Kuzul

Did you see Price finish the sweep against Boston? Seriously? Even with all of Boston’s injuries, they are still no offensive slouch.

David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis, and Adrian Beltre were no match for Price. The trio was a combined 2-for-13 with five strikeouts.

The crazy thing is, Price beat them with just one pitch: his fastball. Of his 111 pitches, 99 of them were fastballs.

But one start does not an All-Star starter make. However, this does:

Twelve wins—most in the AL.

2.42 ERA—second to Cliff Lee by .08.

114.2 IP—sixth most in the AL.

Fourteen quality starts—tied for second to Felix Hernandez in the AL.

.223 BAA—eighth best in AL.

Consider this: Stephen Strasburg and his blazing fastball generate a 9.2 percent whiff rate against batters. Price is generating 9.1 percent.

Consider this: The last pitcher not yet 25 with at least 12 wins, an ERA under 2.50, and 100 strikeouts heading into the All Star break was in 1986.

The pitcher’s name was Roger Clemens.

Take a look at how valuable Price has been to the Rays. When the Rays offense disappeared and Tampa went 11-14 in the month of June, Price prevented it from being much worse. In the month of June Price went 4-1 with a 2.18 ERA, his best month of the season.

Price stepped up when his team needed him the most. Think about it this way: Price’s four wins are the difference between being two games and six games out of first. That’s nearly saying the difference between being in the playoff chase and being out of it.

If that doesn’t convince you, maybe this will. Tuesday would be the day Price would already be scheduled to start. If that isn’t a sign of divine intervention, I don’t know what else is.

The All-Star Game is a game of showcasing talent. It’s putting the best out on the field. Cliff Lee may steal the headlines at the trading deadline, but Price should be stealing the lines at the All-Star Game.

Price is living up to his billing as the 2007 first overall pick. He already has mastered the hype, closing out Game Seven of the ALCS in 2008 with less than 40 innings of major league experience.

Bottom line, Price has been the best starting pitcher in the AL in the first half. On Tuesday, he should be the first to step on that mound for the American League. Baseball is a young man’s game. Price should be the crown jewel of baseball’s star-studded event.

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The Tampa Bay payroll is at an all-time high. The Rays have numerous big-name free agents at the end of the season who, barring a new stadium built in the next six months, they will not have the money to keep.

Others, like shortstop Jason Bartlett, will most likely be traded because the Rays have younger and better options available (see Reid Brignac).

This year is the end of the line for how the Rays are currently built. But make no mistake—this year’s team is the best squad the Rays have ever put on the field, including their 2008 World Series run.

But will it be good enough?

The Rays started out unsustainably hot, and in June, they have cooled off. Considerably. An 8-9 record midway through the month, and a 10-15 record since May 23, does not a playoff team make.

At May 23 the Rays led the Yankees by six games and Boston by 8.5. Now the Rays have fallen out of first place for the first time in two months and are tied with the Red Sox for second.

Their hitting has been a mess. The Rays have failed to score more than three runs in a game in 50 percent of their games in the last month. Their pitching has been atrocious. In the month of June they support a 5.96 ERA. Their Gold Glove defense has also taken a step back.

But just as the Rays can’t be a .700 team, neither are they a sub-.500 team.

As the Rays emerge from their slump, the question is, where do they need the most help to fight off the Yankees and Red Sox?

Enter Prince Fielder.

The Rays’ pitching rotation is unfortunately going through a collective slump. But James Shields, the Rays ace, is off to a career start. Second to Seattle’s Felix Hernandez, Shields leads the league in three-pitch strikeouts. Shields is also tied with Seattle’s Cliff Lee for the highest percentage of swinging strikes. In other words, Shields has had great stuff.

Matt Garza has been inconsistent, but Jeff Niemann is fourth in the AL in quality starts. This doesn’t even count David Price, who is tied for first in the AL in ERA (2.45) and wins (10). While Wade Davis has shown signs of improvement (three ER or fewer in last two starts, 12:1 K/BB), the Rays have Jeremy Hellickson (9-2, 2.33 ERA in AAA) waiting in Durham.

This is what leads us to Prince Fielder.

