From Mlb · · 50s
Rays avoid self-sabotage to win AL
Tampa Bay Rays win 98 games by rarely beating themselves through fundamentals
In brief
Tampa Bay Rays win 98 games by rarely beating themselves through fundamentals Rays win close games by minimizing self-inflicted errors Originally reported by Mlb.
Rays win 98 games
Tampa Bay won 98 games this season, beating 28 teams in the Majors.
“They're built to stay in baseball games, right? It's a really hard group to pull away from.”
Low strikeouts
Rays hitters struck out at 18.8%, the lowest in MLB.
“Keep the strikeouts low, don't walk guys and make all the plays on defense.”
Few walks
Rays pitchers walked batters at 6.9%, the lowest in MLB.
“We don't overlook the simple things or the basic things, and ultimately, we know that those plays matter as much as the great ones.”
Strong defense
Rays defensive efficiency ratio was .723, the highest in MLB.
“It's trying to be fundamental. Control what you can control and make them beat you and not give other teams outs.”
Close games
Rays won 61 of 95 one-run games, best in MLB.
“Close games are everything. You can't walk guys, and you've got to secure the baseball.”
Small ball
Rays use contact and speed to manufacture runs.
“We felt like we had the potential of being a little bit more of a contact-oriented offense.”
Pitching focus
Rays pitchers throw strikes and trust defense to make plays.
“We find ways to instill confidence for each of the pitchers to put their stuff to work in the zone before two strikes.”
The short version
Rays win close games by minimizing self-inflicted errors
