Yikes. I have never been more confident about the strength of the Rays team before, but last night the Rays did not look their best.
Last night the Rays played an intrasquad simulation game (first one televised), light blue Rays against navy blue Rays. If you thought it was going to be a definite win for the Rays, think again, because the game ended in a tie 3-3.
Starting Pitching
Starting pitching (Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell) was a little rocky. In all fairness to Glasnow, I missed the top of the first because MLB.tv did not start broadcasting the game until the bottom of the first. But according to Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times Reporter), he threw 30 pitches for 3 strikeouts and 2 walks.
Then Snell followed up with 2 walks, 2 singles and 2 strikeouts. They called the inning after 2 outs.
Snell and Glasnow pitched 2 and 3 innings respectively and did not look as sharp as usual. Snell was visibly upset after coming off the mound in the 2nd, understandably, and after the game said it was a frustrating night.
This wasn’t how I pictured my first look at Snell and Glasnow, but Cash said this performance was an outlier in otherwise solid outings for the two.
Trevor Richards got to throw a little bit too, and his change-up looked good. After one inning, he started walking back to the wrong dugout, which I found amusing.
This Friday Charlie Morton takes the mound, and I am confident he will be able to perform to his best, as expected.
Bullpen
Last nights game was a great opportunity for fans to see prospects Shane Baz and Shane McClanahan pitch. They are both top pitching prospects in the organization and were fun to watch. Baz was included in the Archer trade with Glasnow and Meadows, and is expected to be a big addition to the major league club when he is ready. Hopefully we will get another chance to watch the two prospects throw soon.
Lefty Colin Poche is out for the 2020 season, which is a big blow to the pen. Thankfully the Rays have a history of adapting when needed so I’m sure they will able to get through this injury. Rays have a lot of depth, but it’s up to one of the lefty members of the bullpen to step up here and pick up where Poche left off.
Overall, pitching looked good and I’m confident Glasnow and Snell will look better on game day. (Or at least hoping they will!)
In the Field
Kiermaier made an error. Yes, you read that right. But new Ray Manuel Margot made an impressive catch in centerfield later on. The defensive talent, particularly in the outfield, is really strong.
Brandon Lowe got some playing time in right field and made a really great catch too. Think we will be seeing him there more frequently while Austin Meadows is on the COVID IL.
Seiya Sano (who is a liaison for Yoshi Tsutsugo) had some fun and played left field for a couple of innings. Was hoping to see him make a play, but the only ball that went his way was a home run well over his head. Tsutugo had some playing time too, but I’m not sure how I feel about him as a defensive player yet.
At the Plate
There were a lot of walks, so we didn’t really get to see all our hitters actually hit. But Ji-Man Choi came through with a 3-run home run off of Glasnow.
Ronaldo Hernandez also had a great day at the plate, hitting a home run off of Trevor Richards and then a long double off the wall.
For those who aren’t familiar with Hernandez, he is a top catching prospect with a good bat and a lot of potential. We probably would not have seen him this year if it weren’t for the weird circumstances. The Rays already are carrying three catches on the roster, but anything is possible this season. There is a chance we see him in the majors this year.
There were a lot of swings and misses. But, I am going to justify those by saying our pitching is so elite that if that is the level of pitching they are seeing, they can hit anyone.
Fan Noise
I am not of fan of the fan noise. It sounded like screeching mostly and didn’t really align with what was going on in the game. All teams are going to be using the fake fan noise tracks. I’ve seen some other teams boo their own players! Guess the players need to prepare for anything,.
That being said, apparently during the actual games fans can cheer or boo through the MLB app. I think that will be really cool, and will definitely participate. The lack of fans in the stadium will be an adjustment, as will coming to terms with the fact we can’t see a baseball game live this year.
Anyways, not exactly how I pictured my first exposure to Rays baseball going this year. But glad to see the guys on the field again and things can only go better on Friday.
How do you like the Rays chances this year?