<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/stu-sternburg-gave-rays-employees-parting-gifts-after-selling-team');   ga('set', 'title', 'Stu Sternburg gave Rays employees parting gifts after selling team');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Former-Tampa-Bay-Rays-owner-Stu-Sternberg.jpg"><figcaption>Kim Klement-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Stu Sternburg gave Rays employees parting gifts after selling team</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-14T13:42:31-07:00">October 14th, 1:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-14T13:42:31-07:00">October 14th, 1:42pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays will look wildly different heading into the 2026 season. However, the biggest change is at the top of the organization. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-next-step-sale-mlb-owners-vote">Stu Sternberg made the decision to sell the team during the season</a> as Tampa Bay tries to figure out its future. He sold the team to Patrick Zalupski and a new ownership group. Eventually, they will help the Rays move into a new stadium.</p><p>Tampa Bay’s season was derailed by injuries that left the team on the outside of the playoff picture. As the season came to a close, the Rays’ future became a point of contention. The team played in an unfamiliar stadium and struggled to find its groove throughout the regular season. However, Sternberg wanted to end his tenure as team owner on a high note.</p><p>As most owners are, Sternberg is appreciative towards the employees that worked for him during his time as the team’s owner. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, he gave all of Tampa Bay’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6707644/2025/10/10/tampa-bay-rays-stu-sternberg-employee-bonuses/" rel="noopener">employees bonuses</a> on his way out the door. It puts a bow on what has been a successful career as the Rays’ owner.</p><p>Now, Zalupski and the new ownership group will inherit the challenges that Sternberg faced over the last year. However, the Rays have the pieces in place to succeed as early as next season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-junior-caminero-makes-22-year-old-history">Junior Caminero emerged as Tampa Bay’s future star</a> in his rookie year. He could lead the team back to contention playing in a new stadium overseen by Zalupski and the team’s new owners.</p><p>Sternberg’s time as the Rays’ owner came to an anti-climactic end. However, he made sure to give his employees something to remember him by as he hands the reigns to the new owners. Now, he will join the rest of Tampa Bays’ fans and cheer for the team’s success from the outside.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Stu Sternburg gave Rays employees parting gifts after selling team

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-pete-fairbanks-viral-moment-vs-orioles');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays closer Pete Fairbanks explains wild act caught on camera vs. Orioles');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MLB-Toronto-Blue-Jays-at-Tampa-Bay-Rays.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays closer Pete Fairbanks explains wild act caught on camera vs. Orioles</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-24T20:53:19-07:00">September 24th, 8:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-24T20:53:19-07:00">September 24th, 8:53pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Baltimore Orioles</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays found themselves at the center of a viral moment Wednesday night—one that had little to do with playoff races but everything to do with optics. In the ninth inning of the Rays’ 6-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-pete-fairbanks-nl">Pete Fairbanks</a> hit Orioles rookie Samuel Basallo with a 96.6 mph fastball, then turned to the stands and blew a kiss.</p><p>Confusion erupted online. Some thought the gesture was directed at the Orioles’ dugout. Others assumed it was retaliation. In reality, the Rays closer cleared it up postgame.</p><p>The Baltimore Banner’s Andy Kostka took to his X (formerly known as Twitter) account to <a href="https://x.com/afkostka/status/1971023212537684336">share</a> Fairbanks’ explanation after the game.</p><p>“Pete Fairbanks said there was a fan above the Orioles dugout who chirped him. The kiss was not directed toward Orioles players or coaches. Fairbanks said in no way did he intentionally hit Samuel Basallo and wishes him well.”</p><p>That message quickly spread across MLB viral moment accounts, with fan reactions split. While some Orioles fans called for retaliation, others accepted Fairbanks’ apology. The pitcher has never been known for antagonistic behavior, and his comments matched his usual blunt, accountable style.</p><p>Basallo, the Orioles’ top prospect and the No. 8 overall ranked player per MLB Pipeline, exited the game with a wrist contusion. X-rays came back negative, but his status for the final stretch remains uncertain. For a team focused on youth development, even a minor injury to a future star causes concern.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-officially-eliminated-from-playoffs-with-loss-to-red-sox">The Rays have already been eliminated from playoff contention</a>, breaking their five-year postseason streak. But Fairbanks, who has posted 27 saves in 60 appearances, has remained one of Tampa Bay’s most consistent pieces.</p><p>The moment didn’t impact the standings, but it added another layer to the AL East rivalry between the Rays and Orioles—one that’s bound to carry tension into next season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays closer Pete Fairbanks explains wild act caught on camera vs. Orioles

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-next-step-sale-mlb-owners-vote');   ga('set', 'title', 'The next step for Rays sale after MLB owners’ vote');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Tampa-Bay-Rays-players-celebrate.jpg"><figcaption>© Dave Nelson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>The next step for Rays sale after MLB owners’ vote</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-23T06:30:14-07:00">September 23rd, 6:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-23T06:30:35-07:00">September 23rd, 6:30am</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-sale-set-1-7-billion-finalized-in-september">Tampa Bay Rays have received a lot of attention off the field</a> this season. Tampa Bay is in the process of changing owners. The closing of the sale appears to be near, as Major League Baseball owners have <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/46349044/mlb-owners-ok-sale-rays-group-headed-patrick-zalupski" rel="noopener">voted to approve the transaction</a>. The team could officially be in new hands in just the next seven days.</p><p>“The Rays said on Sept. 17 they expected the sale to close within two weeks,” the Associated Press reported.</p><p>Tampa Bay is being sold to a group of owners headed by real estate developer Patrick Zalupski. While rumors floated that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-rumors-will-team-leave-tampa-bay">Rays could be leaving the Tampa area</a>, baseball insider Ken Rosenthal believes MLB wants to keep the team there. Orlando was named as a potential new location for the Rays in recent months.</p><p>It’s been a difficult year for the franchise. Not only is Tampa getting sold, but the team has also been forced to play all season in a minor league ballpark. That is because Tropicana Field sustained damage in recent months due to a hurricane.</p><p>“Playing at a 10,046-capacity ballpark, Tampa Bay had 61 sellouts and drew 786,750, down from 1,337,739 in 2024, when they were 28th among the 30 teams and ahead of only Miami and Oakland,” the Associated Press reported.</p><p>Stu Sternberg has owned the team for the last 20 years. Sternberg ran into headwinds with the city of Tampa Bay, over building a new stadium for the team. The two sides couldn’t reach a deal.</p><p>The Rays are 76-80 on the season.</p><h2><b>Rays hope to close out the season on a high note</b></h2><p>Tampa Bay was in the mix for a good portion this season, for a playoff berth. That is quite admirable, considering all the off the field obstacles that have stood in the way of this club.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-officially-eliminated-from-playoffs-with-loss-to-red-sox">Rays have struggled though in recent weeks</a>, falling below .500. Toronto, Boston and New York have pushed past them in the American League East division standings. The club has lost six of their last 10 contests.</p><p>Tampa Bay starts a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night. After that series, the club closes out the campaign with three games against the Blue Jays.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The next step for Rays sale after MLB owners’ vote

