5 reasons the Tampa Bay Rays could be a sleeper in the Wild Card race
Unexpected contributions on offense
Even with all the pitching injuries, the question for the Rays this season was always if they would be able to score enough runs to remain competitive. Tampa Bay has only been so-so offensively with a 99 wRC+, seventh in the A.L., but that has been enough to support the team’s other strengths.
Jaso’s return has been a huge part of that, but the Rays have been fueled by career seasons from a couple of surprising players. Other than Archer, Forsythe has arguably been the biggest key to Tampa Bay’s turnaround from a season ago.
Forsythe is posting a 133 wRC+ to date, by far the best mark of his career. For whatever reason, something has allowed Forsythe to hit for more power this season, as his 44 extra-base hits are more than double his previous career high.
Brandon Guyer has also helped matters by posting a 125 wRC+, a 19 point increase from a year ago. Cabrera has had a nice bounce-back season, while rookie Steven Souza was providing an upgrade over Wil Myers before going down with a hand injury.
All of that has put the Rays in contention, but they may need more to actually make the postseason. A hot streak from Longoria, in the midst of one of his worst seasons, could go a long way towards making that happen.