Why The Rays Will Not Win The AL East

There has been a lot of speculation this season that the Tampa Bay Rays can return to their 2008 form and overtake the Yankees and Red Sox. Writers have been naming players like Evan Longoria to win the MVP (which is entirely possible) and carry the ball club. However, there is one word that sums up why the Rays cannot match up with the Yanks and Sox: Pitching.
In 2008, the Rays were the cinderella story of baseball. They had star young players like Longoria and B.J. Upton that were led by veterans such as Carl Crawford and Troy Percival. They were also led by a great pitching staff that included Matt Garza, James Shields, and Scott Kazmir. It was the perfect storm and they rode it all the way to the world series.
Also in 2008, the Yankees failed to reach the playoffs for the first time in ages, and thus were motivated to go on a spending spree in the offseason. Not only did they pick up one of the best offensive players in the game in Mark Teixeira, but they also fortified their rotation with CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. Those two, along with good ‘ol Andy Pettitte, took the Yankees all through October and went on to win the world series.
This too had an effect on a division rival, as the Red Sox also fortified their team over the 2009-10 offseason. They went out and signed the likes of John Lackey, Mike Cameron, Adrian Beltre, and Marco Scutaro. By combining Lackey with their already strong rotation, they have one of the very best rotations in all of baseball.
Another team with one of the best rotations: the Yankees. After trading for Javier Vazquez and finally placing Phil Hughes in there, they are all set for October. This is why the Rays cannot beat the Yankees or Red Sox, their starters just don’t match up. Think about the starting five for the three teams:

Yankees:
1. CC Sabathia
2. A.J. Burnett
3. Andy Pettite
4. Javier Vazquez
5. Phil Hughes

Red Sox:
1. Josh Beckett
2. Jon Lester
3. John Lackey
4. Dice-K
5. Clay Buchholz

Rays:
1. Matt Garza
2. James Shields
3. Jeff Niemann
4. David Price
5. Wade Davis

The Yanks and Sox’s rotations are far superior. If you look at the individual match-ups, the only way the Rays could theoretically win is if Price and Davis finally start pitching their potential. Until then, the Rays will remain in 3rd place, and out of the playoffs while the Yankees and Red Sox fight it out at the top.