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-officially-eliminated-from-playoffs-with-loss-to-red-sox');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays officially eliminated from playoffs with loss to Red Sox');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Rays-pitcher-Garrett-Cleavinger-60-reacts.jpg"><figcaption>© Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays officially eliminated from playoffs with loss to Red Sox</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-19T21:17:14-07:00">September 19th, 9:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-19T21:17:14-07:00">September 19th, 9:17pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bays-playoff-hopes-dealt-difficult-blow-shortstop-season-ending-injury">Tampa Bay Rays will have to wait a year</a> for another chance to make the postseason. On Friday night, the Rays were <a href="https://x.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1969229391860228584" rel="noopener">officially eliminated</a> from playoff contention, as pointed out by Talkin’ Baseball on X, following their 11-7 loss to the Boston Red Sox.</p><p>This defeat pushed their record on the year to 75-79, and with the current third place team in the AL Wild Card standings, the Houston Astros, having already won 84 games, it became mathematically impossible for the Rays to sneak into the postseason.</p><p>On Friday, the Rays kept it close against the Red Sox for most of the night. Tampa Bay was even leading 3-2 until the sixth inning. But then the seventh and eighth innings came along and proved to be a major disaster for the Rays, with their defense faltering and opening up the floodgates for the Red Sox, who scored nine runs in the seventh and eighth to put the game to bed.</p><p>It all began when Rays reliever Garrett Cleavinger allowed a two-run home run to Red Sox star Jarren Duran to give Boston a 4-3 lead in the seventh. Everything then went off the rails in the eighth, with Tampa Bay committing two errors and Boston not letting up, scoring seven to end the Rays’ playoff hopes in such a demoralizing fashion.</p><p>After a strong start to the new decade, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-fatal-flaw-that-will-doom-2025-postseason-hopes">past two seasons for the Rays</a> have been very difficult, as they have been unable to keep up with the giants of the powerhouse AL East division.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/1-disappointing-player-rays-must-trade-in-offseason">Rays have always been punching above their weight</a> class in terms of player payroll, but they are yet to strike gold again with the kind of cost-controlled, versatile star players who have proven to be the backbone of contending iterations of the team in years past.</p><h2>Rays look forward to 2026 with hope</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Tampa-Bay-Rays-outfielder-Chandler-Simpson.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While missing out on the playoffs is not going to put a smile on the Rays’ faces, they can at least take comfort in the fact that they’ve remained semi-competitive in 2025 and need only a few additional pieces as well as some slightly better luck to threaten for a playoff spot yet again come 2026.</p><p>The Rays also have a burgeoning young core led by Junior Caminero, with Carson Williams and Chandler Simpson also expected to do bigger and better things as they mature in the big leagues. They also boast some pitching depth, although they will need that one star pitcher to front the rotation moving forward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays officially eliminated from playoffs with loss to Red Sox

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-rookie-joins-franchise-royalty-40th-stolen-base');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays rookie joins franchise royalty with 40th stolen base');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Tampa-Bay-Rays-outfielder-Chandler-Simpson.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays rookie joins franchise royalty with 40th stolen base</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T12:19:48-07:00">September 11th, 12:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T12:19:48-07:00">September 11th, 12:19pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays have had a season full of ups and downs. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bays-playoff-hopes-dealt-difficult-blow-shortstop-season-ending-injury">Rays manager Kevin Cash watched as another key contributor, shortstop Taylor Walls, suffer a season-ending injury</a>. With the playoffs out of reach, Tampa Bay faces some big decisions this winter. However, the team’s future is bright with players like Chandler Simpson and Junior Caminero leading the way.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-junior-caminero-hits-career-milestone-huge-game-mariners">Caminero’s power has had him in the spotlight</a> all season. The rookie third baseman represented the Rays in the All-Star Game and nearly won the Home Run Derby this summer. However, he is not the only first-year player having a huge season. Simpson has emerged as an elite base-runner, as well as an above average defender in center field in his first year in the big leagues.</p><p>While Simpson’s well-rounded play has him positioned to be a key piece of Cash’s lineup moving forward, his ability to swipe bases steals the cake. The shortstop stole his 40th base of the season against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, hitting a major milestone as a runner. According to Tampa Bay Times reporter Marc Tompkin, he is in <a href="https://x.com/TBTimes_Rays/status/1966205356113326554" rel="noopener">elite company in franchise history</a>.</p><p>“Chandler Simpson just swiped 2B, making him 5th player in Rays history to have 40 steals in a season,” Tompkin said. “Joins Carl Crawford (7 times), BJ Upton (3), Mallex Smith (1), Jose Caballero (1). Is also 21st AL rookie to get 40, last done by A’s Esteury Ruiz in 2023.”</p><p>Simpson’s talent on the base paths brings a new perspective to the Rays’ attack. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-rumors-wander-franco-forfeit-154-million-mlb-career-likely-done">Cash may never get Wander Franco back in Tampa Bay again</a>, leaving him looking for another young star. Luckily for him, Simpson and Caminero have shown that they can help lead the team into a new era. For now, the Rays celebrate Simpson’s accomplishment as the season comes to an end.</p><p>If things work out, Simpson and Caminero could help Tampa Bay return to contention way ahead of schedule.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays rookie joins franchise royalty with 40th stolen base

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/1-disappointing-player-rays-must-trade-in-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', '1 disappointing player Rays must trade in offseason');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1-disappointing-player-Rays-must-trade-in-offseason.jpg"></figure><h1>1 disappointing player Rays must trade in offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T22:31:54-07:00">September 10th, 10:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T22:31:54-07:00">September 10th, 10:31pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The past two years have not gone according to plan for the Tampa Bay Rays. To start the 2020s, it looked as though they were primed to emerge as a powerhouse in the AL East yet again despite their shoestring budget. However, their<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-rumors-wander-franco-forfeit-154-million-mlb-career-likely-done"> franchise cornerstone ended up being guilty of sexual abuse</a> of a minor, and that derailed so much of the Rays’ hope for the future.</p><p>With that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bays-playoff-hopes-dealt-difficult-blow-shortstop-season-ending-injury">unfortunate turn of events for the Rays</a>, they are now poised to miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season, as they have found it difficult to keep in step with the other powerhouses in their division. It hasn’t helped at all that some of their recent acquisitions haven’t worked according to plan, and their prospects haven’t developed at the pace that’s needed to keep up with the arms race in the AL.</p><p>The Rays will surely be hard at work when it comes to wheeling and dealing this offseason; they will want to tinker and upgrade however they can so they can return to form the way they were from 2019 to 2023 when they almost won the World Series.</p><p>While some of the Rays’ most disappointing players in 2025 could be major bounce-back candidates next year, there is someone that they should not hesitate to trade away. And here is that player.</p><h2><b>Christopher Morel’s Rays days must be numbered</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Rays-OF-Christopher-Morel.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Rays have always operated on a tight budget, so they want to find advantages that few other teams could. Through the years, their MO has been to find players who can play across the diamond, play solid to incredible defense, and get on base at a reasonable clip. They are also looking at sabermetrics to find hidden gems; this was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-yandy-diaz-career-night-dooms-mariners">how they found Yandy Diaz</a>, who has done nothing but produce since the Rays acquired him in 2018.</p><p>In Diaz, they saw an undervalued hitter who had incredible on-base skills, and the Rays developmental team helped him unlock his full potential. He has a career .815 OPS with the Rays, and for him to be a relatively unheralded acquisition back then speaks volumes to the front office’s ability to identify undervalued talents.</p><p>But it seems as though the Rays have strayed from their typical roster-building ways when<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/3-rays-trade-block-2025-deadline"> they acquired Christopher Morel from the Chicago Cubs</a> in a trade for infielder Isaac Paredes. Paredes was doing well for the Rays; in fact, before he was traded by Tampa Bay in July 2024, he was boasting a slash line of .245/.357/.435 — with his on-base skills making him a gem that not too many people knew about.</p><p>So for the Rays to trade an All-Star player for Morel, who, at 26 years of age, showed a ton of potential for the Cubs, speaks volumes to how much they believe in his underlying metrics. And perhaps there is indeed strong reason to believe in Morel’s potential.</p><p>Baseball Savant shows that Morel rates <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/christopher-morel-666624?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb" rel="noopener">quite well</a> in average exit velocity (91.4 miles per hour), barrel percentage (18.3 percent), hard-hit percentage (48.7), and bat speed (76.0). That shows that when Morel makes contact, he hits the ball hard. But Morel doesn’t make contact often, and he usually hits balls at suboptimal launch angles. His chase rate of 31.7 percent is far from the worst, but he whiffs and strikes out far too often, with his whiff rate being at 39.3 percent and his strikeout rate at 36.1 percent.</p><p>But Morel is not making up for his huge strikeout numbers with above-average on-base skills. In modern baseball, outs are weighted the same, so teams don’t mind that much if one strikes out often or if most of his outs come on fly or ground balls. What’s important is that they get on base and generate run value. Morel is not doing much of that; <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/players/christopher-morel/21897/stats?position=DH/OF" rel="noopener">his walk rate</a> is at a career-worst 7.4 percent, and his wRC+ stands at 92 — which is a major improvement over his first half-season with the Rays, but is still below league-average.</p><p>Perhaps more time is what Morel needs to get it together. But he’s done nothing but struggle with the Rays. The first two seasons of his career showed that he can back up his impressive underlying metrics with good production, but the past two seasons have been dismal for the 26-year-old. A change of scenery may be what’s required to get the best out of him.</p><p>Considering how much the Rays gave up to bring Morel in via trade, it will sting to sell low on him. But that would simply mean that they will fall prey to the sunk cost fallacy. Perhaps they could sucker in another team that believes they can get the best out of Morel and find value for him in the trade market that way.</p><h2><b>Assessing the rest of the Rays roster</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Rays-Brandon-Lowe-smashes-an-extra-base-hit.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Josh Lowe is someone the Rays might consider trading this offseason; his underlying metrics have gone down this season, and he’s one year closer to exhausting all years of team control. It might be best for Tampa Bay to get value for him while they could. But Lowe can play all three outfield positions, and the Rays do love themselves positional flexibility, so Lowe might yet have a long leash from the organization.</p><p>Other potential trade candidates for the Rays aren’t struggling this year, but Tampa Bay may end up shopping them anyway to get value for them before they hit free agency. One of those players <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-all-star-brandon-lowe-return-injury-orioles">is Brandon Lowe</a>; Lowe has one year left on his deal, as he’s set to enter free agency following the 2026 season.</p><p>He’s been solid in 2025 yet again, having tallied 28 home runs and 74 runs batted in on an OPS of .805, but Tampa Bay has shown in the past that they’re more than willing to cycle through their big-leaguers if it means that they get extra years of team control in the process.</p><p>Closer <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-pete-fairbanks-nl">Pete Fairbanks is in a similar situation</a>; the Rays could shop him before he enters the final year of his deal in 2026. But there shouldn’t be any shortage of suitors for him anyway considering how in demand bullpen arms are come July. However, if the Rays want to insure themselves in the event that Fairbanks struggles in 2026, then they could trade him away this offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

