5 things we’re surprised to see one-third of the way through Rays’ season

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays’ season is starting to be what it is.

The traditional Memorial Day checkpoint of when things begin to count was on last month’s calendar page. June is too late to keep saying it’s early. Sample sizes are no longer too small.

The Rays went into Tuesday night’s game against the Cardinals having already played one-third of their schedule.

The good news, at 31-23, they were on pace for a respectable 93 wins. The bad, they were eight games out of first place in the American League East, their largest such deficit since late in the 2019 season, and four teams have more wins.

Some of the season has gone relatively as planned. But there have been quite a few surprises. Here are five things we didn’t expect to be seeing at this point:

Kevin Kiermaier’s hit parade

It’s not so much that Kiermaier has six homers; only three years ago he hit 14, and he was in double digits each season from 2014-2017, with a career high of 15.

What’s unusual is that no one has more.

Brandon Lowe, who led the team last year with 39, has only five. But he has an excuse, having been out three weeks with a back injury. Wander Franco, who was playing hurt and is now also out, has four.

But what about Mike Zunino, who had 33 last year? He has only five, and has struggled to get there. And Randy Arozarena, who hit 20? He’s been somewhat hot in getting to six. Yandy Diaz and Brett Phillips, who hit 13 each? Seven total. Ji-Man Choi, who had in 11 in 83 games? Four this year.

Among the missing? Austin Meadows, who hit 27; Nelson Cruz, 13; Joey Wendle, 11.

In what seems to be a down year overall offensively, the Rays have 52 homers, 18th in the majors, on pace for 156. Last year, they hit 222, tied for sixth most.

Brett Phillips pitching in

The Rays came into the season with a handful of pitchers still rehabbing previous injuries (Nick Anderson, Yonny Chirinos, Tyler Glasnow, Brendan McKay), and fingers crossed about a few others coming off long rehabs (Jalen Beeks, Colin Poche, Jeffrey Springs). What hurt them were spring training/early-season issues that led to extended (and ongoing) absences for two proven relievers (J.T. Chargois and Pete Fairbanks) and two high-upside starters (Shane Baz and Luis Patino).

Further, they have at times been without JP Feyereisen, Andrew Kittredge, Chris Mazza, Phoenix Sanders and Ryan Yarbrough. As a result, they’ve already used 26 pitchers, including Phillips (three innings pitched), whose day job is playing the outfield.

Shane McClanahan among league’s elite

To be clear, McClanahan was very good last year so it’s a not a shock that he got better. But to improve as much as he has, at age 25 and in his first full season in the majors, is impressive. Obviously, the full season will provide a better gauge, but through 11 starts, the lefty has done just about everything right, allowing fewer hits and hard-hit balls, striking out more and walking less, working deeper in games.

He ranks among the majors’ best in ERA (2.10, 6th), strikeouts (89, 1st), wins (6, 2nd), walks and hits per inning (0.917, 6th), strikeouts per nine innings (12.451, second) and hits per nine innings (6.575, 10th). The question he recently dismissed about making the All-Star team will be coming up again.

Giving away outs like crazy

On the bases, they have run into 26 and been caught stealing 15 times, both most in the majors. In the field, they have allowed 33 unearned runs, second most in the American League and tied for fourth overall, and made 34 errors, fifth most in the league, tied for 10th overall.

Plus they have allowed 28 steals and caught only seven runners, an 80 percent steal rate that ranks 22nd. No surprise, their run differential is only plus-11. The previous three seasons, when they made the postseason? Plus-206, plus 60 (in the 60-game 2020 season), plus 113.

Yankees really are for real

What looked to be a hot start created in part by a soft schedule (13 of their first 44 against Baltimore), then a fortunate run of good health has now given way to the reality that the Yankees are actually pretty darn good. They have played well against some tougher teams. They have withstood a series of injuries. They have gotten tremendous starting pitching, which was a major question.

And their 39-15 record at the one-third mark of their season puts them on a pace for, oh, 117 wins. All of which means the Rays, who rallied to split a four-game May series, have to take advantage of their chances to make up ground. That starts soon, as they play them six times in a nine-game span from June 14-22.

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