Rays: 16 Things to Look Forward To in 2016

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Sep 18, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Smyly (33) throws a pitch during the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Number One Thing to Look Forward to in 2016: Dominant SP

The Rays may not have the budget to go out there and sign the best free agent pitchers in the land, but they certainly develop some of the very best. We recently went through what we dubbed the “Dirty Dozen“, a list of arms ready to contribute in 2016, something that would be hard for any MLB team to match.

The rotation is led by Chris Archer, supported by Drew Smyly and Jake Odorizzi, and finished off with Erasmo Ramirez and Matt Moore. If any of those trail off during the season, they know they can count on Alex Cobb‘s return and/or the use of Alex Colome in a starter’s role.

These seven arms should be able to provide the Rays with a great position to compete in 2016 as they look to remain healthier than they were in 2015. There’s still the possibility of the Rays moving one more arm after they dealt Nate Kearns to the Mariners, but for now we’ll hold comfort in knowing they arguably have the best rotation in the A.L. East.

Next: Number Two Thing to Look Forward to: Improved Pen