Tampa Bay Rays 2016 Season Rewind

The 2016 season was a step in the wrong direction for the Tampa Bay Rays. What happened to turn a dark horse candidate for the American League East title into a team with the fourth worst record in baseball?

Last season was a time of transition for the Tampa Bay Rays. The brain trust of Joe Maddon and Andrew Friedman had departed, and now, the new regime was making the squad over in their image. There was a new found emphasis on power, as opposed to the speed and defense that had become a hallmark of the Rays over the years. Yet, there was still a solid young pitching staff in place, and with the unsettled nature of the American League East, the Rays seemed to have an outside shot at the division.

However, disaster struck. While the Rays hit for that expected power, the offense did little else. Despite finishing fourth in the league with 216 homers, and seventh with a .426 slugging percentage, Tampa Bay struggled to produce any offense. The Rays were 14th in runs and on base percentage, and dead last in batting average.

The pitching staff also struggled. While Chris Archer, Drew Smyly, and Blake Snell all had their moments, they had quite a few problems getting the final out of an inning. While the Rays as a whole were eighth in the American League with a 4.20 ERA, they needed far more from their pitching staff this past season.

That combination of difficulties on offense and pitching short circuited what could have been a promising campaign, leaving the Tampa Bay Rays with a 68-94 record, 25 games out of first. This was not the first step that the Rays were expecting in their attempts to revamp the roster.

So, what went right for the Rays this past year? What went wrong, and what does the future hold? Let us take a look back at the Tampa Bay Rays 2016 campaign.