Rays' Chandler Simpson Highlights Skill He's Trying to Improve

Which area of his game is Tampa Bay Rays' outfielder Chandler Simpson working on?

Sep 27, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson (14) slides into third base during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

With spring training underway for the Tampa Bay Rays, the team is working hard to improve and get ready for the regular season. With a young group overall, development and improvement will be key to their success. 

This winter, the Rays were a very aggressive and busy team following missing the playoffs the last two years. Tampa Bay made a few notable signings and also traded away a couple of key players. 

One area that they were focused on improving was their outfield. They signed both Cedric Mullins and Jake Fraley to help improve the unit offensively. Furthermore, in the Brandon Lowe trade, the top prize coming back was outfielder Jacob Melton. As expected, with so many new faces coming into the unit, others had to go. 

However, one player that they elected to hold on to in the outfield, they will be hoping to see some improvements from. Furthermore, the plan is likely for him to be part of their hopeful future success. 

Outfielder Chandler Simpson recently spoke with Adam Berry of MLB about working on his bunting ability to help improve himself as a player and provide more value to the team. 

“Definitely a tool that I really need in my toolbox. Not only to get hits, but move guys over, just contribute to the team, get some more wins,”

Getting On Base Key for Simpson

Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Chandler Simpson | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

It was a fairly strong rookie season for the young outfielder of the Rays in 2025. Simpson was able to make a positive impact on the team despite not playing a full season. He slashed .295/.326/.345 with 44 stolen bases in 109 games played. 

Obviously, the best part of his game is what he can do when he gets on base. Even though he was thrown out at a high clip as a rookie, he should improve in his selection of trying to steal bases in year two. 

With an elite ability on the basepaths, getting on base as much as possible will be key. Simpson, working on his ability to bunt, could put a tremendous amount of pressure on his defense with the speed that he has coming out of the box. 

Furthermore, if the Rays are going to be looking to play a bit more small ball, advancing runners for some of the top run producers in the lineup, like Junior Caminero, will be key. Overall, Simpson is going to be an exciting player to watch in 2026. Following a nice rookie season, it will be interesting to see what improvements are made.