Beasts In The Easts: Rays Starting Rotation vs. the AL East

The Tampa Bay Rays are in for a battle this season.

From top to bottom, the division will be competitive, and although a team like Boston may have taken a step back, they still feature some names that the Rays will have to battle throughout the year, especially with how big some of the rivalries are with the club.

With that being said, MLB's Twitter posted a tweet hyping up the Rays' potential 2023 rotation and how lethal it could be, but with that said, the division has improved, with some teams loading up on pitching, which is where we look at how the rotation stacks up against others in the AL East.

With that being said, here is the 2023 starting rotation depth chart, according to the Tampa Bay Rays roster on the team's website: Shane McClanahan, Tyler Glasnow, Zach Eflin, Drew Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs, Yonny Chirinos, Luis Patino, and Josh Fleming.

vs. New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are always known to have a busy offseason, and this year was no different, adding a piece to their rotation in the form of Carlos Rondon, someone who should be a key addition for the staff this season.

Comparing the Yankees' rotation to the Rays', both teams carry a very formidable staff, with the Yanks featuring Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino, Frankie Montas, and Domingo German with the aforementioned Rondon.

Although the Yankees feature the big names, the Rays are arguably one of the "dark horse" teams in terms of their staff having a big season.

With three under 3.00 ERA starters returning in McClanahan, Rasmussen, and Springs, as well as the additions and returns of Eflin and Glasnow for the entire season, the Rays are shaping up to have a deeper pitching staff than the Yankees, even if the Yankees have the flashier names.

The ones set back will be some of the bottom of the rotation pieces that the Rays have as pitchers such as Patino and Chirinos have worked off of small sample sizes due to injuries the last few seasons, resulting in uncertainty compared to New York's bottom half, which features German and Montas, who could be a 1-2 punch in a smaller market rotation.

vs. New York Yankees: WIN

YANKEES DEPTH CHART

vs. Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays may only have six starters compared to the eight potential starters the Rays carry on their current depth chart, but the fact of the matter is, the Jays are stacked in their rotation.

With a rotation that includes Manoah (runner-up in the 2022 Cy Young voting), Gausman, Berrios, Ryu, Kikuchi, and the addition of Chris Bassitt, the Blue Jays may have the best rotation in baseball from top to bottom. 

Although there is some concern about how Ryu will perform after returning from "Tommy John surgery in the middle of the season", there is still some starter-type talent in this rotation that will lead this team very far in the MLB this season. 

If Ryu can get back to seasoned form at the ripe age of 35 and if Kikuchi can have an all-star potential season, there is no telling what Toronto can do.

Stacking their rotation against the Rays is tough, with the club featuring great arms in McClanahan, Glasnow, Rasmussen, Eflin, and Springs; however, with the veteran experience, the Jays come in with a tough rotation to bat against.

vs. Toronto Blue Jays: Loss

BLUE JAYS DEPTH CHART

vs. Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore comes into the East this season with potential.

Many people are wondering if the Orioles are for real after an 83-win season last year that saw a team resurgence down the stretch. 

While the team has some enticing prospects in the system and at the big-league level, there is some uncertainty in the starting rotation in 2023, especially when compared to a team like the Rays. 

Both of these clubs are in similar financial situations, so bringing in a big-name player is usually out of the question. However, the Orioles have some young talent on the staff, including Cole Irvin and Dean Kremer, as well as some veteran leadership in Kyle Gibson and John Means. 

Although there are eyes on this team heading into 2023, the expectations aren't on the same level in the rotation as they are in the lineup and on the field.

The Rays setup better with the rotation not only in terms of numbers compared to the O's but just in terms of reliability, and that is something that Baltimore will need to figure out in terms of which starter is going to be the one they rely on heavily.

vs. Baltimore Orioles: WIN

ORIOLES DEPTH CHART