Tampa Bay has a solid team thanks to a mixture of one of the best pitching staffs in the American League and a decent offense. Let's have a look at their group of hitters and what should be expected out of them in 2012. Check out our MLB baseball predictions for more team previews.
Projected Batting Order
Jose Molina (Catcher) - By signing the 36-year-old Molina the Rays believe they have made an upgrade behind the plate. His greatest asset lies on the defensive side, as he is among the best in the game at throwing out runners. He will not be able to provide much on the offensive end as he has just 29 home runs and 163 RBI in his career, but he did hit a career-high .281 in 55 games with the Blue Jays last year. So he can be a serviceable offensive threat from that viewpoint.
Carlos Pena (First Base) - After playing the 2011 year with the Cubs, Pena came back to the Rays in the winter. He batted just .225 with the Cubs, but he has remained a long ball threat with 28 homers and 80 RBI. In his first 3 years with Tampa Bay, he hit 116 homers from 2007-2009.
Ben Zobrist (Second Base) - After a horrid season in 2010, the 2009 All-Star got back on track with a good showing last season. He batted just .238 with 10 homers and 75 RBI, but managed to bat .269 with 20 homers and 91 RBI. If he manages to stay on track in 2012, he has the potential to bat around .270 with 100 runs, 20 homers, 90 RBI and 20 stolen bases.
Reid Brignac (Shortstop) - Brignac has a lot to give defensively, but his offensive defenciencies are limiting his potential to get to a higher level as a player. He batted an abysmal .193 with only 1 home run and 15 RBI in 249 at-bats.
Evan Longoria (3rd Base) - After a bad start, Longoria ended the year with 31 homers and 99 RBI in 133 games. But his batting average ended up at a lowly .244. At the tender age of 26 though, I would not worry too much about his average, as it should climb back around .285 this year. As he hit his prime, we are likely to see the best of what he needs to offer over the next 5+ years.
Desmond Jennings (Left Field) - Regardless of a rough stretch at the end of the year, Jennings showed some solid potential in the 63 games he played last year. His .259 batting average should improve as the 25-year-old matures and get more experience. The thing that has a lot of people thrilled with this guy's potential is the undeniable fact that he hit 10 homers with 25 RBI and 20 stolen bases in a short time period. Jennings will eventually get a chance to showcase what he can do during the course of a full year.
B.J. Upton (Center Field) - Rumors have been wafting around that the Rays are looking to deal Upton at some specific point this year, but plenty of this will depend upon where the team sits around at the trade cut-off point. Upton's .243 batting average is a direct result of his lack of discipline at the plate, His 161 strikeouts are actually worrying, but his 23 homers, 81 RBI and 36 steals from last season is hard to ignore. He still is just 27, so he has an opportunity to breakout and be an elect player,
Matt Joyce (Right Field) - In his first full year with extended playing time, Joyce has come on strong with a good showing. He batted .277 with 19 homers and 75 RBI over 141 games. He's got a excellent chance to be one of the giant surprises in 2012 if he can improve his game against lefties. (He has just a .196 lifetime average against lefties.)
Projected Batting Order
Jose Molina (Catcher) - By signing the 36-year-old Molina the Rays believe they have made an upgrade behind the plate. His greatest asset lies on the defensive side, as he is among the best in the game at throwing out runners. He will not be able to provide much on the offensive end as he has just 29 home runs and 163 RBI in his career, but he did hit a career-high .281 in 55 games with the Blue Jays last year. So he can be a serviceable offensive threat from that viewpoint.
Carlos Pena (First Base) - After playing the 2011 year with the Cubs, Pena came back to the Rays in the winter. He batted just .225 with the Cubs, but he has remained a long ball threat with 28 homers and 80 RBI. In his first 3 years with Tampa Bay, he hit 116 homers from 2007-2009.
Ben Zobrist (Second Base) - After a horrid season in 2010, the 2009 All-Star got back on track with a good showing last season. He batted just .238 with 10 homers and 75 RBI, but managed to bat .269 with 20 homers and 91 RBI. If he manages to stay on track in 2012, he has the potential to bat around .270 with 100 runs, 20 homers, 90 RBI and 20 stolen bases.
Reid Brignac (Shortstop) - Brignac has a lot to give defensively, but his offensive defenciencies are limiting his potential to get to a higher level as a player. He batted an abysmal .193 with only 1 home run and 15 RBI in 249 at-bats.
Evan Longoria (3rd Base) - After a bad start, Longoria ended the year with 31 homers and 99 RBI in 133 games. But his batting average ended up at a lowly .244. At the tender age of 26 though, I would not worry too much about his average, as it should climb back around .285 this year. As he hit his prime, we are likely to see the best of what he needs to offer over the next 5+ years.
Desmond Jennings (Left Field) - Regardless of a rough stretch at the end of the year, Jennings showed some solid potential in the 63 games he played last year. His .259 batting average should improve as the 25-year-old matures and get more experience. The thing that has a lot of people thrilled with this guy's potential is the undeniable fact that he hit 10 homers with 25 RBI and 20 stolen bases in a short time period. Jennings will eventually get a chance to showcase what he can do during the course of a full year.
B.J. Upton (Center Field) - Rumors have been wafting around that the Rays are looking to deal Upton at some specific point this year, but plenty of this will depend upon where the team sits around at the trade cut-off point. Upton's .243 batting average is a direct result of his lack of discipline at the plate, His 161 strikeouts are actually worrying, but his 23 homers, 81 RBI and 36 steals from last season is hard to ignore. He still is just 27, so he has an opportunity to breakout and be an elect player,
Matt Joyce (Right Field) - In his first full year with extended playing time, Joyce has come on strong with a good showing. He batted .277 with 19 homers and 75 RBI over 141 games. He's got a excellent chance to be one of the giant surprises in 2012 if he can improve his game against lefties. (He has just a .196 lifetime average against lefties.)
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