Rays Need To Improve in Key Area If They Want To Be a Contender

The Tampa Bay Rays need to be better in a key area if they want to contend.

Apr 7, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Ben Williamson (15) misplays the throw as Chicago Cubs centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) slides into second base in the third inning at Tropicana Field. | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays suffered another loss on Wednesday to the Chicago Cubs and have now fallen to 5-7 on the young season. With three series losses so far, it is fair to be a bit concerned about the team. 

Coming into the year, the Rays were a team that was hoping to be a contender in the American League East following a busy offseason of moves. Like usual, Tampa Bay was active in trying to get the most out of their roster, while being mindful of payroll and the future. 

It is not easy to balance a team like the Rays try to do, and they have missed the playoffs the last two years. To start the season, there have been some positives and negatives so far, but with a losing record, the negatives have outweighed the positives. 

So far, the bullpen has taken a lot of heat for their struggles and rightfully so. This was a unit that was supposed to be a strength of the team. Unfortunately, injuries to a couple of key pitchers have made an impact, but others have not lived up to expectations either. 

While the bullpen has undoubtedly had some struggles, another area that hasn’t been good for the team is their defense. With another three errors in the loss on Wednesday, Tampa Bay is now leading the league in that category with 17 in 12 games. 

Far Too Many Mistakes

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The number of errors that the team has committed so far in 2026 is an astonishing amount. With over one error per game, the Rays are lucky to have as many wins as they do. The next two closest teams in terms of errors made are the Boston Red Sox and the Washington Nationals, at 12. 

So far, nine different players have committed an error this year, with four players committing multiple. Of the players on the team who have had the most trouble, Junior Caminero is unfortunately leading the way. The star third baseman for the Rays has six errors already, and at an important position like third base, that is not ideal. 

Going forward, being better defensively is something that the Rays have to work on. Getting Taylor Walls back and healthy at shortstop should help, but there is reason to be concerned about Caminero’s ability at third base. While he is a dynamic young star, he has made too many mistakes in the field.