The Rays have often been lauded for their ability to get the most out of their players despite a microscopic payroll, and the praise is louder than ever lately, with Tampa Bay off to a historic start in the form of a 29-7 record.
But Evan Roberts, after watching the Rays win their three-game series against the Yankees this past weekend, isn’t so sure the team’s incredible start is completely clean of wrongdoing.
“I know baseball. I like baseball,” Evan said. “I was very skeptical with what I saw this weekend. I have no evidence other than…outperforming the baseball card. All of them.
“Christian Bethancourt? Hello? Taylor Walls? What?”
Bethancourt holds a career .635 OPS across seven big league seasons, but holds an .826 OPS in 2023. Walls, a career .607 OPS through 639 at-bats, has an OPS of .871. Tampa has eight players with an OPS+ over 125, and while Evan admittedly has no evidence of shady behavior, the team’s production from some previously middling talents is enough to raise an eyebrow.
“Because you know what we do, most of us do,” Evan said. “We don't know who they are, so we say, ‘Oh, the Rays are brilliant.’ Here's the problem: I know who they are. They're not good. The Rays are 19-3 at home. Hello? Is everybody gonna wake up? Are you gonna wake up when the article is written in The Athletic, or you're gonna wake up now?
“Sometimes you don't need evidence. Sometimes you gotta say ‘What I'm watching doesn't make sense,’ so I'll do it. I'm not a Yankee fan. Ladies and gentlemen, what I’m seeing, makes no sense.”
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