There is a lot of Little League to the best team in the American League.
Operating with the third-lowest payroll in MLB, per Spotrac.com, the small-market Rays are pitching well, making contact and running the basepaths just like they have during most of their best nuisance-making seasons over the last 20 years.
“The thing, I think, that amazes me the most is our ability to, on the days we don’t hit home runs, still score runs,” seven-year veteran Drew Rasmussen, who was scheduled to pitch Saturday’s rained-out game against the Yankees, said. “Shoot, baseball at the major league level my entire time has been striking guys out and watching guys hit homers.
“To see a team that has the ability to score without needing to run the ball out of the yard, it’s really refreshing. But also, I do think it can lead to more sustainability. Teams that are dependent on homers are just that — dependent on homers to put up big innings. Yes, we’ll always take them, and I’m definitely excited to see us hit some more, but it is really cool that our athleticism has the ability to put us in ball games.”
The Rays (34-15) have won the first four meetings of the season against the Yankees to open up a 5.5-game lead in the East.
While the $336 million Yankees entered Saturday leading the majors in home runs, the $108 million Rays lead in sacrifice bunts, have the fewest strikeouts and rank No. 4 in stolen bases (two spots ahead of the Yankees).
On the mound, the Rays are right with the Yankees in MLB’s top-five in ERA and WHIP.
“I think we are doing a lot of things well,” manager Kevin Cash said. “We’ve kind of maximized opportunities with guys in scoring position. It’s a lineup filled with a bunch of guys who make contact and put pressure on pitchers, and then our overall speed. The up-the-middle defense has been good, pitching has been tremendous, the bullpen has really come together.”
The Rays’ game-winning four-run rally Friday started with a Yankees’ error and then included two singles, a walk, a double and a sacrifice fly to score a pinch runner.
And two first-to-third dashes.
“To see how everyone contributes to helping us win day-in and day-out has been awesome,” Rasmussen said. “It also kind of keeps everybody in the flow of playing and gives the opportunity for everyone to stay in rhythm.”
But it’s not exactly a cast of no-names considering former All-Stars Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz might be the American League’s best trio of hitters outside of the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice.
“Their starting pitching is really good, they have three really linchpin hitters in the middle of their order and then a lot of complementary speed pieces that do a lot of different things that put pressure on you,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It kind of hasn’t bounced our way against them, but we have to find a way to beat that club.”
Sometimes it just takes a road trip to the Bronx to bring national attention to what the Rays are piecing together.
“If you take these games, these might come down and be the deciding factors later in the year,” Díaz said through a translator. “It’s time [people noticed]. For the last few years, we have been one of the best or better teams in MLB, so we’ll take all the attention. It feels really good.”
Díaz’s memory is a little faulty.
The Rays made five straight playoff appearances — including eliminating the Yankees en route to the 2020 World Series — but finished under .500 in each of the last two seasons.
So, what’s the difference now?
“We’re getting a little more alignment than we did last year,” Rasmussen said. “We’re doing the simple stuff — scoring runners in scoring position, throwing strikes. The stuff you learn about in Little League, but it still does pertain to the game at this level. Guys are willing to sacrifice at-bats to move a runner.
“What is it in particular? I don’t know. It just seems like we are playing an all-around team game, and I think that really has helped in our success at this point.”
Unlike other surprise teams — the White Sox, for example — the Rays aren’t being carried by surprise stud performances.
It’s more like a collection of high-end numbers on the back of a baseball card. Maybe that makes it more sustainable.
“I felt like that’s kind of how we were built going into spring training, learning the guys,” Cash said. “It was going to take a roster that was doing everything — doing their part. To date, it certainly feels like that.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