The main point ESPN made about awaiting a Rays demise was their unbelievable average with men in scoring position. As the offense has been struggling to score runs, this is the one area where the Rays will need some help.

The Rays do not have a DH. Almost a month ago they designated Pat Burrell for assignment. Replacement Hank Blalock has done his best to make Rays fans believe Burrell had never left. Outside of Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena, this team is void of power.

Someone like Baltimore’s Luke Scott or the White Sox’s Paul Konerko would be nice, but Fielder is the top prize.

And the Rays have the resources to make the big splash.

This is where Wade Davis comes in. No team willing to be buyers at the deadline has a pitching prospect like Davis to offer. Most GMs when they have to sell a high-end player crave a return that offers an MLB-ready player. Instant gratification is the best way to soothe frustrated fans and owners.

Davis is the best MLB-ready pitching prospect in the majors. He’s already in an MLB rotation and is holding his own in the tough AL East. If he can pitch in the AL East, he can pitch anywhere. Milwaukee, which is desperate for pitching, would love to pair Davis with Yovani Gallardo for the next five-plus seasons. Milwaukee wouldn’t get a better offer for Fielder.

The Rays already have Hellickson in waiting and can replace Davis without missing a beat.

Nearly halfway through the season, it’s a three-team race in the AL East. The Rays need a push to keep up and surpass the Evil Empires. Adding a cleanup hitter like Fielder would boost their chances immensely.

And it might bring the Rays to their second World Series in three years.

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With the first two months of the season in the books, we’ll take a look at how Rays prospects have performed at the two highest levels.

Each team is loaded with talent, as the Rays feature one of the top farm systems in the game.

We’ll have a look at who’s off to a hot start and who’s struggling, with special attention to some of the Rays’ most noteworthy prospects.

AAA: Durham Bulls (31-23, First Place, IL South)

Who’s Hot

First baseman Dan Johnson, famous for his pinch-hit home run at Boston during the 2008 playoff run, is leading the International League with 15 homers and is batting .324. He’s 30 years old and a very known quantity, but he is making a strong case that he belongs in the big leagues somewhere.

Top pitching prospect Jeremy Hellickson has continued his dominance of AAA, going 8-2 with a 2.49 ERA in 65 innings pitched and striking out 67. He recently took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Mike Ekstrom has anchored the bullpen since his demotion, giving up just one earned run in 20 innings pitched.

Who’s Not

It’s hard to find players that are disappointing on this team, as it is stacked in both its hitting and pitching. Outfielder Fernando Perez has struggled of late though. After hitting .282 in the first month, he hit just .165 in May. He’s batting .237 but has stolen 16 bases.

Notable

Desmond Jennings, the Rays’ top outfield prospect, has had his ups and downs in 2010. Injuries have kept him from getting into a groove at the plate, and he is batting .248 in 101 at-bats. He has no home runs but has stolen 16 bases and been spectacular in the field.

AA: Montgomery Biscuits (29-23, Second Place, Southern Division)

Who’s Hot

Pitching has been the strength of this team, and Jeremy Hall has been the workhorse of the staff, logging 57 innings in 10 starts. He’s currently 3-2 with a 2.53 ERA.

Alex Torres, one of the Rays’ top lefty pitching prospects, has been equally impressive, striking out 57 batters in 50 innings. He’s 5-2 with a 2.50 ERA in 10 starts. Starting pitcher Alex Cobb has added to the success of the rotation since coming off the DL, posting a 1.86 ERA in four starts.

Infielder Drew Anderson and catcher Nevin Ashley have paced the offense, batting .321 and .319 respectively.

Who’s Not

Pitcher Rayner Oliveros has been hit hard for a 6.32 ERA in more than 30 innings pitched. Outfielder Cody Straight is hitting just .195.

Notable

Starting pitcher Jake McGee, in his first full season after surgery, has had his moments but has also struggled at times. He has a 4.42 ERA in nine starts, with a very good 41 strikeouts in 38 innings.

Corner infielder Matt Sweeney, acquired in the Scott Kazmir trade along with Torres, was promoted to Montgomery from Single-A Charlotte. The 22-year-old has struggled in his first 53 AA at-bats after showing some good pop with Charlotte. He’s hitting .208 with just two walks and 16 strikeouts and has yet to hit his first home run.

