ST. PETERSBURG — Tampa Bay’s offense settled into its best shape when Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero took over the first three slots in the order. The trio carried that alignment into October, with Aranda’s solo homer helping the Rays beat the Yankees in Saturday’s AL Division Series opener.
The result
The Rays will return for ALDS Game 2 on Monday at 8 p.m. ET, with the game airing on TBS, truTV, UniMas and HBO Max. Their Game 1 win came with the same core that emerged as the club’s offensive backbone during the regular season.
It took Tampa Bay much of the first half to find the right batting-order fit. By late June, hitting coach Chad Mottola had made his case to manager Kevin Cash: Díaz should lead off, Aranda should follow from the left side, and Caminero should hit third.
Díaz is not a conventional leadoff man because speed is not the centerpiece of his game. But Mottola saw a hitter capable of giving the Rays a polished at-bat to begin an inning and, just as importantly, gaining the extra plate appearances that come with batting first.
“Yandy has always taken very professional at-bats,” Mottola said. “Getting him up more often is a good thing. Johnny fits well behind him as a left-handed hitter, and Camby is not someone pitchers can simply work around. He can do damage even on pitches off the plate.”
The arrangement gave opponents three very different problems in succession. Díaz supplied contact and on-base ability, Aranda provided a left-handed threat with run-producing value, and Caminero brought the kind of power that can change an inning with one swing.
| Rays hitter | Regular-season production |
|---|---|
| Yandy Díaz | American League-leading 180 hits; .293 average, third in the AL |
| Jonathan Aranda | 159 hits, eighth in the AL; 92 RBIs, tied for ninth |
| Junior Caminero | 42 home runs, tied for second; 101 RBIs, third; .524 slugging percentage, third; .884 OPS, fifth |
Tampa Bay finished second in the Majors with a .258 team batting average and ranked second in the American League with a .728 OPS. Díaz, Aranda and Caminero were at the center of that production.
“We combine bat speed and strength, even though we are not loaded with pure power hitters,” Díaz said. “Caminero, Aranda and I have worked very well together, and that has been important in the wins we have earned.”
Chandler Simpson also spent time atop the order, but his splits illustrated why Díaz became the more regular choice. Simpson hit .250, going 39-for-156, as the leadoff hitter. From the fifth through ninth positions, he batted .332 with 127 hits in 383 at-bats.
Simpson has watched the three-man unit from close range and sees the contrast in their styles.
“Together, they are remarkable,” Simpson said. “They are all different players, but each one has a huge effect on the club. They are the engine that gets us going and creates a lot of our wins.”
Díaz has built a strong record in the leadoff role over his career, posting a .299/.369/.462 line and an .831 OPS across 2,562 plate appearances from that spot. The group also makes pitchers work. Caminero drew a team-high 79 walks, followed by Aranda’s 69 and Díaz’s 56, allowing the hitters behind them to get an early look at an opponent’s plan.
Aranda has particularly studied Díaz’s approach, both in the batter’s box and away from the game. Watching Díaz navigate rough stretches has strengthened Aranda’s belief that the veteran is among the game’s best hitters.
Caminero presents another kind of challenge. His ability has become so routine inside the Rays clubhouse that his teammates are rarely caught off guard by the things he does at third base or at the plate.
“It is exciting to hit between two stars,” Aranda said. “I enjoy watching how they prepare and compete. Their talent is enormous, and I am happy with what we have accomplished together.”
Cash also likes the practical advantage of keeping the three together: the Rays can count on their most productive hitters receiving the maximum number of trips to the plate. Their mix of right-handed and left-handed looks can complicate late bullpen decisions, though Cash noted there may be occasions when Tampa Bay inserts another lefty between them against certain right-handed matchups.
“The numbers support it, and so do the quality at-bats,” Cash said. “For now, that is the group we will keep running out there.”