1 disappointing player Rays must trade in offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-rumors-will-team-leave-tampa-bay');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays rumors: Will team leave Tampa Bay?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Rays-Nick-Fortes.jpg"><figcaption>© Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays rumors: Will team leave Tampa Bay?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T11:28:03-07:00">September 9th, 11:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T11:28:34-07:00">September 9th, 11:28am</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bays-tropicana-field-gets-pivotal-update">Tampa Bay Rays are one of two Major League Baseball teams</a> playing this season at a minor league park. Tampa Bay has had a rocky relationship with the city in recent months, as the club looks for a permanent home in the area. MLB insider Ken Rosenthal says even though there are discussions about leaving the city, he doesn’t think<a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1965471082812768489" rel="noopener"> that will ultimately happen</a>.</p><p>“It seems to me that MLB does not want to lose the Tampa Bay market,” Rosenthal said, per Foul Territory.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Could the Rays head north to Orlando under new ownership?</p><p>"It seems to me that MLB does not want to lose the Tampa Bay market," says <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ken_Rosenthal</a>, who doesn't see it as a realistic possibility. <a href="https://t.co/Zy5SSCgNjO">pic.twitter.com/Zy5SSCgNjO</a></p><p>— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoulTerritoryTV/status/1965469067856454016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Orlando, Florida is one of the cities that has reportedly expressed interest in obtaining the Rays.</p><p>“I just don’t see that being a realistic thing,” Rosenthal added.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-sale-set-1-7-billion-finalized-in-september">Rays are getting sold to a new group of owners</a>. Stu Sternberg agreed to sell the team in July, for $1.7 billion. The sale came months after Sternberg said <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45741438/report-stu-sternberg-sell-tampa-bay-rays-17-billion" rel="noopener">he couldn’t agree to a deal</a> with the Tampa area to build a new ball park.</p><p>“After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment,” Sternberg said in a statement in March, per ESPN. “A series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated led to this difficult decision.”</p><p>The Rays previously played at Tropicana Field. That stadium was damaged in 2024 by Hurricane Milton.</p><h2><b>Rays are closing out a disappointing season</b></h2><p>Tampa Bay is fourth this season in the American League East Division. Heading into Tuesday, the Rays have a 71-72 record.</p><p>It has been a difficult campaign to say the least. Not only are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-fatal-flaw-that-will-doom-2025-postseason-hopes">the Rays struggling to finish above .500</a>, but the team is also playing at George M. Steinbrenner Field. That’s a minor league park that only sits a little more than 10,000 people.</p><p>Tampa Bay has done the best they could despite having to move to a new home. This season, the club has been in the hunt in the Wild Card standings for a postseason berth. Things have cooled though in recent weeks. Rays players <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/rays-drop-series-to-guardians-as-wild-card-race-intensifies" rel="noopener">are refusing to quit</a>, despite the disappointing record.</p><p>“We just have to come play hard and take everybody’s head off,” third baseman Junior Caminero said recently through an interpreter, per MLB.com.</p><p>Tampa Bay plays the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays rumors: Will team leave Tampa Bay?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cleveland-guardians/guardians-news-jose-ramirez-passes-jim-thome-history');   ga('set', 'title', 'Guardians’ Jose Ramirez passes Jim Thome in franchise history');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Jose-Ramirez-with-Cleveland-Guardians.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Guardians’ Jose Ramirez passes Jim Thome in franchise history</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-07T15:34:00-07:00">September 7th, 3:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-07T15:34:00-07:00">September 7th, 3:34pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Guardians came out victorious on Sunday with a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, and the game turned into <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cleveland-guardians/guardians-news-jose-ramirez-mlb-era-history-incredible-2025-season">another milestone moment for Jose Ramirez</a>.</p><p>In the sixth inning, Ramirez ripped a game-tying RBI triple down the line, a hit that not only shifted the momentum but also pushed his career total to 938 RBIs. That number moved him past Hall of Famer Jim Thome for <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/jose-ramirez-has-second-most-rbis-in-cleveland-history" rel="noopener">sole possession of second place</a> on Cleveland’s all-time list, according to Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. He now trails only Earl Averill, who holds the club record with 1,084 RBIs since the statistic became official in 1920.</p><p>Ramirez’s triple came off Tampa Bay reliever Garrett Cleavinger, who entered with a 20-inning scoreless streak, the longest active in the majors at the time. The hit scored by Angel Martinez broke Cleavinger’s streak, the first run he had allowed since July 5. After Ramirez was thrown out at the plate on a squeeze attempt, Gabriel Arias produced the eventual game-winning RBI single against Kevin Kelly, scoring David Fry.</p><p>The milestone ended a productive series for the 32-year-old third baseman. Across the four games in Tampa, Ramirez hit .438 (7-for-16) with a 1.346 OPS, collecting a home run, a triple, two doubles, four RBIs, and a stolen base. He extended his streak of consecutive games with an extra-base hit to four, the 24th such stretch of his career.</p><p>On Saturday, Ramirez also stole his 280th career base, breaking a tie with Omar Vizquel for second on Cleveland’s all-time list, behind only Kenny Lofton’s 452. Among primary third basemen in the Live Ball Era, only Chone Figgins (341) has more steals.</p><p>Guardians manager Stephen Vogt praised Ramirez’s consistency, while teammates acknowledged his daily impact. Ramirez himself noted that his approach on the bases was influenced by Jose Reyes, the longtime Mets shortstop who finished his career with 517 steals.</p><p>Rookie left-hander Parker Messick added to the weekend’s storyline with a strong homecoming start. Pitching just 30 miles from his hometown of Plant City, Fla., Messick worked six innings, allowing one run on eight hits with four strikeouts and no walks. He improved to 2-0 in just his fourth career outing, backed by a vocal crowd of roughly 250 friends and family.</p><p>Cleveland’s bullpen, a decisive factor in the series win, threw 11 1/3 scoreless innings across the four games. On Sunday, Matt Festa, Hunter Gaddis, and Cade Smith combined for three shutout frames, with Smith striking out the side in the ninth for his 11th save.</p><p>The Guardians won three of four against Tampa Bay, improving to 72-70 on the season. The victory moved them ahead of the Rays (71-72) in the standings and also kept them 2 1/2 games behind Seattle (75-68) <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cleveland-guardians/why-guardians-will-clinch-al-wild-card-spot">for the American League’s third Wild Card spot</a>. They return home to open a four-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Monday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Guardians’ Jose Ramirez passes Jim Thome in franchise history

