Latest FanGraphs Projections Indicate This Area Will be Strength for Rays

What area is going to be the strength of the Tampa Bay Rays?

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

With the Tampa Bay Rays' offseason coming to a close soon, the team is starting to take shape for 2026. 

It has been an interesting and busy winter so far for the Rays. This is a team that has tried to balance being a contender in the coming year, while keeping an eye on the future as well. In the toughest division in baseball, finding that balance has become very hard for Tampa Bay in recent years, given the spending teams have been able to afford. 

So far this winter, every team in the AL East besides the Rays has made some big splashes in either free agency or the trade market. This division is once again shaping up to be one of the best in baseball, and three teams making the playoffs from it could be likely once again. 

Tampa Bay will be hoping to be one of those teams in 2026. While they aren’t capable of spending as much as others, they do have a good pitching staff that could be key to their being able to compete. In current fWAR projections from FanGraphs, Tampa Bay ranks 15th in the league, just behind the New York Mets. 

Pitching Projected to Be Strength

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

When looking at the potential strength of the Rays, the pitching staff and more specifically the starting rotation appear to be the bright spot. This is a unit that, despite trading Shane Baz, has a lot of talent and could dictate how well this team can do. With an fWAR currently of 15.6 as a unit, they are led by starter Shane McClanahan at 2.9. 

The talented southpaw is expected to be back and healthy for the team after missing the last two campaigns and could be a major boost for the unit. While it is a little hard to know what to expect from the talented left-hander, he could very well be the ace of the staff. 

Furthermore, behind him in the rotation are Drew Rasmussen and Ryan Pepiot, who are both expected to have fWAR’s over 2.0. While the top three of the rotation look strong, it will likely be Griffin Jax leading the way for the team out of the bullpen. Following the decision to let Pete Fairbanks go to free agency, it will be Jax taking over as the top option. 

Overall, while it is fair to have some concerns about what this team will be able to do offensively, the pitching staff looks strong. If this unit can perform up to expectations, the team might be able to hang around in the AL East.