The Rays on Thursday announced their roster for their ALDS showdown against the division-rival Red Sox. Notable omissions include outfielder and 2020 postseason hero Brett Phillips as well as left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, who led the Rays with 155 innings pitched this season (and leads the team in innings by a mile dating back to his 2018 debut).
Keeping Phillips off the roster deprives the Rays of a premium defender in the outfield and ample speed on the bases, but Phillips’ .110/.207/.164 slash against lefties could be easily exploited by a Red Sox roster that has no shortage of southpaws. Conversely, his omission allows the Rays to carry the right-handed-hitting Jordan Luplow, who has hit lefties at a .245/.360/.539 clip in his career. Luplow’s production against lefties in 2021 has dissipated, but his overall body of work against them is formidable.
As for Yarbrough, it was no doubt a difficult decision on a personal level to keep him off the roster. However, the lefty had a tumultuous season, yielding five or more earned runs in 10 of his 30 appearances (21 starts, nine appearances as a bulk reliever behind an opener). While Yarbrough had his share of excellent outings, the end-of-year results were a career-worst 5.11 ERA and a career-low 17.9 percent strikeout rate. He can still be added to the ALCS or World Series roster, should the Rays advance that far — although it should be noted with regard to a potential ALCS showing that the Astros and White Sox were two of the four best-hitting lineups against lefties in all of baseball.
Here’s how Tampa Bay’s roster breaks down…
Right-Handed Pitchers
- Shane Baz (Game 2 starter)
- JT Chargois
- Pete Fairbanks
- J.P. Feyereisen
- Andrew Kittredge
- Collin McHugh
- Luis Patino
- Drew Rasmussen
- David Robertson
- Michael Wacha
- Matt Wisler
Left-Handed Pitchers
- Josh Fleming
- Shane McClanahan (Game 1 starter)
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
Designated Hitter
One year after making his Major League debut during the postseason, the 24-year-old McClanahan will now get the ball as the Game 1 starter for the Rays. The former first-rounder and top prospect enjoyed a very strong rookie campaign, working to a 3.43 ERA with 27.3 percent strikeout rate and 7.2 percent walk rate in 123 1/3 innings (25 starts). The Rays were cautious with McClanahan’s workload early in the season (hence the rather brief average start length), regularly capping him at four or five frames. They generally kept him on a short leash throughout the year to keep his innings down after scarcely pitching in 2020 (when there was no minor league season), but McClanahan tossed six-plus innings in six of his final 16 starts.
Baz, just 22, will be making only his fourth big league start when he takes the mound in Game 2. The big stage didn’t seem to impact him at all upon making his debut in September, as he pitched to a 2.03 ERA with an 18-to-3 K/BB ratio in 13 1/3 innings over three starts to begin his MLB career. Acquired alongside Meadows and Tyler Glasnow in the lopsided deal that sent Chris Archer to the Pirates, Baz is widely regarded as one of the game’s top overall pitching prospects. He demonstrated precisely why that’s the case with a dominant minor league season, working to a combined 2.06 ERA with a 37.9 percent strikeout rate and a 4.4 percent walk rate in 78 2/3 frames between Double-A and Triple-A. While neither Shane is necessarily a household name right now, that could change quickly depending on how the postseason plays out — and both are vital long-term pieces for the Rays.
Rays criminally underrated again and will win this years World Series.
Weird you say that given your name? How much do the rays spend in comparison to the Pirates?
Aren’t they picked to win this series?
This series yes. I’d be surprised if the Rays take more than 4 games to beat the Red Sox and I say that as a Red Sox fan. But it does seem like most people are quick to say the Giants or Dodgers will win it all this year.
Not sure who’s underrating them? They are the only 100 win AL team in the toughest division and odds favourites to come out the AL.
After boring us all to death along the way.
If you’re bored by the Rays then you’re bored by strategy lol they might be the least boring team in the entire league
How are the Rays boring? Please explain. IMO the Rays are very annoying because they’re so good and in my fav team’s division.. but not at all boring. As a fan of baseball I enjoy seeing what they’re gonna come up with next and watching how they work.
The Rays have been planning for these playoffs for a year. They lost last year not because of yanking Snell, but because they used the same relievers day after day, and they started to get hit hard. This year theyve put everyone into high leverage spots – look at the volume of guys who have gotten saves. And they successfully brought up Baz at the exact right time. Everything is setting up for a deep run by the Rays
Lol boring. Maybe you have not watched them in a few years?
You just lost credibility, seam. Oh, seam 2, sorry.
Hawt take from 2019.
Who is criminally underrating them? I think we all know it’s an upset if the Sox can win this. The Rays have earned the respect they are being given.
Every last article has the dodgers or Giants winning it all. on major blogs/sites…
Per Spotrac the rays spend about 16-17 mil more than the Pirates this season. My name is more a play on the fact Nutting wont spend a penny and puts it all into his ski resorts. I live here in PGH, but have been a Rays fan from a far since 2003 when my uncle took me to games in St. Pete. The Rays will atleast extend players (albeit to cheap contracts at young ages), or grab a bat in FA (Cruz) unlike the Pirates.
Whoa. The Rays will regret leaving Phillips and Yarbrough off the team. Phillips has done some amazing things this year. Josh Fleming is the only lefty in the bullpen and I would take Yarbrough over him every day!!
Yeah, what does that front office know.
Sox have lit up Yarbrough this year. 11.25 ERA in 20 IP against them
Fleming has increased velo since going to the pen, Yarbrough is just a straight garbage
I know they like the matchups, but Yarbrough is much better than Flemming and Wacha. The FO knows best though
No, Yarbrough isn’t better than anyone
Wacha has been pretty good the last month and a half since scrapping his cutter and Fleming’s stuff got noticeably better once he moved to relief. I think it was the right call, and if it wasn’t going to be Fleming then Enns was the next best choice.
getting too cute here with no Yarby and Baz starting early.
Yarbrough is one of the worst pitchers in the league…. Not sure how leaving him off is getting cute. They base their decisions on talent and data, not emotions and feelings
Wacha pitched way better down the stretch and Yarbrough scares me too much, especially against the Red Sox who have crushed him this year. Fleming has gotten better since going to the pen & I would definitely take him over Yarbs.
Phillips is definitely one my favorites on the team and thought he may just have the “clutch” factor that Cash would try and leave in, but our Logjam of outfielders probably did him in especially with Luplow able to spell Choi at first when not in the DH or Outfield role.
I just wish we had more starting pitching with experience b/c after Rasmussen and Mcclanhan we have Patino & Baz who barely have any regular season starts let alone the Postseason.
Rays in 4 against the Red Sox.
Patino in bullpen for playoffs, right? He may stay there. Filthy stuff for an inning or two, then runs into trouble. Needs another pitch. But he’s young!
That’s my understanding. I think Wacha is the 4th starter, maybe with an opener. Rasmussen clearly is #3.
Shane, Baz, Ras, and…Wacha. Wacha had a rough year, but has pitched well of late, and has pitched well in the postseason. W three young ones in the rotation, it won’t hurt to have a veteran in there.
Surprised they have so few left handed pitchers. Sox have some strong left handed batters that certainly appreciate that. I think this will be a good series, two strong, deep rosters oozing with solid pitching.
Tampa Bay is going to win the 2021 World Series.
Tampa Bay will pull it off this time and those who say the Rays are boring, Im sure they back another team in the playoffs and know they’ll get kicked in the rear.
The Sox are going to light up ole Sugar like a Christmas tree. Ahahahahaha!