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bays-playoff-hopes-dealt-difficult-blow-shortstop-season-ending-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays’ playoff hopes dealt difficult blow as shortstop will miss rest of 2025');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Taylor-Walls-of-the-Tampa-Bay-Rays.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays’ playoff hopes dealt difficult blow as shortstop will miss rest of 2025</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-04T17:12:33-07:00">September 4th, 5:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-04T17:12:33-07:00">September 4th, 5:12pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-fatal-flaw-that-will-doom-2025-postseason-hopes">Tampa Bay Rays are attempting to extend</a> their six-game win streak as they take on the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday evening. It’s been an impressive stretch for this club as they continue fighting for a potential spot in the postseason. However, their playoff hopes took a hit after the team announced its star shortstop suffered a season-ending injury.</p><p>Reports indicate that Taylor Walls, who is 29 years old, is going to miss the <a href="https://x.com/Ry_Bass/status/1963724407962239403" rel="noopener">remainder of the season</a> after undergoing a sports hernia surgical procedure, according to Ryan Bass of Fan Duel and News Station. Carson Williams and Tristan Gray are expected to play shortstop for the remainder of the season.</p><p>“Rays SS Taylor Walls will miss the rest of the season after a sports hernia surgical procedure, Kevin Cash announced.”</p><p>Walls was experiencing a career-best at the plate. He’s more prominent as a defender, but the Rays were likely pleasantly surprised with his production on offense this season. He officially ends the 2025 campaign with a .220 batting average and .280 OBP while totaling 62 hits, four home runs, and 38 RBIs through 282 at-bats.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-junior-caminero-hits-career-milestone-huge-game-mariners">The Rays enter Thursday’s</a> contest 10.5 games behind the first-placed Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. Tampa Bay is a bit of a long shot as it is. The club is still in the mix, and if they somehow manage to reach the playoffs, the team would likely be a wild-card team. Especially considering the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are well ahead in the standings, despite also being wild-card teams.</p><p>With just over 20 games remaining in the season, the clock is ticking for the Rays. However, if the club can continue playing at a high level, even with Taylor Walls out for the season, then Tampa Bay could still be a playoff team. Look for manager Kevin Cash to potentially make changes to the lineup with Walls out.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays’ playoff hopes dealt difficult blow as shortstop will miss rest of 2025

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-fatal-flaw-that-will-doom-2025-postseason-hopes');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays’ fatal flaw that will doom 2025 postseason hopes');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Rays-fatal-flaw-that-will-doom-2025-postseason-hopes.jpg"></figure><h1>Rays’ fatal flaw that will doom 2025 postseason hopes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-04T16:51:01-07:00">September 4th, 4:51pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-04T16:51:01-07:00">September 4th, 4:51pm</time><address><a>Garrett Kerman</a>Garrett Kerman also goes by the name of The Fight Analyst. He covers all combat sports, from MMA, to boxing, to even bare-knuckle. He is also very well-versed in all American sports when it comes to news and betting analysis. Whether you want betting advice or some breaking news, Garrett is your guy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays entered the 2025 season with cautious optimism, but as September arrives, their postseason dreams are hanging by the thinnest of threads. At 70-69 and sitting 2.5 games behind the final American League Wild Card spot, the Rays face a harsh reality: their fatal flaw has emerged as an inability to deliver consistent clutch hitting when it matters most, creating offensive droughts that no amount of pitching excellence can overcome.</p><p>Despite brief stretches of offensive brilliance, including a remarkable 22-8 run from late May through June, the Rays have been plagued by the same demons that have haunted them all season – an offense that disappears precisely when games are on the line. The numbers tell a sobering story of a team that ranks 23rd in MLB with a .719 OPS and has managed just 157 home runs through 139 games, production that simply won’t cut it in today’s offensive environment.</p><h2>The Clutch Hitting Crisis</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Junior-Caminero.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Rays’ most damning weakness lies in their inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities with runners in scoring position. During their recent struggles, they’ve been a dismal 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position in critical games, and this pattern has persisted throughout the campaign. Their .253 team batting average might appear respectable on paper, but it masks a deeper issue: the timing of their offensive production.</p><p>The team’s early-season woes were particularly telling, as they scored one run or fewer a whopping 13 times during their 21-26 start – worst in the majors. While they temporarily corrected course with an explosive offensive stretch, recent road struggles have exposed this fatal flaw once again. The Rays have lost six straight on the road and 12 of 15 games away from George M. Steinbrenner Field since late June, highlighting their inability to manufacture runs in hostile environments.</p><p>What makes this flaw so devastating is its unpredictability. The Rays have shown they can score runs in bunches – they’ve scored seven runs or more 13 times since their late-May turnaround – but these explosive outbursts are followed by extended cold spells that kill momentum. This feast-or-famine approach creates unsustainable pressure on their pitching staff and leaves little margin for error in tight games.</p><p>The departure of key offensive contributors through trades has only exacerbated this problem. Players who provided clutch hits during their successful stretch have been dealt away, leaving gaps that younger, less experienced hitters must fill. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-junior-caminero-hits-career-milestone-huge-game-mariners">While Junior Caminero leads the team</a> with 40 home runs and 100 RBIs, and Jonathan Aranda has emerged as a surprising bright spot with a .316 average and .872 OPS, the supporting cast lacks the consistency needed for sustained success.</p><h2>Bullpen Struggles Compound the Problem</h2><p>The Rays’ offensive inconsistency becomes even more problematic when combined with their bullpen struggles. Recent performances have been alarming, with relievers posting an 8.07 ERA over a 10-game stretch in July, including multiple blown saves and late-inning collapses. When a team already struggles to score runs consistently, giving away leads through poor relief pitching creates an impossible mathematical equation for success.</p><p>The loss of reliable relievers to injury, including Manuel Rodríguez, who required season-ending elbow surgery, and Bryan Baker, who was dealing with a strained calf, has left the bullpen depth chart in shambles. While closer Pete Fairbanks has managed 24 saves, the lack of reliable setup options means even modest leads become precarious.</p><h2>The September Reality Check</h2><p>As the regular season enters its final month, the Rays’ position in the standings reflects their fatal flaw. Despite having a positive run differential of +61, they sit below .500 because they can’t convert scoring opportunities into wins consistently. Their 39-45 record in games decided by more than three runs indicates they either blow teams out or get blown out, with little success in the close games that define championship teams.</p><p>The recent six-game winning streak might provide false hope, but it’s built on the same foundation that has crumbled repeatedly this season. Unless the Rays can solve their clutch hitting woes immediately, they’ll watch the playoffs from home once again.</p><p>Championship teams find ways to score runs in any situation, against any pitcher, in any ballpark. The Rays have proven they cannot do this consistently enough to warrant serious postseason consideration. Their offensive production remains too dependent on ideal circumstances and favorable matchups, creating a ceiling that falls well short of championship aspirations.</p><p>While their pitching staff has moments of brilliance, including a respectable 3.89 team ERA, even the best pitching cannot overcome an offense that goes missing for weeks at a time. The fatal combination of inconsistent clutch hitting, unreliable bullpen performance, and poor road production creates a perfect storm that will ultimately doom their postseason hopes.</p><p>The Rays’ window for 2025 is rapidly closing, and their fatal flaw – the inability to deliver consistent offensive production when games are on the line – will prevent them from reaching their potential once again. Until they address this fundamental weakness, they remain destined for disappointment, regardless of individual brilliance or temporary hot streaks.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays’ fatal flaw that will doom 2025 postseason hopes

