3 reasons to believe Rays offense can turn things around

No, I'm not going to spend the next few paragraphs condescendingly explaining how this offense is actually playing really well and you should feel good about their 9-14 record.

What I will try to do instead is instill a bit of hope into what has at times felt like a bit of a slog of a season.

The new ballpark has been weird with all of the quirks of the short porch in right, as well as some very fascinating results being produced in terms of pitch movement and the other environmental factors that are still being figured out because this is the first season of major league baseball being played at this park.

But, the Rays have been unable to capitalize enough on those quirks to turn them into wins.

Here are some reasons this lineup could still turn things around and submit a quality 2025 season.

1. Chandler Simpson is now in the majors

You want to talk about a jolt of energy, Chandler Simpson is certainly that.

The former Georgia Tech man was finally called up to take his rightful place as the Rays' starting center fielder, and he's been a whole lot of fun to watch, swiping bags and flying around the basepaths like a man with his head on fire.

Simpson can provide energy for the top of the lineup, but he can also shift some guys down, specifically the struggling Yandy Diaz.

Now Yandy can move down in the order and perhaps try to emerge from this slump he's started the season on from a less pressure-filled spot than leadoff.

2. They have good under-the-hood metrics

Notice I didn't say great; they are 8th in baseball in average exit velocity, and 12th in xwOBA.

Both fine-to-good marks.

But, what can stand out is the fact that they're putting together good plate appearances in terms of swinging at the right pitches.

They're 5th in baseball in both meatball rate and meatball swing rate, meaning not only are they getting good pitches to hit at a high rate, they're also swinging at them quite often.

Add those facts in with the good exit velocity and expected numbers, and you've got a team that could very well become at least a serviceable ballclub offensively in terms of results.

3. There should be some regression coming their way

Now, this is both a good and a bad thing; Jonathan Aranda has been one of the best hitters in baseball to this point.

Yandy and Brandon Lowe, well, have not, as they're both over 20 points below league average in wRC+.

But the good news with that second group is that neither has been as bad as the results would say, with Yandy sporting a very nice squared-up rate and B-Lowe posting very good expected numbers. They have enough of a track record in this department to believe that they can turn things around (if Lowe stays healthy).

Unfortunately for Aranda, the likelihood that he remains a near-.450 OBP guy for the rest of the season isn't high; that's not sustainable for anyone this side of Barry Bonds when he was juicing.

So, the hope is that while Aranda might fall into becoming a bit more of an above-average hitter than the superstar he is right now, Yandy and B-Lowe will also regress back to where their true talent levels should be, which are also above-average hitters.

And if that's the case, and both of the Rays' best hitters can start playing like it at the top of the lineup, then the idea that Taylor Walls is costing them games should go out of our minds, as it won't matter if he's the worst hitter in baseball (plus Ha-Seong Kim should be here soon! Hooray!).

If that all happens, and the pitching staff can stay the course and continue to pitch pretty well, the Rays could still be a very fun playoff team.