Series Preview: Tampa Bay Rays vs Toronto Blue Jays

We are down to 13 regular season games remaining for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2025 and there isn’t much reason left to watch this team. Over the next two weeks, players will be putting their best effort forward to finish the season on a high note and maybe reach a few milestones.

Junior Caminero is the breakout star on the roster and enters play with 44 HR, just two shy of Carlos Pena’s single-single season HR record that he set in 2007. Carson Williams is receiving a shot as the everyday shortstop as a precursor

to potentially being the Rays Opening Day shortstop in 2026. Ian Seymour is fighting for a spot in the starting rotation after two terrific years in Triple-A. So there are a couple of things to watch for, but the playoff chase is not one of them.

The Rays have just dropped two of three to the Cubs and have now lost three series in a row; their record has fallen back to 73-76 and they are 7.5 games back in the Wild Card chase.

The Toronto Blue Jays meanwhile have a solid 4 game lead in the American League East with a record of 87-62. Toronto enters play victorious over their last four games and haven’t lost a series since the start of September.

The Blue Jays aren’t being led by one player, but rather an entire team of solid contributers . A trio of players are nearly tied for the team lead in fWAR, but 35-year old George Springer currently has the edge. He is hitting .303/.395/.554 with 29 HR, registering a 162 wRC+ and 4.4 fWAR while Vladmir Guerrero Jr (147 wRC+ | 4.3 fWAR) & Alejandro Kirk (118 wRC+ | 4.2 fWAR) are right behind him. Bo Bichette isn’t far behind and then you have Ernie Clemente, Addison Barger, Tyler Heineman, and Dalton Varsho all having solid campaigns as well.

On the mound, Kevin Gausman has been one of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball, entering play with a 3.44 ERA | 3.57 FIP and 3.5 fWAR over 177 2/3 IP. Chris Bassitt and Jose Berrios have complimented him nicely in the starting rotation.

Frivolities

The top players by career bWAR to have played for the Rays and Blue Jays:

Fred McGriff
Jose Bautista
Kevin Kiermaier
David Price
Jose Canseco

The Rays best player offensively against the Blue Jays all-time (min. 25 PA):
- Felix Escalona: .520/.538/.760 with 0 HR over 27 PA
  - The next four are Mikie Mahtook, Kelly Johnson, Avisail Garcia, & Bubba Trammell
The Rays most previous transacation with the Blue Jays:
- 1/23/25: Rays claim Brandon Eisert off of waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays
The Rays first transaction with the Blue Jays:
- 7/31/00: Rays trade Mark Guthrie & Steve Trachsel to the Blue Jays for Brent Abernathy