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-yandy-diaz-career-night-dooms-mariners');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays star Yandy Diaz’s memorable career night dooms Mariners');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Tampa-Bay-Rays-first-base-Yandy-Diaz-is-congratulated.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays star Yandy Diaz’s memorable career night dooms Mariners</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-03T21:24:14-07:00">September 3rd, 9:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-03T21:24:14-07:00">September 3rd, 9:24pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-junior-caminero-hits-career-milestone-huge-game-mariners">Tampa Bay Rays were unstoppable</a> Wednesday night, thanks to Yandy Diaz, who recorded <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mariners-rays-score-6c774b7831ce32844ce0c8b8df273adf" rel="noopener">a career-high 5-for-5</a> with a double and four singles, leading the team to a 9-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners and completing a three-game sweep at George M. Steinbrenner Field. It was the Rays’ first five-hit game since Tommy Pham in 2020 and was also the 11th such game in franchise history.</p><p>Tampa Bay (70-69) matched a season high with its sixth consecutive win, scoring a season-high 19 hits. Six players recorded multi-hit games, including Chandler Simpson and Jake Mangum with three hits apiece. Junior Caminero contributed two RBIs on a 2-for-4 night, raising his RBI total to 102. Hunter Feduccia drove in three runs with two singles, while Brandon Lowe added two sacrifice flies.</p><p>The Rays’ early offensive explosion doomed Mariners starter George Kirby (8-7), who lasted only two innings, the shortest start of his career. Kirby allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits, walked none, struck out one, and hit a batter. Five of the first six Rays batters reached in the first inning, producing four runs. In the second, Tampa Bay sent nine batters to the plate and scored another four runs on five hits and a passed ball, forcing Kirby from the game after just 33 pitches.</p><p>Seattle (73-67) managed to push back in the sixth inning, scoring four runs. Cal Raleigh drove in his 109th RBI with a single, and Julio Rodríguez hit his 28th home run, a three-run shot, but it was too little, too late. The Mariners have now lost five of six games and 14 of their last 20, slipping in the American League wild-card race.</p><p>On the pitching side, Rays starter Adrian Houser (8-4) allowed four runs in seven innings while striking out eight, walking one, and hitting one batter. Houser efficiently retired the first three Mariners hitters of the game before Tampa Bay’s offense erupted. Eduard Bazardo and Emerson Hancock followed in relief, though the Rays added an insurance run in the fifth on Brandon Lowe’s sacrifice fly. Tayler Saucedo finished the Mariners’ relief work with three scoreless innings, allowing three hits, no walks, and striking out four.</p><p>The win brings Tampa Bay within 2½ games of Seattle <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/why-rays-will-clinch-al-wild-card-spot">for the final American League wild-card spot</a>. After struggling just a week ago at 64-69 and 7½ games behind the Mariners, the Rays are back above .500 for the first time since July 29, and positioned to challenge the Texas Rangers (72-69) and the Kansas City Royals (70-69) as well.</p><p>With their postseason hopes renewed, the Rays will open a four-game series against the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays star Yandy Diaz’s memorable career night dooms Mariners

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-junior-caminero-hits-career-milestone-huge-game-mariners');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays’ Junior Caminero hits career milestone in huge game vs. Mariners');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Rays-third-baseman-Junior-Caminero-13-reacts-after-hitting-a-double.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays’ Junior Caminero hits career milestone in huge game vs. Mariners</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-02T20:40:41-07:00">September 2nd, 8:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-02T20:40:41-07:00">September 2nd, 8:40pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Wild Card race in the American League continues to heat up, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/why-rays-will-clinch-al-wild-card-spot">with the Tampa Bay Rays among those vying for a ticket</a> to the upcoming 2025 MLB playoffs. Tampa Bay bolstered its chances to sneak into the postseason when it escaped with a 6-5 victory on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.</p><p>The Rays have star third baseman Junior Caminero to thank as well for their huge win over Seattle, as the slugger went off at the plate. Caminero concluded the contest 3-for-4, including a home run, with four RBIs. He put Tampa Bay on the board first with an RBI single in the opening inning.</p><p>In the sixth frame, the 22-year-old infielder hit a 390-foot solo shot to tie the score at 3-3. He came through again for the Rays in the seventh inning, recording a two-run double to break a 4-4 tie and put Tampa Bay in front for good.</p><p>With his impressive night at the plate, Caminero reached the 100-RBI plateau for the first time in his three seasons in the big leagues.</p><p>So far in 2025 season, Caminero is hitting .262 /304/.539.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Junior Caminero drives in two for the lead and reaches the 100-RBI mark! <a href="https://t.co/b7sEwJTi1b">pic.twitter.com/b7sEwJTi1b</a></p><p>— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1963057948378173744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>There was never much doubt about Caminero’s chances to rake in 100 RBIs before the end of the 2025 season, as he already had 94 runs driven in heading into the second game of the Seattle series. But it was noteworthy nonetheless, especially when considering that he also hit <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-junior-caminero-40th-home-run-tampa-bay">another milestone</a> on his road to his 100th RBI of the year.</p><p>His home run against the Mariners was his <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1963047137261887654" rel="noopener">40th of the season</a>.</p><p>“Junior Caminero turned 22 less than two months ago.”He just became the 2nd player in @RaysBaseball history to hit 40 HR in a season,” MLB’s official X (formerly Twitter) account shared.</p><p>Carlos Pena still holds the Rays’ record for <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/mlb/ask/tampa-bay-rays-single-season-home-run-leaders" rel="noopener">most home runs in a season</a>, as he had 46 dingers back in 2007. That means Caminero has 24 games to rack up six more home runs to tie Pena’s record and at least seven more to break it. Brandon Lowe came close in 2021, when he produced 39 home runs.</p><p>The Rays are unlikely to win the American League East title, as they are currently 10.5 games out of first place in the division, but they are only 3.5 games behind the final Wild Card spot in the AL.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays’ Junior Caminero hits career milestone in huge game vs. Mariners

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-news-dan-wilson-ejected-rays');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mariners’ Dan Wilson gets ejected early in game vs. Rays');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Dan-Wilson.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Mariners’ Dan Wilson gets ejected early in game vs. Rays</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-02T18:57:37-07:00">September 2nd, 6:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-02T18:57:37-07:00">September 2nd, 6:57pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Seattle Mariners were thrust into controversy Tuesday night when <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-news-dan-wilson-1-complaint-cal-raleigh-record-breaking-home-run">manager Dan Wilson</a> was ejected in the third inning of a tense matchup vs. Tampa Bay Rays at Steinbrenner Field. With Seattle trailing 2-0 and playoff pressure mounting, the incident came at a pivotal point in the game — and in the Mariners’ postseason push.</p><p>The situation escalated when middle-infielder Cole Young disputed a called strike. The Mariners dugout reacted vocally, prompting umpire Manny Gonzalez to eject outfielder Dominic Canzone. Moments later, Wilson came out to defend his player and was tossed as well.</p><p>Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times <a href="https://x.com/RyanDivish/status/1963032921196875944" rel="noopener">shared the chaotic sequence</a> live on X (formerly Twitter), noting that multiple ejections occurred nearly simultaneously.</p><p>“Someone in the Mariners just got ejected by the home plate umpire. And now Dan Wilson is ejected as well.”</p><p>MLB’s Daniel Kramer also reported from the scene on X, explaining that Wilson was ejected after stepping out to defend the dugout following a called strike by Gonzalez. He added that <a href="https://x.com/RyanDivish/status/1963032921196875944" rel="noopener">it was initially unclear who</a> the umpire had intended to eject.</p><p>“Dan Wilson has just been ejected by home-plate umpire Manny Gonzalez here in the 3rd inning, shortly after he went out to defend the Mariners dugout after they chirped about a called strike vs. Cole Young.</p><p>It’s still unclear which player Gonzalez was ejecting.”</p><p>This marked Wilson’s second ejection of the 2025 season, with both coming during high-stakes divisional matchups. Known for his composed demeanor, the former catcher was never ejected during his 14-year MLB playing career.</p><p>The timing couldn’t be more intense. The Mariners’ playoff race has tightened, with Seattle sitting at 73-65, just three games behind the AL West-leading Houston Astros. The Mariners vs. Rays series carries major Wild Card implications, and Wilson’s ejection left bench coach Manny Acta in charge during a critical stretch of the season.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-news-ken-griffey-jr-reacts-cal-raleigh-big-2025-season">Seattle’s offense has taken a clear step forward</a> in 2025, emerging as one of the league’s more productive lineups in both power and plate discipline. That growth has only increased the spotlight on leadership and in-game strategy as the postseason race tightens. For some fans, Wilson’s calm and measured demeanor fits the moment. For others, especially with Lou Piniella—the franchise’s famously fiery former manager—watching from the stands, it raises questions about whether this Mariners team needs a louder spark as October draws near.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mariners’ Dan Wilson gets ejected early in game vs. Rays

