3 things the Rays need in 2024 to get deeper into the playoffs

2. Josh Lowe and Isaac Paredes pick up where they left off

When the Rays awarded outfielder Josh Lowe a spot on the 2023 opening day roster, I'm sure that they were expecting a leap forward in production in comparison to his 2022 stats, but not to the magnitude in which he did. Lowe had a full-fledged breakout campaign in 2023. He improved in just about every category thinkable. From 2022 to 2023, his batting average skyrocketed from .221 to .291. His On Base Percentage improved from .284 to .335. He went from two home runs in 181 At Bats to 20 homers in 466 At Bats. Lastly, Lowe's slugging percentage soared from .343 to .500.

Lowe completely blew the doors off of his expectation in 2023, and would continue to be a massive key to this Rays lineup in 2024 if he can produce anything close to what he displayed this season. Another pleasant surprise to this Rays club in 2023 was third baseman Isaac Parededs. The Rays clearly had high hopes for Paredes given that they dealt Austin Meadows to the Detroit Tigers to acquire him.

He is another member of the 2023 Rays that smashed expectations this year, and he did it by smashing the baseball. Paredes led the team in home runs this season with a total of 31. If Lowe and Paredes pick up where they left off next season, the Rays will roll out a lineup next season that can explode on any given night.