End of the Road 2015: Tampa Bay Rays

After their loss on Sunday, the Tampa Bay Rays have been mathematically eliminated from the MLB postseason, meaning that they’ve effectively come to the end of the road in their 2015 season. As we’ll do with each eliminated team this season, let’s give them a send-off that would make Boyz II Men proud.

We’ll look at the highs and lows of their season, what bright spots their future might hold and what questions need answering as they prepare for 2016.

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HIGH POINT: Every team in the AL East had at least one chance to take control of the division. For the Rays, that came on June 20 when they climbed to a season best 10 games over .500. Just about everything was clicking at that point, including Chris Archer. The 26-year-old right-hander would go on to earn his first All-Star bid and remained the team’s best player throughout their up and down season.

LOW POINT: With all five AL East teams bunched tightly together in the first half, Tampa went from first to fourth after losing 14 of 17 games from June 24 to July 9. That stretch started with a 2-8 home stand against Toronto, Boston and Cleveland, and ended with a 1-6 road trip against the Yankees and Royals. Overall, Tampa Bay fared terribly against New York and Kansas City especially, finishing the season 8-18 against them. The Rays also struggled in extra-inning games, losing 13 of 15.

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BEST HIGHLIGHT: Chris Archer struck out double-digit batters nine times this season. That includes a three-start stretch beginning on May 27 where Archer struck out 38 over three starts. The middle outing, a 15-strikeout performance against the Angels, stands out as one of the most dominant games all season because he did it in eight innings on just 105 pitches.

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE: There’s always hope for the Rays as they consistently do a great job developing talent and restocking their minor league system. The loss of Andrew Friedman last offseason was obviously a big one, but Matthew Silverman was able to slide right over from his team president position to head up their baseball operations. That should keep them on the same track. The foundation is strong too with Archer and Evan Longoria serving as centerpieces on both sides.

QUESTION THAT NEEDS ANSWERING: The Rays probably won’t get a good idea until next spring, but they need to know they can count on Matt Moore. Coming off 2014 Tommy John surgery, Moore has been slow to return to form. In 10 starts, he’s posted a 6.48 ERA, which is far from the ace numbers he was putting up before the injury. Drew Smyly is another guy they’d like to stay healthy just to see what his upside might be.

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Previously in this series: Phillies, Braves, Reds, Rockies, Marlins, Brewers, Padres, Diamondbacks, Athletics, White Sox, Tigers, Nationals