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-junior-caminero-40th-home-run-tampa-bay');   ga('set', 'title', 'Junior Caminero’s 40th home run proves extra sweet for Rays');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Rays-Junior-Caminero-hitting.jpg"><figcaption>Thomas Shea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Junior Caminero’s 40th home run proves extra sweet for Rays</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-02T18:55:00-07:00">September 2nd, 6:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-02T18:55:00-07:00">September 2nd, 6:55pm</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Tampa Rays slugger Junior Caminero continues his history-making onslaught. Recently, Caminero <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-junior-caminero-makes-22-year-old-history" rel="noopener">became the first player 22 years or younger</a> to hit 11 home runs in 16 games since the 1980 season.</p><p>His home run prowess continued into Tuesday night against the Seattle Mariners. In the bottom of the 6th inning, Caminero <a href="https://x.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1963047047457599569" rel="noopener">hit a towering shot</a> to left field to even the game at three, per Talkin’ Baseball. </p><p>At the same time, he garnered his 40th home run of the year. As of now, Caminero is batting .258 with 40 homers and 97 RBIs. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">40 HOMERS FOR JUNIOR CAMINERO AND THE GAME IS TIED <a href="https://t.co/3v5tz7yl1l">pic.twitter.com/3v5tz7yl1l</a></p><p>— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1963047047457599569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Meanwhile, the Rays are sitting at 68-69 and in fourth place in the AL East. Their playoff chances are non-existent at this point. However, Caminero is very much a reliable presence at the plate. </p><p>Earlier this month, his history-making streak continued. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-junior-caminero-elite-company-2-hr-angels" rel="noopener">Caminero joined Albert Pujols and Juan Soto</a> as the only Dominican players to hit 30 home runs at the age of 21 or younger. </p><p>Before that, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-junior-caminero-makes-home-run-derby-promise" rel="noopener">Caminero participated in the Home Run Derby</a> during the All-Star break in Atlanta. Ultimately, he finished second to the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-news-cal-raleigh-most-surprising-home-run-derby-win" rel="noopener"> eventual winner, Cal Raleigh of the Mariners</a>. </p><p>Afterward, he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-junior-caminero-home-run-history-post-derby" rel="noopener">made post-Home Run Derby history</a> with two homers in an 11-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles on July 18. Altogether, Caminero joined Pujols, Soto, and Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players to have a multiple-home run performance after participating in the Home Run Derby. </p><h2><b>Where Junior Caminero ranks among the Rays ‘ all-time sluggers</b></h2><p>Over the years, the Rays have produced some of the biggest names who can hit the ball for power. Among those are Carlos Pena as well as the notorious Jose Canseco. </p><p>Ironically, Caminero<a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/rays/tampa-bay-rays-junior-caminero-posts-record-numbers-before-all-star-break-01jyj0znahf5#:~:text=The%20others?,Cody%20Bellinger%2C%20Ozzie%20Albies%2C%E2%80%A6&amp;text=Caminero%20has%20also%20hit%20home,23%2C%202023." rel="noopener"> is tied</a> with those two for the most home runs in Rays history before the All-Star break with 19. If he keeps this pace up, Caminero could become one of the best power hitters in Tampa history. </p><p>Furthermore, he could easily position himself as one of the most consistent power hitters in the history of the game. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Junior Caminero’s 40th home run proves extra sweet for Rays

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/why-rays-will-clinch-al-wild-card-spot');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Rays will clinch AL Wild Card spot');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Why-Rays-will-clinch-AL-Wild-Card-spot.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Rays will clinch AL Wild Card spot</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-28T08:35:15-07:00">August 28th, 8:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-28T08:35:15-07:00">August 28th, 8:35am</time><address><a>Garrett Kerman</a>Garrett Kerman also goes by the name of The Fight Analyst. He covers all combat sports, from MMA, to boxing, to even bare-knuckle. He is also very well-versed in all American sports when it comes to news and betting analysis. Whether you want betting advice or some breaking news, Garrett is your guy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays have made a habit of staying in contention year after year, regardless of injuries, payroll limitations, or expectations from the outside world. They epitomize resourcefulness, blending young talent with established pieces in a way that consistently keeps them relevant in the American League playoff picture. As the season barrels toward its finish line, the Rays once again find themselves on the precipice of postseason contention.</p><p>This time, the case for them securing an AL Wild Card spot is built not on one area alone, but rather a balanced mix of steady pitching, emerging offensive forces, and a veteran core that knows how to win meaningful games in September. Between a resilient rotation anchored by Drew Rasmussen, Ryan Pepiot, and Zack Littell, and a lineup headlined by budding phenom Junior Caminero alongside cornerstone bats Yandy Díaz and Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay looks <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-receives-injury-update-amid-al-wild-card-push">primed to lock up October baseball once again</a>.</p><h2>Pitching Resilience and Upside</h2><p>Pitching has long been Tampa Bay’s calling card, and though injuries have tested the depth chart throughout the season, the trio of Rasmussen, Pepiot, and Littell has given the Rays a legitimate backbone in meaningful games.</p><p>Drew Rasmussen has re-established himself as a stabilizing force after shaking off setbacks earlier in the year. While injuries once cast doubt on his long-term durability, Rasmussen is proving he can still be trusted in high-stakes starts. His pitch mix—anchored by a sharp cutter and a fastball that can jump on hitters—has played well against division rivals. Perhaps most importantly, he brings postseason experience and composure, qualities that can be the difference in September’s pressure-filled environments.</p><p>Ryan Pepiot has emerged as one of the shrewdest acquisitions the Rays have made in recent memory. Arriving from Los Angeles with a reputation for command and swing-and-miss stuff, he’s lived up to the billing. Pepiot’s changeup gives him a true weapon against lefties, while his improving fastball command is helping him pitch deeper into games than evaluators initially projected. He’s the kind of X-factor arm who could give the Rays a puncher’s chance in a potential winner-take-all Wild Card contest.</p><p>Zack Littell, meanwhile, embodies the Rays’ ability to find value overlooked by others. Once a depth piece, Littell has seized a rotation spot and transformed himself into a reliable innings-eater. While he won’t overpower hitters, his ability to mix pitches and avoid damaging walks has kept the Rays in games consistently. Every postseason contender needs a steady arm to bridge stretches when stars aren’t available, and Littell has filled that void seamlessly.</p><p>Together, this group doesn’t carry the name recognition of rotation duos in New York or Houston, but they represent the Rays’ greatest strength: adaptability. No matter how the matchups shake out, this trio offers a blend of stability and upside that makes Tampa Bay dangerous down the stretch.</p><h2>A Blend of Power and Consistency</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Junior-Caminero.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The beauty of the Rays’ offense lies in its variety. On any given night, the lineup mixes the discipline of Yandy Díaz, the left-handed power punch of Brandon Lowe, and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-junior-caminero-makes-22-year-old-history">rising superstar qualities of Junior Caminero</a>.</p><p>Yandy Díaz, the reigning batting champ, continues to serve as Tampa Bay’s offensive compass. His bat-to-ball skills, patient approach, and gap power bring balance to a lineup that can otherwise skew heavily toward streaky power. Opposing pitchers know they cannot simply attack Díaz with fastballs in the zone—he’ll find ways to wear them down and lengthen at-bats, often providing the spark for a rally.</p><p>Brandon Lowe has battled through ups and downs but remains one of the American League’s more underrated power threats. His ability to drive balls into the right-field seats forces managers to account for him in the middle of the order. In a Wild Card race, games often turn on a single swing, and Lowe’s left-handed pop is the kind that changes the outcome instantly.</p><p>Junior Caminero is the true wild card in this lineup. Still early in his big-league journey, Caminero has shown flashes of the raw talent that made him one of baseball’s top prospects. His bat speed and natural ability to square up velocity make him a must-watch presence in every at-bat. If he settles into a groove down the stretch, the Rays will suddenly boast a lineup that combines veteran stability with young, game-changing upside.</p><p>The trio’s importance is magnified by Tampa Bay’s ability to piece together complementary contributions from role players. But when the stakes rise, Díaz’s steadiness, Lowe’s power, and Caminero’s youthful explosiveness provide the diverse offensive profile needed to grind through September and into October.</p><h2>Why the Rays Will Get It Done</h2><p>The Wild Card race often comes down to momentum, health, and timely execution. The Rays are quietly positioned well in all three categories. Their rotation has length and the versatility to manipulate matchups; their lineup is diverse enough to avoid stretches of stagnation; and most of all, their organizational culture is wired for September pressure.</p><p>Year after year, Tampa Bay has shown that it can out-execute bigger-market clubs by thriving in the details—defensive shifts, bullpen management, and situational hitting. With Rasmussen finding his footing, Pepiot blossoming, and Littell providing reliable innings, the pitching staff looks capable of keeping opposing offenses in check. On the hitting side, a solid foundation of Díaz and Lowe anchored by the electricity of Caminero gives Tampa Bay the formula for late-season success.</p><p>While division rivals may hog headlines, the Rays have the ingredients to sneak up once more, exploit their strengths, and hold firm in the standings. Given the balance of their roster and their proven track record in tight races, it’s hard to bet against them finishing among the AL’s postseason field.</p><p>Bottom line: The Rays’ mix of steady pitching and versatile offense gives them the clear tools to secure an AL Wild Card spot. Even in a deep and competitive American League, Tampa Bay’s blueprint for success is already written—and it points firmly toward October baseball.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Rays will clinch AL Wild Card spot