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The Rays (18-7) are off to the best start in baseball but begin a tough western road trip this week that sees them travel to Seattle, Oakland, and Anaheim.

They open up with the Mariners (11-13) on Tuesday, who come in having lost three straight after being swept at home by the Rangers.

These three series will go a long way to showing how good the Rays really are in 2010. Last August, when the Rays were beginning to get back into the wild-card race, the western road trip crippled the team’s chances, beginning with a blown save and loss to Seattle.

The Mariners have fallen to the bottom of the AL West standings but are easily within striking distance at just two games back. They have the added advantage of starting pitcher Cliff Lee, who has rejoined the team after a stint on the DL.

Projected Lineups

Mariners

1. Ichiro – RF

2. Chone Figgins – 2B

3. Franklin Gutierrez – CF

4. Jose Lopez – 3B

5. Milton Bradley – LF

6. Ken Griffey Jr. – DH

7. Casey Kotchman – 1B

8. Rob Johnson – C

9. Jack Wilson – SS

Rays

1. Jason Bartlett – SS

2. Carl Crawford – LF

3. Ben Zobrist – RF/2B

4. Evan Longoria – 3B

5. Carlos Pena – 1B

6. B.J. Upton – CF

7. Pat Burrell – DH

8. Sean Rodriguez/Gabe Kapler – 2B/RF

9. Dioner Navarro/John Jaso – C

With the Rays facing three left-handers, Reid Brignac likely won’t start but should come off the bench later in games. Willy Aybar will likely get a start in this series, possibly in place of Carlos Pena.

Pitching Matchups

Tuesday

TB: James Shields (3-0, 3.38)

SEA: Jason Vargas (2-1, 3.60)

Shields is coming off his best start in more than a year, striking out 12 in seven innings to beat Oakland. The Mariners counter with the 27-year-old lefty Vargas, who’s had three quality starts in a row.

Pitcher vs. Batter: Chone Figgins has had some success against Shields, going 6-for-17 with three steals. Jose Lopez is just 2-for-15. Ichiro is 5-for-19 lifetime with a home run off Shields. Vargas has seen limited action against the Rays.

Wednesday

TB: Matt Garza (4-1, 2.06)

SEA: Cliff Lee (0-0, 0.00)

This has the makings of a classic pitcher’s duel. Lee looked very sharp in his first start, and Garza has been among the best in the American League thus far.

Pitcher vs. Batter: Current Mariners have had quite a bit of success against Garza; they are a collective 21-for-55 (.382) against the Rays righty. Ichiro is 4-for-11 with a home run.

Lefties Carl Crawford (3-for-18) and Carlos Pena (5-for-22) have each struggled against Lee. Pena has hit three homers off him though. Dioner Navarro has gone 0-for-10.

Thursday

TB: Jeff Niemann (1-0, 2.76)

SEA: Ryan Rowland-Smith (0-1, 5.28)

The rubber match of the series features the third lefty in a row for the Mariners, something the Rays have struggled against in the past. The Rays counter with Niemann, a workhorse in the early going.

Pitcher vs. Batter: The Mariners haven’t seen much of Niemann, but Figgins is 4-for-6 off him. Griffey, Lopez, and Ichiro have all homered off him. The Rays haven’t seen much of Rowland-Smith either. Willy Aybar is 4-for-8 with three doubles, and Navarro has a home run off the lefty.

Game Notes

– This series features the top two teams in the AL in total ERA: Rays 3.01, Mariners 3.25.

– The Rays lead the majors in runs scored with 147, while the Mariners are second to last in the AL with 86. The Rays are hitting .263, the Mariners .236.

– Seattle is last in the AL with nine home runs as a team. The Rays have hit 26.

– The Rays were 3-5 against Seattle last season, 1-2 at Safeco Field.

– Tampa Bay was 12-21 against the AL West in 2009, 2-0 this season.

– Rays closer Rafael Soriano returns to the place he started his career; he spent five seasons with the Mariners from 2002-2006.

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