Kuzul

Things have really come together for the surging Tampa Bay Rays in the past month. With yesterday’s big win in Boston, they’ve won six straight games and a franchise-record 21 of their last 25.

Let’s take a look at how the Rays came from being last place in the AL East to just a half game out of first place and having the third-best record in baseball.

The Pitching

Great starting pitching has propelled the Rays into the great position they’re in right now. Despite Alex Cobb’s absence, David Price’s return to ace form, Chris Archer’s impressive pitching and turnarounds from Matt Moore and Jeremy Hellickson have the Tampa Bay’s rotation looking like its 2012 self.

Rays starting pitching has delivered a remarkable 17 quality starts in its last 19 games.

Price has been terrific since his return from the disabled list, tossing two complete games while posting a stellar 1.97 ERA and allowing just one walk in four starts (32.0 IP). Moore is 6-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his last six starts, and Archer is enjoying a very strong rookie year, posting a 5-2 record with a 2.14 ERA in his last nine outings.

It hasn’t just been the starting pitching that has improved in the Rays’ winning stretch. The bullpen, which was the team’s weak spot earlier this season, has been solid as of late, blowing just one lead during the stretch.

The Offense

When you have consistent production from your offense to go along with excellent pitching, you’re going to win a lot of games. The Rays have done exactly that, putting up an impressive .282/.351/.436 slash line with a 120 wRC+ (Weighted Runs Created Plus) in July as a team.

Over half of the lineup has produced well offensively during the  stretch, but nobody’s been as hot as Desmond Jennings (.378 wOBA in last 30 days) and Luke Scott (.448 wOBA).

The Rays’ offense, which is tied for second in all of baseball by wRC+ (112) has been outstanding all season, so we can expect to see this success from the lineup continue as the season progresses. If Jennings can continue to do such a great job of getting on base at the top of the lineup, this offense could soon emerge as baseball’s best.

The Defense

The Rays’ defense this year has probably been the best in team history, which is a big deal considering that it’s a franchise that prides itself on solid defense. Tampa Bay is second in the American League in UZR (26.9) and second in the MLB in fielding percentage (.990).

During the 25-game stretch, the Rays have committed just five errors. They have possibly the best fielding infield in baseball, as well as some great range in the outfield with Desmond Jennings and Sam Fuld.

The Rays are fielding to their potential, and now that they’re pitching like they can, it’s clear that they’ve really hit their stride here in July.

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When the Tampa Bay Rays signed veteran catcher Jose Molina to a two-year deal worth $3.3 million following the 2011 season, they actually got much more than what the 37-year-old’s numbers show.

If you look at Molina’s 2012 stats—81 wRC+, 0.8 WAR, 4 rSB and a -4.22 RPP—he doesn’t seem like a very valuable player on paper. His career stats aren’t much better.

However, where Molina’s value lies is in a part of catching that isn’t calculated: The art of framing pitches.

Although he may not be the superstar that his younger brother Yadier is, framing pitches is one thing that Jose does better than both of his brothers. In fact, he’s probably been the best in all of baseball over the past few years.

His pitch-framing wizardry has made a significant impact on the Rays, as well as other teams he’s played with throughout his 14-year career. Tampa had the best pitching staff in the MLB in 2012, ranking first in ERA, FIP, strikeouts and strike percentage. Molina, who caught 102 games for the Rays last year, more than likely had something to do with this historic success.

Here’s some examples of Molina’s special talent:

As you can see, frustrating opposing batters and making umpires look bad is something that Molina has a knack for.

Molina’s excellency in framing pitches does not only make him a valuable catcher, but it also can contribute to a pitcher’s success.

Fernando Rodney is one pitcher that comes to mind. With Molina behind the plate for over half the innings he pitched last season, Rodney’s called strike percentage went up 4.44 percent from the previous season (without Molina). There were obviously multiple factors that played a part in Rodney’s career year in 2012, but Molina was probably one of them.

Two more examples come from Molina’s time with the Yankees; Mariano Rivera and Mike Mussina’s success in 2008. Rivera had arguably the best season of his great career with Molina catching most of his innings. His CldStr percent increased 4.36 percent that year from 2007.

Molina was also behind the plate for all but 10 innings pitched by Mussina during his impressive 20-win season. Mussina, who was pitching the last year of his career at age 39, saw his CldStr percent go up 3.86% from his disappointing 2007 campaign.

Now in 2013, what I’ve observed is that Molina’s glovework is helping sinkerballers Alex Cobb and Roberto Hernandez. Both starters are dependent on throwing quality pitches low in the zone. With Molina catching, the strike zone widens a bit, which Joe Maddon has clearly taken into consideration.