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-receives-injury-update-amid-al-wild-card-push');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays receive injury update amid AL Wild Card push');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Rays-SS-Ha-Seong-Kim.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays receive injury update amid AL Wild Card push</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-27T11:11:10-07:00">August 27th, 11:11am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-27T11:11:10-07:00">August 27th, 11:11am</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While the Tampa Bay <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-carson-williams-brings-fireworks-1st-mlb-home-run">Rays haven’t been able to</a> maintain their excellent form from earlier this season, the team is still in the hunt for a postseason spot. They are six and a half games out from the final AL Wild Card spot, currently held by the Seattle Mariners. Tampa Bay’s division rivals, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, hold the top two Wild Card slots. As the Rays continue to chase down this unlikely playoff berth, team beat reporter Ryan Bass provided <a href="https://x.com/Ry_Bass/status/1960737082449780976" rel="noopener">an injury update on</a> shortstop Ha-Seong Kim via X (formerly Twitter).</p><p>“#Rays SS Ha-Seong Kim took infield ground balls today and looked comfortable after treatment for back inflammation,” reported Bass on Wednesday. “Kevin Cash said he’s in a better spot and they’re ‘happy with the progression’. He’s eligible to come off the IL in Washington.”</p><p>If <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-ha-seong-kim-encouraging-update-landing-il">Kim does indeed come off</a> the IL in Washington, then the Rays will have yet another contributor back for the postseason push. Shortstop Carson Williams, one of the team’s top prospects, was promoted a few days ago. Kim has only been on the IL for a short time, and the main question is, will the team demote Williams back to Triple-A? If so, would the Rays be shooting themselves in the foot at a time where all hands on deck will be needed. Can the Rays give enough time at shortstop to Kim and Williams in order to maximize their chances during their latest push?</p><h2><b>Who will start at shortstop for Rays over the next few weeks?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Rays-SS-Carson-Williams_ae2e18.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-rays-dealt-ha-seong-kim-dealt-injury-update">Kim’s tenure with the Rays</a> has been marred by injury. Manager Kevin Cash used defensive specialist Taylor Walls and the versatile Jose Caballero helped fill the void for most of that time. However, the Rays traded Caballero to the Yankees before the deadline, and now, Walls is also on the IL. So, when Kim went down this time, it was Williams who got the call.</p><p>It’s safe to say that the hope is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-calling-up-top-prospect-as-playoff-hopes-fade">Williams will be the team’s</a> long-term shortstop. Third baseman Junior Caminero has had one of the best offensive seasons in Tampa Bay history, and he’s only a rookie. The sky is the limit for Caminero, and many believe that Williams will join him there. Will Cash elect to go with Kim for the potential veteran stability? Or will the Rays go all-in on their playoff push by handing the starting shortstop reins to Williams?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays receive injury update amid AL Wild Card push

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-junior-caminero-makes-22-year-old-history');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays’ Junior Caminero makes 22-year-old history');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Rays-3B-Junior-Caminero-hits-2-run-HR-against-Guardians.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays’ Junior Caminero makes 22-year-old history</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-26T06:36:35-07:00">August 26th, 6:36am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-26T06:36:35-07:00">August 26th, 6:36am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero just made history at 22 years old, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-junior-caminero-elite-company-2-hr-angels">launching yet another home run to fuel his incredible streak</a>. For a team searching for a spark, the Rays have found one in their precocious young slugger. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-junior-caminero-home-run-history-post-derby">Caminero continues to rewrite the record books</a>, one swing at a time.</p><p>What sets this run apart is the context. Junior Caminero <a href="https://x.com/OptaSTATS/status/1960159189927420170" rel="noopener">became the first right-handed batter</a> age 22 or younger to hit 11 or more home runs in a 16-game span since Bob Horner in July 1980. That’s elite company and a rare bridge across 45 years of power-hitting history. It’s not just about volume; it’s the consistency and speed of his impact, game after game.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">RHB Age-22 or Younger With 11+ Home Runs in a 16-Game Span – All-Time (based on age at end of span)</p><p>Junior Caminero         August 2025<br>Bob Horner                   July 1980 <a href="https://t.co/Nphh5OJpZV">pic.twitter.com/Nphh5OJpZV</a></p><p>— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) <a href="https://twitter.com/OptaSTATS/status/1960159189927420170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>On Monday in Progressive Field, Caminero delivered his most dominant performance yet. The 22-year-old went 4-for-5 with a single, a double, two homers, four runs, and a stolen base. His explosive outing powered a 9–0 victory and extended a torrid August. Caminero now has 39 home runs this season, including a majors-leading 12 in August. Even more impressive, he has 11 homers in his last 16 games, a blistering pace by any standard.</p><p>How he’s doing it makes it even more remarkable. Caminero is crushing high velocity, punishing inside mistakes, and staying on breaking balls with ease. His opposite-field power and aggressive baserunning make him a complete offensive threat. These skills translate perfectly to October baseball, where every swing counts.</p><p>For the Rays, the impact is immediate. Pitchers must adjust, teammates see better pitches, and the dugout energy soars when the ball jumps off his bat.</p><p>Junior Caminero has transformed a red-hot August into a defining moment in Rays history. If his approach holds and he stays healthy, the next chapter could be even louder, and just as thrilling for Rays fans. With September approaching, he might just add a few more exclamation points to his breakout season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays’ Junior Caminero makes 22-year-old history

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-carson-williams-brings-fireworks-1st-mlb-home-run');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays SS Carson Williams brings the fireworks with 1st MLB home run');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Carson-Williams-cover.jpg"></figure><h1>Rays SS Carson Williams brings the fireworks with 1st MLB home run</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-22T20:36:16-07:00">August 22nd, 8:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-22T20:36:16-07:00">August 22nd, 8:36pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Carson Williams wasted no time announcing his arrival in the big leagues. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-rays-players-hyped-top-prospect-call-up">The Tampa Bay Rays’ top prospect delivered a debut to remember</a> Friday night, crushing a two-run homer in the seventh inning to help power a 10-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The blast, a 410-foot shot to center, <a href="https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/carson-williams-homers-big-league-025833625.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHjOsaBa_y7cQHf96QSQiM7WJmj_TiFJqTeXsGjvXlmvIxmP9CuHH0jBWLcPeMZQyGwADnU8CgUiGtfEYYpXzpqwYqSyPameNp9UVCFDqMiYpLArL-xwLvmFHXsKEXgm8yUTlCmyUjZOeeeQw1FgluoiJMo2pFdcWUFbeH7MkONd" rel="noopener">made him just the ninth player</a> in franchise history to homer in his MLB debut.</p><p>Williams, 22, also chipped in an RBI infield single earlier in the game, finishing 2-for-4 with three RBIs and three trips on base. His first knock came in the third inning, when his sharp grounder glanced off Masyn Winn’s glove, plating a run. In the stands, his parents, longtime trainer, agent, and nearly a dozen relatives erupted in celebration as their son delivered one of baseball’s great milestones.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Carson Williams DEMOLISHES this ball for his first HR of his career in his MLB debut 🔥</p><p>What a moment! <br> <a href="https://t.co/bQZt09TEVr">pic.twitter.com/bQZt09TEVr</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1959074784287105382?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Being his father, his hard work and his effort — first to show, last to leave — and everything he puts into the game and what a great team player he is, this is a dream come true,” Greg Williams said, visibly emotional as he watched his son live out a lifelong dream.</p><h2><b>Carson Williams leads Rays to win in MLB Debut</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Carson-Williams.jpg"><figcaption>Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It wasn’t just a family moment, either. The homer came at a crucial point in the game. The Rays had seen their early 7-1 cushion trimmed to 7-6 after a flurry of Cardinals runs in the top of the seventh. Williams stepped in during the bottom half and answered emphatically, blasting his first career homer to restore breathing room.</p><p>Williams’ call-up on Thursday came out of necessity. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-ha-seong-kim-encouraging-update-landing-il">With Ha-Seong Kim (back inflammation) and Taylor Walls (groin strain) both sidelined</a>, the Rays needed stability at shortstop. But Tampa Bay also recognized the opportunity to unleash one of the most talented players in their system. Taken 28th overall in the 2021 draft, Williams is considered a glove-first shortstop with plus speed and major raw power. Evaluators have long debated how much his high strikeout totals might cap his ceiling, but his upside has always been tantalizing.</p><p>His debut only added to the intrigue. Williams looked confident at the plate, showed off his range in the field, and even shrugged off being picked off after his infield hit in the third inning. The nerves were there, but so was the poise. “There’s nerves, there’s excitement,” Williams admitted after the game. “It’s a whole whirlwind of emotions, and it’s all amazing.”</p><p>The Rays, meanwhile, badly needed a spark. Coming in on a four-game skid and buried 6.5 games out of the Wild Card race, Tampa Bay was desperate for something to reignite energy around the team. Alongside homers from Brandon Lowe, Tristan Gray, and All-Star Junior Caminero, Williams provided just that.</p><p>The victory lifted the Rays to 62-67 and gave them a chance to win the series when play resumes Sunday after a rare Saturday off. Whether or not Williams can singlehandedly keep Tampa Bay in the playoff hunt, his debut was a reminder of what the future might look like: powerful, dynamic, and impossible to ignore.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays SS Carson Williams brings the fireworks with 1st MLB home run

