Three Rays Players Who Could Be X-Factors in September
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The Tampa Bay Rays are entering September in a great spot in the American League standings.
They have the best record in the league at 82-55, leading the New York Yankees by 4.5 games in the AL East. If the Rays win one more game against their division rivals this season, they will own the tiebreaker over them as well.
Marching toward home-field advantage in the MLB postseason, there is still work for Tampa Bay to do. For them to achieve that goal, they need to keep playing at a high level, and these three players will be x-factors down the stretch in September.
3. Junior Caminero
The best player on the Rays roster, third baseman Junior Caminero has emerged as one of the best players in the MLB. He is regarded as the No. 1-ranked 22-year-old in baseball, and with good reason.
A feared slugger, he has taken his performance to another level with improvements at the plate. He is more selective, increasing his walks and decreasing strikeouts. His power numbers remain in line with his breakout 2025 campaign, anchoring this lineup.
He is an x-factor down the stretch because he is in the MVP race in the AL. Will he be able to keep pace with Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals? Leading Tampa Bay to a division title and No. 1 seed would certainly help his case.
2. Chandler Simpson
Offensive consistency has been an issue at times for the Rays this season. But one of the key contributors has been Chandler Simpson, who is making an impact with an unorthodox approach at the plate.
His game is built entirely around speed, putting pressure on the opposing defense to make mistakes. It has translated in the second half of the season, where he has been incredible with a .379/.393/.418 slash line and tOPS+ of 131 and sOPS+ of 130.
There have been lulls this season where Simpson wasn’t as effective, which is why he is an X-factor down the stretch. It would be great to see him grow into being a leadoff hitter, setting the table for Caminero, Jonathan Aranda, Yandy Diaz and Liam Hicks. It is something manager Kevin Cash should experiment with over the final month.
1. Freddy Peralta
In need of starting pitching help ahead of the deadline, Tampa Bay took a shot on Freddy Peralta, acquiring him from the New York Mets. The start of his Rays tenure was not great, but he showed why the team acquired him in his latest start against the Detroit Tigers.
Peralta fired six shutout innings, looking as dominant as he has at any point this season. Is that a turning point for the veteran righty; has the coaching staff unlocked something to keep him performing like the front-end starter he is capable of being?
He is an X-factor because if the 2025 version of Peralta emerges, Tampa Bay has an argument as the best starting rotation not only in the AL but in the MLB with Drew Rasmussen, Nick Martinez, Shane McClanahan, Ian Seymour and Griffin Jax, when he is healthy.
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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.