Cobb is off to a great start to the season, while Hernandez—despite some ugly numbers—is having an encouraging start with some positive signs pointing to a turnaround year for him. Molina has caught most of the time for Cobb and Hernandez, while Jose Lobaton has received more playing time with David Price, Matt Moore and Jeremy Hellickson on the mound.

In conclusion, Jose Molina is living proof of how much a catcher can positively affect a pitching staff. He may not be good at blocking balls or throwing out baserunners (at this point in his career), but framing pitches is one asset he’ll likely never lose as long as he’s in the league.

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A David Price trade is pretty much inevitable; the question is: When? And with which team?

The reigning Cy Young award winner could leave Tampa as early as this summer if the Rays fall out of contention, but he could possibly stick around for two or even three more years. My guess is that he’s dealt this offseason, but when GM Andrew Friedman decides to pull the trigger depends on many factors.

After mammoth contracts signed by other elite pitchers recently (Zack Greinke, Justin Verander and Felix Hernandez), the Rays clearly won’t be able to afford Price long-term, which is why it’s time for the Rays to search for potential trade suitors.

Here are a few potential trade packages that should be able to pry Price from Tampa Bay.

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The 2013 MLB season is now in full swing, and the Rays haven’t had very good start to their year. Tampa Bay stands at 3-4 after the first week of baseball, dropping a couple of tough games but showing some bright signs as well.

It’s just the beginning of what should be an exciting year for this talented Rays team.

Here are five things I’ve taken away from the first seven games of the season.

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With Day 1 of the MLB Winter Meetings already behind us and Day 2 now in progress, Andrew Friedman and the Tampa Bay Rays have shown that they’re not going to hesitate to pursue players on the free-agent or trade market.

After being involved in a flurry of rumors on Monday, it looks as if the Rays could be pretty active in Nashville this week.

With a handful of possible trade possibilities on the table and multiple teams contacting the Rays, here are five things the club should try to do over these next few days.

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As the MLB Hot Stove continues to heat up, the Tampa Bay Rays find themselves searching the free agent market for a handful of players who could potentially fill empty holes on the roster.

With star center fielder B.J. Upton leaving the team, the Rays are seeking someone who can possibly replace him in the outfield. They could also use a first baseman (Carlos Pena likely not returning), a DH (Luke Scott not returning), a catcher, a utility middle infielder and maybe some help in the bullpen as well.

Having a player like Upton leave is definitely a negative for the team, especially a team like the Rays that could use all the offense they can get, but there are a few affordable FA’s on the market who could help Tampa in 2013 at least as much as Upton can.

Here are four guys the Rays should look into this winter.

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The Rays continued their January search for offense yesterday, signing former Rays slugger Carlos Pena. Tampa Bay’s search for a first baseman is finally over, and the Rays have to be satisfied with the move.

Pena, who played for the Rays from 2007-2010, agreed to a one-year contract worth $7.25 million.

The deal is great news for both the Rays and Pena. By signing Pena, the Rays filled in a big hole on their roster. They picked up a power-hitting and run-producing first baseman, which was exactly what they needed.

Pena seemed even more thrilled when learning he would reunite with the Rays this season. Pena texted “Sooooo excited … !!!!!” when first finding out about the news. The joyful reaction is not a surprise, as all of Pena’s best memories were during his four years in Tampa.

Pena, now 33 years old, smashed 144 homers and 407 RBIs with a career line of .238/.368/.516 during his four seasons for the Rays. During those seasons, Pena collected a Silver Slugger Award, a Gold Glove Award and an All Star selection. He also put up some impressive home-run totals, belting 46 dingers in 2007 and hitting a league-leading 39 round-trippers in 2009.

His big bat in the middle of the lineup and his slick fielding at first were both a huge part of the Rays’ success in past years.

When signing Pena, the Rays essentially picked the veteran first baseman over Casey Kotchman. Kotchman had a surprisingly successful season in 2011, batting a high .306 average while playing terrific defense. Did the Rays make the right choice by choosing Pena instead of Kotchman?

Considering the offensive numbers starting first basemen are expected to put out in the MLB, Pena is definitely the more valuable player. A healthy Carlos Pena pretty much guarantees you 25-plus homers and 80-plus RBIs.

Kotchman is a much better contact hitter who’ll probably strike out a lot less and hit for a higher average, but he simply is not capable of producing as many runs as Pena in the middle of the Rays’ lineup.

10 home runs with 48 RBIs and .306 average are numbers you more often see from a middle infielder, not a starting first baseman. I don’t want to take anything away from Kotchman’s excellent 2011 season, though, especially considering he didn’t enter the season with high expectations.

In conclusion, the Rays are doing a great job of continuing to add bats to their roster. Bringing back Pena is a real sigh of relief for Rays Republic after long winter months without a first baseman. It will be fun to watch Pena return to Tampa in 2012, where he is needed more than ever before.

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