3 Rays Players who are poised for a breakout year
It’s a brand new year for the Tampa Bay Rays, and they have plenty to be happy about. They have some stability at Catcher (Wilson Ramos) as well as their superstars in Evan Longoria, Chris Archer, and Kevin Kiermaier. On top of what appears to be an improved offense, I believe the Rays have 3 new players that could be poised to have a break out year. Below, I will list and explain why I believe these 3 players have a chance to be difference makers for the Rays this season, as well as who I think they compare to in the Majors right now.
Steven Souza Jr.-
Souza brings many tools to the table. First, Souza is improving his batting each season since 2014. He improved his batting average from .130 to .247 last year. He has also improved in hitting the ball with power. His doubles and homeruns have improved each year he has been in the league, as well as his RBIs. To add to this, his slugging and on-base percentage are where an average to above average player would usually sit. Defensively, he is a good outfielder averaging a fielding percentage of .984. During the early stages of spring training, he has struggled a little bit. But, he has never really been good at Spring Training. He has hit .198 during his spring training career. The point being here is Souza has the ability to become a dangerous player with time. He has improved during his time in the Majors, and we can expect this trend to continue.
Comparison: Justin Upton
Mallex Smith-
Here is another outfielder that brings a completely different skill set from Souza, but has a chance to contribute this year. Although Smith had a disappointing year for the Braves, in 2016, his statistics seem to prove that he could be on the upward trend (along with his skill set). Smith brings his number 1 asset of speed to the table. Smith not only hit 4 triples, but he also stole 16 bases last year. In addition, if we look back to the minor leagues a few years ago, he was in comparison with Billy Hamilton’s speed. Smith was safe on 80% of his stolen base attempts, while Billy Hamilton was safe on 82% of his attempts, according to MLB.com. This gives me the impression that Smith could be a leadoff hitter, or a table setter at the top of the lineup. Another statistic to back this up is looking at his Batting Average on Balls In Play (BABIP). A good BABIP is around 30%, while Smith appears to be right at that mark with a BABIP of 30.2%. This is a good sign that he is putting the ball in play and making a defense work. Even if he is able to get on by an error, his speed suggests he could make a pitcher anxious by the threat of stealing a base. Lastly, he has only had one season in the Majors so far. He will grow and get better as the season progresses. Although his average may not get into the .300s, I believe he will be able to bump the average up to about .270 while being a threat on the base path.
Comparison: Billy Hamilton
Blake Snell-
I am extremely high on this first-round pick. The one thing the Rays have always been known for, in my opinion is the pitching. The Rays rotation is always pretty strong and the bullpen is usually strong too. Think about all the great pitchers that the Rays had in their organization (David Price, James Shields, Wade Davis, the list goes on). Even though the Rays always produce good pitchers, Snell has the talent to be a great pitcher. A 6-4, lefty with a mid-90s fastball, with a great slider and curveball is lethal. Taking a look statistically, Snell has a decent ERA from last season (3.54) with almost 100 strikeouts in 89 innings pitched. I’m not going to look at the W-L ratio because it is misleading. I will, however, look at an average WHIP of 1.62 that I believe he could fix with a second year of experience. This lefty is going to mature especially quickly by having Chris Archer in the same rotation. Oh man the sliders from this starting rotation will be nasty! The Rays rotation will start the season with Odorizzi in front of Snell, but I believe Snell could be the next David Price with some control help and be a top line pitcher the Rays can lean on behind Archer.
Comparison: David Price