2020 Tampa Bay Rays season

The 2020 Tampa Bay Rays season was the 23rd season of the Tampa Bay Rays franchise. The Rays played their home games at Tropicana Field as members of Major League Baseball's American League East Division.

2020 Tampa Bay Rays
American League Champions
American League East Champions
Major League affiliations
Location
Results
Record40–20 (.667)
Divisional place1st
Other information
Owner(s)Stuart Sternberg
Manager(s)Kevin Cash
Local televisionFox Sports Sun
Fox Sports Florida
(Dewayne Staats, Brian Anderson)
Local radioTampa Bay Rays Radio Network (English)
(Andy Freed, Dave Wills)
WGES (Spanish)
(Ricardo Taveras, Enrique Oliu)
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On March 12, 2020, MLB announced that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the start of the regular season would be delayed by at least two weeks in addition to the remainder of spring training being cancelled.[1] Four days later, it was announced that the start of the season would be pushed back indefinitely due to the recommendation made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to restrict events of more than 50 people for eight weeks.[2] On June 23, commissioner Rob Manfred unilaterally implemented a 60-game season. Players reported to training camps on July 1 in order to resume spring training and prepare for Opening Day in late July.[3] The revised 60-game schedule was announced on July 6, with the Rays set to have Opening Day on July 26, and the regular season concluding on September 27. The revised Rays schedule was composed of 40 games against AL East opponents and 20 games against NL East opponents.[4]

Due to the pandemic and the shortened season, Major League Baseball instituted certain rule changes which included the use of a universal designated hitter, a runner on second base to start extra innings, and a revised schedule.[5] On July 30, the league and the union agreed that all remaining doubleheaders during the season would be seven innings.[6] On September 17, the Rays clinched a spot in the playoffs for the second straight year. On September 23, the Rays clinched their third American League East championship and their first since 2010. They swept the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2020 American League Wild Card Series and beat the New York Yankees in the 2020 American League Division Series. The Rays would then go on to defeat the Houston Astros in the 2020 American League Championship Series and advanced to the World Series for the first time since 2008. They lost in the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won 43 games during the regular season.

Offseason

Rule changes

For the 2020 season, MLB instituted several new rule changes including the following:[7]

  • Single trade deadline – there would no longer be a waiver trade deadline later in the year.
  • 26-man roster – rosters expanded from 25 players, but no team may carry more than 13 pitchers.
  • Three-batter minimum for pitchers - a pitcher must face three batters in a game before they can be removed unless there is an injury or the end of an inning.

Further rule changes came into effect in response to the COVID-19 pandemic including the addition of the designated hitter in the National League, a shortened schedule, and in extra innings, a runner was placed at second base in each half inning.[8]

Regular season

Game log

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the regular season was shortened to 60 games, with teams playing 10 games against each other member of their division while also playing four games against each team in the corresponding division in the other league. The Rays played 10 games against each team in their division and 20 games between the teams in the National League East Division. On July 6, 2020, MLB announced the Rays' 60-game schedule, which began on July 24 and ended on September 27.[9]

Legend
 Rays win
 Rays loss
 Postponement
BoldRays team member
2020 Game Log: 40–20 (Home: 21–9; Away: 19–11)
Legend:        = Win        = Loss        = Postponement
Bold = Rays team member

Season standings
AL East W L Pct. GB Home Road
Tampa Bay Rays 4020 0.667 — 20–9 20–11
New York Yankees 3327 0.550 7 22–9 11–18
Toronto Blue Jays 3228 0.533 8 17–9 15–19
Baltimore Orioles 2535 0.417 15 13–20 12–15
Boston Red Sox 2436 0.400 16 11–20 13–16
Division Leaders W L Pct.
Tampa Bay Rays 4020 0.667
Oakland Athletics 3624 0.600
Minnesota Twins 3624 0.600


Division 2nd Place W L Pct.
Cleveland Indians 3525 0.583
New York Yankees 3327 0.550
Houston Astros 2931 0.483


Wild Card teams
(Top two qualify for postseason)		 W L Pct. GB
Chicago White Sox 3525 0.583 +3
Toronto Blue Jays 3228 0.533 —
Seattle Mariners 2733 0.450 5
Los Angeles Angels 2634 0.433 6
Kansas City Royals 2634 0.433 6
Baltimore Orioles 2535 0.417 7
Boston Red Sox 2436 0.400 8
Detroit Tigers 2335 0.397 8
Texas Rangers 2238 0.367 10

Record vs. opponents
2020 American League Records

Source: AL Standings Head-to-head

Team BAL BOS NYY TB TOR NL
Baltimore —5–53–74–62–811–9
Boston 5–5—1–93–75–510–10
New York 7–39–1—2–85–510–10
Tampa Bay 6–47–38–2—6–413–7
Toronto 8–25–55–54–6—10–10

Opening Day starters
Name Pos.
Yandy Díaz 1B
Hunter Renfroe RF
Yoshi Tsutsugo 3B
José Martinez DH
Manuel Margot LF
Mike Brosseau 2B
Willy Adames SS
Kevin Kiermaier CF
Mike Zunino C
Charlie Morton SP

Postseason

Both games of the Wild Card Series were held at Tropicana Field, by virtue of the Rays being the higher-seeded team. In all succeeding rounds, all games were played at neutral-site ballparks in order to isolate the players during the pandemic. Each game of the Division Series and the American League Championship Series was played at Petco Park in San Diego, California.[10] In the World Series, each game is being played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and are also open for roughly 11,500 fans to attend.[11]

2020 Postseason Game Log

Roster
2020 Tampa Bay Rays
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

 Outfielders Manager

Coaches

  • 99 Misha Dworken (bullpen catcher)
  • 98 Jean Ramirez (bullpen catcher)

Farm system
See also: Minor League Baseball
Level Team League Manager
AAA Durham Bulls International League
AA Montgomery Biscuits Southern League
A-Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs Florida State League
A Bowling Green Hot Rods Midwest League
A-Short Season Hudson Valley Renegades New York–Penn League
Rookie Advanced Princeton Rays Appalachian League
Rookie GCL Rays Gulf Coast League
Foreign Rookie DSL Rays 1 Dominican Summer League
Foreign Rookie DSL Rays 2 Dominican Summer League

References
  1. Mark Feinsand (March 12, 2020). "Opening Day delayed at least 2 weeks; Spring Training games cancelled". MLB.com. Major League Baseball. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  2. "Opening of regular season to be pushed back". MLB.com. Major League Baseball. March 16, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  3. Feinsand, Mark (June 24, 2020). "Play Ball: MLB announces 2020 regular season". MLB.com. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  4. Toribio, Juan (July 6, 2020). "Rays unveil schedule for 2020 season". MLB.com. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  5. Daniels, Tim. "MLB Rules, Format Changes for 60-Game 2020 Season Due to COVID-19". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  6. "MLB reduces doubleheaders to 7 innings for '20". ESPN.com. July 31, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  7. "Report: Single-trade deadline, 26-man roster, 3-batter minimum among changes in next 2 years". masslive. March 14, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  8. Daniels, Tim. "MLB Rules, Format Changes for 60-Game 2020 Season Due to COVID-19". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  9. "Rays Announce Modified 2020 Regular-Season Schedule" (Press release). St. Petersburg, FL: Tampa Bay Rays. July 6, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  10. Acquavella, Katherine (September 27, 2020). "MLB Rules, Format Changes for 60-Game 2020 Season Due to COVID-19". CBS Sports. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  11. Axisa, Mike (October 18, 2020). "MLB will allow fans to attend 2020 World Series, NLCS at Texas Rangers' Globe Life Field". CBS Sports. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
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