Tampa Bay Rays Fantasy: Importance of elite SPs in 60-game season

Tampa Bay Rays – Charlie Morton in 60 Games

Through the first 60 games, last season, Rays’ ace Charlie Morton racked up 74.1 innings (13% fewer innings than Scherzer) and posted a 2.30 ERA and 91 strikeouts. While he’s been extremely effective the past few seasons, Morton has never been a true workhorse pitcher. Entering his age-36 season, he’s never crossed the 200-innings threshold in his career.

The Tampa Bay Rays are not keen on risking overuse with their pitchers, so it should be interesting to see how it’s handled this season. The Rays trust their bullpen, which led all of baseball in ERA last season.

That being said, the Rays have a vesting option on Morton in 2021 and he’s hinted at possibly hanging up the cleats after this season. With his status uncertain beyond this year, it’s possible the Rays squeeze a few extra innings than they typically would out of Morton’s arm.

With his ratios (ERA, K/9, WHIP) Morton could be a steal as ESPN’s 13th-overall pitcher.

Five or six starters will carry you to your innings limit this year (assuming leagues keep typical numbers). Ensuring you get two or three elite pitchers at the top and breakout players like Tyler Glasnow near the middle or bottom of your rotation could be the difference in winning and losing your fantasy leagues this season.

From a team perspective, it’s good to see the Rays place two pitchers inside the top 20. You know as well as I do that Tyler Glasnow could very well end up firmly entrenched in this group as one o the game’s best young pitchers.

So, try and nab one of the top four and supplement him with Rays pitchers and you should be in good shape!