Thank You Rays for a Wonderful 2018 Season.

The 2018 baseball season is over for the Rays. 162 games flew by fast this season and this season was a pleasant surprise. Prior to the start of the season, the biggest question in Tampa Bay was whether or not the Rays could win more games than the Tampa Bay Lightning did during the 2017-2018 season (54 wins). Well, the Rays surprised many by winning more than 54. They surprised many by actually having a winning season thanks to their 90 wins season.

With all the drama about the team’s future, it was nice to see the Rays be competitive for the majority of the season. The Rays started off slow, injuries being the main culprit, and 50 wins seemed like a realistic milestone. The team had traded the face of the franchise, Evan Longoria, and the team’s ace Chris Archer was on the shopping block and was eventually traded.

However, something magical happened along the way. The Rays started finding ways to win. The idea to start games with relief pitchers worked like a charm while Blake Snell was magical as a starting pitcher and should be a serious candidate to win the Cy Young award. It was also great to see young players get called up from the minor leagues and contribute to the team. One can only hope the likes of Willy Adames, Brandon Lowe and Jake Bauers will become the future All-Stars of this team.

Manager Kevin Cash deserves a lot of credit for this magical season and, in my opinion, should be a front runner for AL Manager of the Year. The crazy idea of starting games with relief pitchers and managing the playing time of the rising stars has paid off. Obviously, it will always be tough to compete in a division that has both the Yankees and the Red Sox but all that Rays fans can ask for is to see a competitive winning team. Thanks for a great season, Rays and here’s hoping next season will be better.