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bays-tropicana-field-gets-pivotal-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays’ Tropicana Field gets pivotal update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Tropicana-Field.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: © Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays’ Tropicana Field gets pivotal update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-22T11:14:28-07:00">August 22nd, 11:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-22T11:14:28-07:00">August 22nd, 11:14am</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The last seven games have been quite a nice sample size of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-rays-players-hyped-top-prospect-call-up">Tampa Bay Rays 2025 season.</a> The Rays enter Friday night’s matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals losers of four straight. Before that, Tampa Bay won three straight. As the team continues playing their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, it’s clear that playing here for another season or longer would be problematic. Luckily, the team’s home, Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, should be completed in the next few months. The City of St. Petersburg shared via X (formerly Twitter) that the first of the Trop’s roof panels are <a href="https://x.com/StPeteFL/status/1958912506400796762" rel="noopener">being installed this week.</a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Roof repairs at Tropicana Field are well underway! The first of 24 roof panels is being installed this week, and the project is on track for completion by the end of December. </p><p>Stay tuned for more updates, St. Pete! <a href="https://t.co/EKKzWKDKnq">pic.twitter.com/EKKzWKDKnq</a></p><p>— St. Petersburg, FL (@StPeteFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/StPeteFL/status/1958912506400796762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Roof repairs at Tropicana Field are well underway!” posted the city’s official account on Friday. “The first of 24 roof panels is being installed this week, and the project is on track for completion by the end of December. Stay tuned for more updates, St. Pete!”</p><p>If the timeline that the city shared is correct, then <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tropicana-field-unfortunate-2025-update">the Rays should be back</a> in their home by the new year. It would give the Rays organization and its fans the only stadium its ever known back. While Tampa Bay likely won’t be playing in the Trop for too much longer, it’s much better than playing at Steinbrenner. Nevertheless, the Rays will finish this season at the New York Yankees’ spring training home. Can they finish 2025 on a high note?</p><h2><b>Rays’ stint at Steinbrenner Field has been up and down</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Rays-at-George-M.-Steinbrenner-Field.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-new-york-ties-franchise-record-with-insane-home-run-performance-vs-rays">the Rays have been able</a> to use the dimensions of Steinbrenner Field to their advantage for most of the season, so have their opponents. The stadium usually plays host to the Yankees’ Low-A affiliate in addition to spring training, but the minor leaguers are playing across the street at New York’s minor-league complex. So, it’s safe to say that even though the Rays now have a good amount of experience hitting at what fans call “Trop East,” their opponents do as well. After all, Steinbrenner is essentially a little version of Yankee Stadium.</p><p>Nevertheless, it was fun to consider how the Rays would host postseason baseball there earlier this summer. For most of the season’s first half, they were vying for an AL playoff spot. In fact, they weren’t too far away from the Yankees’ division lead back in the first half. Now, as the team has fallen slowly apart, they can look forward to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-issue-statement-on-tropicana-field-damage-from-hurricane-milton">returning to Tropicana Field</a> once again next season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays’ Tropicana Field gets pivotal update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-rays-players-hyped-top-prospect-call-up');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays players ‘hyped’ about top prospect call-up');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Carson-Williams-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Rays players ‘hyped’ about top prospect call-up</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-21T23:10:45-07:00">August 21st, 11:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-21T23:10:45-07:00">August 21st, 11:10pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-calling-up-top-prospect-as-playoff-hopes-fade">Tampa Bay Rays are turning to their top prospect at a critical point</a> in their season. Shortstop Carson Williams, the organization’s No. 1 prospect and one of the most highly regarded young talents in baseball, was officially called up before Tampa Bay’s series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals. Williams’ arrival has energized the clubhouse. “He’s one of the best baseball players I’ve seen,” first baseman Bob Seymour said. “He’s going to do great.”</p><p>The 22-year-old received the news of his promotion Thursday morning from his Durham Bulls manager, Morgan Ensberg. What followed was a whirlwind travel day—flights from Pennsylvania to North Carolina to Tampa—before he landed in the Rays’ dugout during the second inning of their 7-4 loss.</p><p>“There’s nerves, there’s excitement,” Williams said afterward. “It’s a whole whirlwind of emotions, and it’s all amazing.”  The timing of Williams’ promotion coincides with Tampa Bay’s need for stability at shortstop. Both Taylor Walls and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-ha-seong-kim-encouraging-update-landing-il">Ha-Seong Kim (low back inflammation, now on the 10-day IL)</a> are sidelined, leaving an immediate opening.</p><p>Manager Kevin Cash praised how the prospect has handled the pressure of expectations. “The pressure that rightfully he put on himself, and the pressure that everybody else put on him coming into [Spring Training] and being ‘the guy,’ I think he’s handled it really, really well.”</p><h2><b>Rays call up their top prospect in hopes of a playoff boost</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Carson-Williams-2.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Williams, taken 28th overall in the 2021 Draft, offers a combination of defense, power, and speed rarely seen in a single player. A Minor League Gold Glove winner, he’s recorded three straight 20-home run, 20-steal seasons in the minors. This year with Triple-A Durham, he became the only player at that level to reach both marks again, posting 23 homers and 22 stolen bases before the call-up.</p><p>Teammates are confident his talent will translate. Outfielder Chandler Simpson, who has played alongside Williams since High-A Bowling Green, called him “an MVP, All-Star-caliber player at his best… He’s got all the tools.”</p><p>The road hasn’t been without bumps. Williams endured a brutal start to 2025, hitting just .173 with a .277 on-base percentage in his first 51 games. But he found his footing over the summer, producing a .248/.352/.538 line with 17 home runs in his last 60 games.</p><p>“I would say the adjustment to Triple-A, those first two months were rough,” Williams admitted. “But… finding my way with pitch selection and stacking good at-bats, I felt like I got back to being Carson Williams.”</p><p>Still, strikeouts remain a concern. Williams’ 34.2% strikeout rate ranked among the highest in Triple-A, raising questions about how he’ll handle big league pitching. But his violent swing and ability to punish mistakes make him a high-upside gamble for a Rays team searching for a spark.</p><p>Beyond his skill set, Williams is praised for his character and love of the game. “I think it’s important that you love this game more than anything, because it kicks you right back most of the time,” Williams said. “To go out and give it everything you’ve got every day, it’s what it’s all about.”</p><p>For a Rays team sitting on the edge of playoff contention, Williams represents both a short-term boost and a long-term building block. And if the hype around him proves true, Tampa Bay may have just added a game-changer at the perfect time.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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