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Inside The Rays

3 Rays Players Who Need To Improve Production in June

There are several Tampa Bay Rays players who need to turn things around on the field in June.
Kenneth Teape|
May 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Tampa Bay Rays pinch hitter Richie Palacios (1) celebrates the win with center fielder Cedric Mullins (31) against the Toronto Blue Jays at the end of the tenth inning at Rogers Centre.
May 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Tampa Bay Rays pinch hitter Richie Palacios (1) celebrates the win with center fielder Cedric Mullins (31) against the Toronto Blue Jays at the end of the tenth inning at Rogers Centre. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

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Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays have been one of the most pleasant surprises in the MLB, sitting atop the American League East as the calendar flipped to June.

To remain there, ahead of the New York Yankees, the team will have to continue playing at a very high level. They have hit a little bit of a rough patch the last week-plus, but the talent is certainly there for the Rays to continue winning.

To get back on track and play at a high level, it would be nice to see some of their expected key contributors rise to the occasion. Who has been underperforming through the first two months and needs to turn things around?

Here are three players Tampa Bay needs to see improved production from in June.

Steven Matz

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Steven Matz (32) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers.
Jun 2, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Steven Matz (32) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Tropicana Field. | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

The season started off incredibly well for the veteran free agent addition. Steven Matz was throwing well, but ended up on the injured list and missed nearly three weeks.

He was good in his return, pitching four innings and allowing only one run. But, he has not looked the same since. In his second start, the Baltimore Orioles hit him hard, as he allowed six runs in three innings.

Things got even worse in his latest start against the Detroit Tigers. In an 8-0 loss, the veteran lefty gave up five runs in 1.2 innings pitched. The Rays need more than that from their back-of-the-rotation starter. 

Cedric Mullins

Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Cedric Mullins (31) bats in the second inning against the Minnesota Twins.
Apr 25, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Cedric Mullins (31) bats in the second inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field. | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Things have not gone well for Cedric Mullins, who signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay in free agency this past offseason. He was expected to help solidify an outfield group that wasn’t very productive in 2025, but that has not been the case.

Thus far in 2026, he has been the least productive outfielder on the team. He has a .184/.267/.270 slash line, making him the only regular in the lineup who isn’t hitting at least .200. It is fair to wonder how much longer he will be a starter if his production doesn’t start improving.

Garrett Cleavinger

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Garrett Cleavinger (60) pitches in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles.
May 26, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Garrett Cleavinger (60) pitches in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Coming into the year, Garrett Cleavinger was expected to be a main piece of the late-game puzzle for manager Kevin Cash. An early-season injury looked to knock him out of rhythm a little bit, as he missed the entire month of April.

There have been some rocky moments since his return, giving up a run in four out of his first eight outings off the injured list. He has tossed two scoreless outings in a row, totaling three innings, so hopefully he is turning things around.

With Griffin Jax now in the starting rotation, Cleavinger is going to be counted on to bridge the gap to Bryan Baker.

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Kenneth Teape
KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. Previously, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.

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