We are at the quarter mark of spring training. The Rays are 3-4 on the spring and will take on the Red Sox Tuesday afternoon after an off day on Monday.
After one week of games, Austin Meadows and Wander Franco have been the best hitters of spring training so far for the Rays.
Austin Meadows, who had a very forgettable 2020, is off to a red hot start. Meadows is hitting.375 with three homers and has driven in five runs.
The number one prospect in baseball, Wander Franco, looks Major League ready. Franco is hitting .400 with one homer and two runs batted in.
Anytime someone brings up the name of Franco to manager Kevin Cash, he is quick to interject that Wily Adames is the Rays starting shortstop.
It won’t matter what Franco does this spring; he will start in the minor leagues this season.
Some other players have gotten off to hot starts as well. Catcher Francisco Meija, acquired from San Diego in the Blake Snell trade, is hitting .444.
Manuel Margot is hitting .364 with two runs batted in, and Willy Adames is hitting .300.
Last year’s playoff hero Randy Arozarena has yet to get it going offensively. Arozarena is hitting. 200 and has driven in one run.
Yoshi Tsutsugo, who had a very disappointing 2020 campaign, has started the spring 0/7 and appears to be struggling to get going offensively.
Brandon Lowe, last year’s team MVP and offensive leader is off to a slow start as well, getting one hit in his first eight at-bats for a .125 average.
Some of the Ray’s potential starters have not been sharp in the limited amount of work they have gotten so far this spring.
Tyler Glasnow, who will open the season as the number starter, gave up two runs in his first outing of the spring. Rich Hill gave up three runs in one inning of work.
Collin McHugh was hit hard in his first outing giving up three runs and three hits in one inning of work.
Michael Wacha has been sharp, pitching three scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
We have yet to see Chris Archer this spring as the Rays are being cautious as he recovers from arm surgery last season.
The good news is there is a lot of time for Tsutsugo and Lowe to get dialed in before the opener.
The pitchers should get stronger as they build their arm strength up and pitch deeper into games this spring.
Josh Fleming will get the start Tuesday against the Red Sox, and Luis Patino, who was part of the Blake Snell deal, gets the start Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins.
