Inside The Rays

Rays Sit Atop Unflattering Rankings Ahead of Weekend Series in San Francisco

The Tampa Bay Rays have been playing better baseball as of late, but their improvements are overshadowed by a harsh reality.
Don Strouble|
Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash (16) prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash (16) prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

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Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays are headlining the wrong kind of list.

Heading into Friday’s slate of games and Tampa Bay’s series opener against the San Francisco Giants, the Rays hold the worst MLB record (based on a team’s winning percentage) since July 4 at 10-25 (.286), according to StatsCentre. (These records are complete through Wednesday games.

The Rays’ struggles are a dramatic departure from an MLB-best 25-9 run they constructed from May 20 to June 26. 

Tampa Bay’s success has since been flipped on its head, as a team once looking primed for a playoff push is now struggling to keep its head above water, sitting at 59-63 and eighth in the American League wild card standings.

Since June 26, the Rays have played 13 series, only winning three. They have not swept an opponent since the Kansas City Royals (June 24-26). Before Wednesday night’s win over the A’s, Tampa Bay held a 4-15 record in its last 19 road games and a 6-20 record on the road since June 29, the worst mark in the majors during that span.

With all the doom and gloom, there is cause for optimism.

The Rays’ upcoming three-game set against the Giants (59-62) concludes a 12-game West Coast road trip. Tampa Bay has already taken two of its first three series on the trip entering Friday. Securing the series against San Francisco could boost its position in the standings and hint at a return to consistent winning. 

The Rays need to leapfrog four clubs (Cleveland Guardians, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Angels) to even get within reach of the New York Yankees (64-57) for the third wild card spot, but they only sit a half-game behind the Angels (59-62) and 1.5 games behind the Royals (60-61). 

Kansas City begins a three-game set against the Chicago White Sox on Friday, and the Angels open a three-game series against the A’s. With thin margins, losses by both the Royals and Angels this weekend could change the dynamic if the Rays can secure some victories in the Bay Area before returning home for a crucial pair of games against the Yankees (Aug. 19-20).

Tampa Bay opens its series against the Giants on Friday at 10:15 p.m. ET. Rays right-hander Joe Boyle (1-2, 3.82 ERA) will face Landen Roupp (7-6, 3.11 ERA).

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Don Strouble
DON STROUBLE

Don Strouble is a sports journalist who covers Tampa Bay Rays baseball and other sports for the ‘’On SI’’ network. He is a Northeast Ohio native and currently lives in Orlando, Fla.

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