Tampa Bay Rays: 5 Things That Need to Happen To Recreate the Magic of '08

2008 was truly a magical season for the Tampa Bay Rays. After taking the entire baseball world by surprise by beating out the Yankees and Red Sox for the AL East Title, the Rays knocked Boston out of the playoffs to advance to their first ever World Series. The Rays followed up the best season in franchise history with the second best season in team history in 2009. Normally 84 wins would have signaled a party in Tampa Bay, however in 2009 it was a major disappointment.

The team got off to a slow start, then crumbled down the stretch with essentially the same players who had carried them to the title the year before. In 2009, the Rays offense scored with the best of them, but the pitching did not play up to its ‘08 level, especially the bullpen.

In addition, that magic seemed to have lost its luster. The timely hits didn’t come. There were times that everything that could have gone wrong, did go wrong. Not to mention how the team was brought down on more than one occasion by an atrocious MLB decision to make them wear red hats on certain holidays.

The 2010 Rays feature many of the same players that brought home an AL title in 08, as well as an infusion of talent from the team’s highly touted minor league system. Today we’ll look at what needs to happen for this year’s Rays to once again bounce one of the big money teams and get into the postseason.

1. The Solidification of the Bullpen

On paper, this is the weakest link. The Rays simply can’t have the same shaky bullpen play they got in 2009. All the talk is about the acquisition of closer Rafael Soriano, and he is a very important piece. He gives the Rays a true closer that can come in and bring the heat for the final three outs.

While Soriano is a key acquisition, the overall success of the bullpen is going to hinge on four or five guys stepping up. What makes the Soriano acquisition more relevant is the fact that it allows J.P. Howell to move back to his “ace of the bullpen” role. Howell will be freed up to do his thing, getting the toughest outs in the 7th and 8th innings.

Unfortunately Howell’s health is a real issue right now and he will miss the first month of the season if not more. This hurts the Rays more than many realize and could be potentially crippling for a team looking to get off to a hot start. The bullpen is one area where the Rays cannot afford to deal with injuries.

To succeed in 2010 the Rays will need Soriano and Howell to stay healthy and be the two key components. After that, they’ll need another steady season from Dan Wheeler, a rebound year from Grant Balfour (who appears to be out of gas), something out of Lance Cormier or Randy Choate, and some serviceable innings from the final two bullpen spots. One of those spots will feature former starter Andy Sonnanstine, while the last spot will likely go to Joaquin Benoit, Mike Ekstrom, or Dale Thayer.

If someone outside of Soriano, Howell and Wheeler can make a significant impact, it would go a long way for the Rays in 2010.

2. A Breakout Year From B.J. Upton

For years reporters have been gushing over B.J. Upton’s potential. He’s shown flashes of greatness, but to this point has been very inconsistent. When Upton is locked in, the Rays lineup becomes extraordinarily tough. Last June when Upton was AL player of the month, the Rays went 19-7 and propelled themselves back into the AL East race. He also ended the season strong, hitting for the cycle against the Yankees in the last month.

Upton has been bothered by some nagging injuries in the past two years, including playing through a torn labrum in the playoffs and missing the entire 2009 spring. Now with a full spring training behind him, and appearing to be injury free for the first time since early 2008, look for Upton to get some of that power back that allowed him to hit 20 home runs in 2007 and blast seven shots in the ‘08 playoffs.

Watching him this spring he’s shown good opposite field power and the ability to wait for his pitch to drive. He’ll also be freed up by not having to change his approach like he did last year when the Rays batted him leadoff for the first half of the season. He spent the offseason working with new Rays hitting coach Derek Shelton and appears confident heading into 2010.

3. James Shields or Matt Garza Stepping Up as a Legitimate Ace

These two, especially Shields, experienced a bit of a drop-off in 2009. At 28 and 26 these guys are the veterans of the rotation and it will be on their shoulders to set the tone for the rest of the staff.

After earning the nickname “Big Game James” while posting a 3.56 ERA in 2008, Shields’ ERA sprung all the way up to 4.14 in 2009. He still pitched deep into games for the Rays, but was often roughed up a bit in the early going.

Garza is the guy known for having the best stuff of anyone in the rotation. He’s also known for being the one who lets his emotions get the best of him on the field and losing focus. Although his ERA was also up from ‘08, overall he was very impressive for most of 2009, striking out 8.4 batters per nine innings.

Shields and Garza were relied on heavily during the 2008 playoff run, which some believe may have led to fatigue going into ‘09. This spring, manager Joe Maddon has limited their innings to ensure healthy arms heading into the season. If Garza can continue to put it all together and Shields can consistently throw like an ace, this team will be tough to beat.

4. The Development of David Price and Wade Davis

Price is a guy who could take this team to the next level. It was an up and down season for the former No. 1 overall pick and he finished 2009 with the mediocre line of 10-7 with a 4.42 ERA. He also showed an inability to go deep in games, as he struggled with high pitch counts by the fifth inning.

As his secondary pitches developed he began to look better deeper into the season, which Rays fans hope is a sign of things to come. He, like Upton on the offensive side, has had people gushing over his potential for years. It’s placed some lofty expectations on the youngster, but he’s a guy who will need to pitch well for this team to advance.

Wade Davis was dominant in a couple of his late season starts and the Rays have decided to go with the 23 year old as their fifth starter. He’s been bothered by some arm fatigue this spring, but the talent is there for him to be a rookie of the year candidate and an anchor at the back end of this rotation.

And don’t forget about the dark horse of this staff. Jeff Niemann quietly led the team in wins and ERA in his rookie campaign and has looked very sharp in spring starts.

5. The Intangibles: Clutch, Leadership, Consistency

The 2008 Rays seemed to always come through when the game was on the line. That team went 29-18 in one-run games, to go with 10 extra inning wins and 12 walk-off victories. The team played like it had nothing to lose, and it showed in those clutch situations. In 2009 the record in one-run games fell to 20-25 and the team often buckled under the pressure.

While it’s difficult to dissect all of the reasons for clutch performances, it’s one of those things that has a tendency to balance itself out. Last season it was the Yankees getting all of the walk-off wins, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a drop-off on their end.

The Rays also missed the veteran leadership of Cliff Floyd and Jonny Gomes, as ’09 signings Pat Burrell and Gabe Kapler didn’t pan out on the field or in the clubhouse. Carlos Pena is the vocal leader of this team now, but some other veteran presence or some of the young guys coming into their own could help this team play more consistently.

They’ve shown the ability to “play up” for big games against the Yankees and Red Sox, but that intensity needs to be there throughout the long, grueling schedule. Last season, the Rays had losing records against the AL Central and West. That consistency against teams in the lower tier of the AL needs to be there in 2010.

The Rays need to get back that winning atmosphere they had in 2008, when they went into every game expecting to win. They’ve taken a step in that direction already, as they currently hold the best spring training record in the Grapefruit League, a feat also accomplished by the ‘08 team.