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AL East Report

Previewing the Rays’ 2019 May Schedule


Image Source: Printable 2019 Tampa Bay Rays Schedule, templatetrove.com/images/May-2019-Tampa-Bay-Rays-Printable-Schedule-PNG.png.

By: Nathaniel Ascher



The Rays are currently first in the AL East, boasting a 17-9 record, as of this morning. They are off to a nice start even with some of their best players having missed a few games. But, their division rivals are both off to relatively slow starts, so they will have to keep up their good form in order to stay in first place. Here’s a breakdown of the Rays’ 2019 May schedule and how it will fare for the Rays:


Right off the bat, the Rays’ 2019 May schedule looks scary. They have to face teams such as the Yankees, Indians, and Dodgers, all back to back. However, they also go against mediocre teams such as the Diamondbacks and Twins, who are both off to hot starts so far in 2019. To balance this out, the Rays are also going to play the Orioles, Royals, and Marlins this upcoming month. Overall, 13 of their games are at home while 14 are on the road.


Here are some key stats about the Rays as a whole in May:


1. In 2015, the Rays went 14-15 in May, their 3rd worst month of that year.

2. The Rays went 11-16 in May in 2016, their 4th best month of that year.

3. In 2017, the Rays went 17-13 in May, their 2nd best month of that year.

4. In 2018, the Rays went 15-13 in May, their 3rd best month of that year.


By all the stats above, you can tell that in the past few years, the Rays are pretty mediocre in May and tend to not breakout or slump. Every year besides 2016 their record was near .500. Thus, the Rays have been an average team in May the last couple of seasons.


Here are some key stats about the Rays vs. their May opponents:


1. In the past three seasons, the Rays are 12-9 against the Kansas City Royals.

2. Over the past three seasons the Rays are 28-29 against the Baltimore Orioles.

3. The Rays are 2-1 against the D-Backs in the past three seasons.

4. Against the Yankees, the Rays are 24-33 over the past three seasons.

5. The Rays are 6-8 against the Marlins over the past three seasons.

6. The Rays are an even .500(2-2) against the Dodgers over the past three seasons.

7. The Rays are 8-11 vs. the Indians over the past three MLB seasons.

8. Against the Blue Jays, the Rays are 33-24 over the past three MLB seasons.

9. Over the past three seasons, the Rays are 12-8 against the Twins.


Historically over the past few seasons, the Rays have been bad against the Yankees and Indians. During this upcoming month they play the Yankees twice, so they could definitely struggle during those games. Even though there is little sample size, look for the Rays to struggle against the deep and powerful lineup of the Dodgers. Against the rest of their opponents, however, the Rays are either close to or above .500, so look for them to continue their success in those matchups. Overall, the Rays tend to struggle against the powerhouses and barely beat the underdogs.


Here are some Rays’ players to look out for in May:


1. Tyler Glasnow: On fire as he is 4-0 with a 1.53 ERA so far in 2019.

2. Brandon Lowe: Doing well as he is hitting .291 in 2019 with 6 HRs and 17 RBIs.

3. Tommy Pham: Is so far very productive in 2019, as he is batting .304 with 4 HRs, 13 RBIs, and 6 SBs.

4. Mike Zunino: Currently struggling as he is hitting .238 with only 2 HRs so far in 2019.

5. Ryan Yarbrough: Not off to a great start out of the gates as he has an 8.10 ERA in 16.2 IP.


Here is my prediction for the Rays’ record in May based on all of the stats and reasoning above:


1-1 against the Royals.

2-1 against the Orioles.

2-1 against the D-Backs.

2-4 against the Yankees.

1-1 against the Marlins.

0-2 against the Dodgers.

1-3 against the Indians.

2-1 against the Blue Jays.

1-1 against the Twins.


Altogether, I think the Rays will go 12-15 in May. Even though this isn’t a great record, they could still be in first place in the AL East at the end of the month, depending on how their division rivals play. Overall in May the Rays will play teams of varying difficulties, and this will make them prove to us if they will be contenders or pretenders in 2019.


Can the Rays continue to swim with their division rivals still under water?

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