Jonathan Aranda continues to be the engine of Tampa Bay’s offense. The Rays first baseman is putting together another All-Star caliber season with 11 home runs and 44 RBIs, helping keep Tampa Bay atop the AL East despite recent struggles and inconsistency throughout the lineup.
The Tampa Bay Rays certainly had a roller coaster week.
After going 2-4 on their recent homestand, the team bounced back nicely with a statement shutout victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday night. As Tampa Bay looks for more consistency across the roster to keep their winning ways going, they should shift their focus toward one player who's making it happen.
Jonathan Aranda.
Over the first 60 games of the season, Aranda has solidified himself as one of the best bats on the roster. He continues to show no signs of slowing down despite the Rays recent slump.
So far this season, he is hitting .276/.385/.472 with 11 home runs. His 44 RBIs are currently the third-best in the American League. The Rays' first baseman is clearly on his way to back-to-back All-Star Appearances.
After just missing out on AL Player of the Month for May, losing to Athletics Nick Kurtz, the disrespect across the league may still be there. But there were not too many players in the majors last month who played as well as Jonathan Aranda did. In May, he posted a 1.025 OPS and a 183 wRC+, well above the league average.
Aranda needs some help, though. Only Yandy Diaz and Junior Caminero have truly been the only bats on the roster that have shown consistency. Cedric Mullins has surged lately, but struggled in a big way to begin his Rays tenure, and Ryan Vilade is starting to make a name for himself. Another proven bat would certainly go a long way.
Aranda and the Rays are back in action on Saturday as they look to win their second game in a row and secure a series win on the road. Shane McClanahan (6-2, 2.45 ERA) will get the start for Tampa Bay and will look to bounce back after a shaky start last time out. He will go up against right-hander Lake Bachar (0-0, 3.45 ERA) for Miami. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 PM EST.
