Staying Healthy Was Key for Rays Slugger To Have Successful Campaign in 2025

Which Tampa Bay Rays slugger was finally able to stay and have a great year in 2025?

Sep 26, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) in the dugout during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays were hoping to be playing some playoff baseball in 2025, especially considering the start that they got off to. However, the American League East proved to be one of the best divisions in baseball with three teams making the postseason. 

It was a bit of a surprise to see the success for the Toronto Blue Jays this year. Now, this appears to be a division that is going to be extremely competitive for quite some time. For the Rays, they were a very competitive team despite finishing under .500 in 2025. Now, the team will be focused on trying to find ways to improve to get back into contention in 2026. 

Despite the losing record, there were a lot of positives for the team last season. Tampa Bay saw a number of young players get better and prove that they can be fixtures for the team moving forward. At the corners, the Rays seem set for years to come with Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero each having breakout campaigns. While it was essential to see the youngsters get better, the team also had a veteran slugger put together an All-Star campaign at second base. 

Rays Had Star At Second Base in 2025

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

When healthy, Brandon Lowe proved this season that he can be one of the best offensive second basemen in all of baseball. In 2025, he slashed .256/.307/.477 with 31 home runs and 83 RBI. It was a fantastic campaign for the 31-year-old, and it was the first time since 2021 that he played over 110 games. 

While Lowe was named to his second All-Star team of his career, his future with the team does seem to be a little bit uncertain. Entering what will be the final year of his contract in 2026, the slugger is going to be a player mentioned quite frequently in trade talks. 

There aren’t too many second basemen that can do what he does at the plate, and the team will have to make a tough call. Tampa Bay very rarely lets players walk in free agency without getting something in return, but Lowe is a key piece of the offense. 

This offseason will undoubtedly be an interesting one for both the Rays and Lowe. They are certainly a better team if he is on the roster, but they can’t deny that moving him would generate a strong return this winter. However, there is no denying the fantastic campaign that he had for the franchise in 2024.