Rays Dirty Dozen: SP Depth Leads Rays into 2016

Oct 4, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Matt Moore (55) throws a pitch during the second inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

LHP Matt Moore – 26 years old

Moore needs to prove to everyone – including himself – that he can last an entire season in the rotation while regaining his dominance on the mound. Steamer is optimistic that he’ll be able to do just that, giving him a 1.3 WAR rating for 2016 despite a low 118 IP expectation. He threw 114 innings in 2016, which should allow him to pitch all season with few restrictions. With the way Moore improved  when healthy in 2015, it’s easy to put high expectations on him for this season.

If he is able to remain healthy, having two dominant LHP like Smyly and Moore would truly put the Rays in a great position to dominate on the mound. However, Moore needs to improve his length in games as his just above 5 IP per start average doesn’t do the pen any favours. Thankfully, his last four starts of 2015 – his only ones with more than 6 IP – all reached or exceeded the 6 IP mark and indicated he could be in store for a huge 2016 season.

Next: First to be called upon will be at #6