter if Scott was shutdown for a while.

2009 is a whole different story. First, Kazmir's velocity has dropped considerably. His fastball is sitting around 89 MPH, a very hittable speed. He also got DL'd due to a quad injury in a season where the Rays are trying to build on last year's success.

Kazmir's pre-2009 stuff included a fastball that flew anywhere between 91-96 MPH. Then he would rip off sliders that cut batters down around the mid-80s. He had also finally found decent command of a low-80s changeup that he used against righthanded batters.

Early 2009 saw Scott touching the low-90s with his fastball, while pitching in the upper-80s with it. The slider and changeup also dropped a few MPH to correlate with the fastball velocity.

Here's hoping that Kazmir finds his old arm while he's rehabbing his leg.

by 60ft6in.com fastball(88-92), slider(79-82), changeup(75-80)

Andy Sonnanstine

Andy Sonnanstine solidified himself as an important member of Tampa's rotation in 2008. He pitches with excellent command of the strike zone, walking very few batters which limits the damage done by all the basehits he allows.

His primary pitch is the cut fastball. He'll use it to both sides of the plate, front-dooring righties and jamming lefties; wherever he thinks it'll work.

After the cutter, Andy will mix in sinking 2-seamers. His velocity is weak, almost never reaching 90 MPH with either fastball pitch.

His five-pitch repertoire includes a standard version of a curveball, slider, and changeup. He'll mix in plenty of the breaking balls and show a few changeups per game.

Sonnanstine has been known to tinker with different arm angles as well, giving batters different looks at the same pitches.

Sonnanstine pitched collegiately at Kent State, where he led the MAC in innings pitched, strikeouts, and wins in 2004. At the Major League level, Sonnanstine's success will rely on how hard he allows himself to get hit.

by 60ft6in.com fastball(87-90), cutter(86-90), curveball(71-75), changeup(81-82), slider(78-82)

Matt Garza

Garza has the stuff to be one of the next great starting pitchers in baseball. He was a first-round draft pick out of Fresno State, and flew through Minnesota's minor league system, reaching the major leagues in just his second year of pro ball. Garza owns a great arm and has shown consistent improvement early on in his career.

With Garza, everything starts with his explosive fastball. He pitches in the low-90s, touching 95 MPH often. The fastball gets on hitters quickly and he seems to be able to maintain his velocity into the late innings of his starts.

His second pitch is a plus slider that drops off the table hard. It can get the movement of a curveball, but hold the velocity of a slider. Matt has worked to refine this pitch, giving it more cutting action at times.

Third, Garza uses a 12-6 curveball that can disrupt the timing of a batter expecting the slider.

Finishing the four-pitch repertoire is a straight changeup that seems to be improving every time I watch Garza pitch.

On the negative side, Garza struggles at times with his command and aggressiveness, walking weaker hitters that he should be pounding with fastballs.

by 60ft6in.com fastball(90-95), slider(84-88), curve(73-78), changeup(82-85)

James Shields

Currently the best and most consistent of Tampa's starting pitchers is James Shields, who is my ace of this staff. He's a California kid, drafted out of high school, that dramatically improved as he reached the higher levels of pro ball. He lowered his ERA and WHIP every year in the minor leagues from 2003 to 2006, while moving from A+ to AAA in the process. Now he stands as one of the most consistent and reliable starters in the Major Leagues.

Shields has a four-pitch repertoire, and uses it to perfection. His changeup is regarded as one of the best pitches in the game. He has good arm action on the pitch, fooling hitters while he sinks it under their bats.

To set up the change, James throws a moving low-90s fastball and a razorblade cutter that breaks bats. He also shows great command with these pitches, limiting his walks while also being tough to hit.

Shields' fourth pitch is a big curveball, something he can drop in for a strike and keep hitters guessing at what's coming next.

The negative on Shields is that maybe he throws too many hittable pitches. He seems to give up a lot of basehits at times and is slightly prone to giving up the longball. However, he's as close as you're going to come to finding a complete pitcher in baseball.

by 60ft6in.com fastball(90-94), changeup(80-85), cutter(87-91), curve(76-77)