ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay holds a three-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East and the best record in the American League entering the second half of the season. Rays TV analyst and former major league pitcher Brian Anderson broke down what is driving the team's success.
At the center of the offense is slugger Junior Caminero, whose growth as a hitter has been on full display. Anderson pointed to a moment last year during a series against the Angels as a turning point.
"A couple of change-ups and had him looking foolish on two swings. Then he tried to run a fastball, missed as a ball," Anderson said when describing Junior's at-bat against Tyler Anderson. "[Anderson] tried to run another fastball in there. Junior was able to foul it off. He comes back with the change-up, which is exactly what I would've done. Now, I'm going to come with the change-up and finish him. And he came back with the change-up… 430 feet later [he hit a home run]."
Caminero is not the only weapon in Tampa Bay's lineup. The Rays team batting average of .259 is third-best in the Major Leagues. Anderson described the offense as one built on adaptability.
"All these players can do a lot of different things. They play a version of old-style baseball," Anderson, a 13-year MLB veteran, outlined. "But, for the most part, that offense has to be versatile. And it is. And now you've seen the power component come alive the last couple of weeks. It just makes them all the more dangerous."
On the mound, the Rays pitching staff ranks among the best in the majors. Right-hander Griffin Jax has emerged as a standout, making a successful move from the bullpen to the starting rotation mid-season — something the Rays organization has done before.
"For the fourth time in the last six seasons, the Rays have taken a guy out of the bullpen and transitioned him into the starting rotation," Anderson noted. "Not in the offseason. Not in spring training. They've done it during a competitive major-league season, when the games count. And he's throwing the ball as well as the other guys and can go out and be as efficient as they are, also."
Anderson, who has been part of the Rays organization for nearly two decades, also weighed in on the long-discussed topic of a new stadium — and said this time feels different.
"I've kind of watched this all through those years. As all of the fans have, too," he recalled. "Finally, to be this close to the finish line. Wow! What a location. What a building. And when you finally see what they envision it looking like at the end, you just get that much more excited."
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