The Draysbay staff’s BOLD predictions for 2025
Will any of us be right?
It’s Opening Day for the Rays, which means the possibility for the team to go 162-0 is plausible. Junior Caminero could hit 50 homeruns. Ryan Pepiot and Taj Bradley could battle each other for the Cy Young. Taylor Walls might even make a run for the Most Valuable Player award. It’s March 28th, anything is possible.
What do you think will happen over the course of the next several months?
Adam Sanford
I believe Taylor Walls will be the most improved player on the Rays this season. His defense, which is internally accepted as elite, will receive a league wide endorsement. Meanwhile, his offense will not only be much better than it was in 2024, but I think he’ll be an above-average hitter and his limited power should play well at George Steinbrenner Field. To solidify the prediction, I believe he’ll be a 5 WAR player with a 115 or better wRC+.
Brett Phillips
Good ending: Josh Lowe hits 40 HRs, Chandler Simpson is a call up in May and nearly beats Roman Anthony for the AL ROY. Danny Jansen has the second best catching performance in Rays history and triples his framing WAR by finally planting a knee down when he’s squatting.
Bad ending: Shane McClanahan does not start a single game this season. Rays go 20-40 for their first block of games in the new stadium, and are doomed by a perpetual road trip. They finish in last in the AL East.
Homin Lee
Three Rays pitchers throw more than 162 innings.
Brian Menéndez
Chandler Simpson leads the AL in steals
Rays have 4 hitters with 30 homers and finish in the top 5 in runs scored
Darby Robinson
The divison will be this:
- Orioles
- Red Sox
- Rays
- Yankees
Josh Lowe has a 30/30 season
Ashley MacLennan
Manuel Margot sets a new season hit record but does it for the Tigers.
Rays trade everyone whose name you know by July.
Daniel Vonderwalde
Mason Montgomery wins reliever of the year
Brett Rutherford
Rays win the pennant
Elijah Flewellen
Brandon Lowe hits 40 homeruns