The Rays have spent late August and September leaning on the kind of support pieces that can change a team’s shape in a hurry. Victor Mesa Jr. has been scorching the ball and locking himself into a starting role after being named AL Player of the Week. Ian Seymour just carved up the Astros with 10 strikeouts last weekend and is lining himself up for meaningful postseason innings.
Then there’s Richie Palacios, whose bat has suddenly become one of the more interesting developments in the lineup.
This isn’t a giant sample, but it’s enough to turn heads. Over his last 51 plate appearances across the past three weeks, Palacios has played like one of the hottest hitters around, putting up a 134 wRC+. The Rays have long believed there was more offense in him than the stat line had shown, and now he’s starting to back that up with real adjustments rather than a short burst of luck.
What stands out first is the strikeout-to-walk profile. Palacios has always had a feel for the strike zone, and that was part of the original appeal in his scouting reports. His 14.2 walk percentage in 2024, his best season at the plate with Tampa Bay, ranked sixth in the majors among players with at least 300 plate appearances.
But the current version looks different. He’s sitting on a 7.8 walk percentage with a 9.8 strikeout percentage in this run, a sign that he’s seeing the ball well and controlling at-bats in a way that goes beyond the usual patient approach. The twist is that the discipline is now showing up in a more aggressive swing pattern, not just more takes.
That’s the real shift. Pitchers have started coming at Palacios in the zone, expecting him to keep letting pitches pass.
Instead, he’s attacking earlier and more often than he has at any point in his career. During this stretch, he has posted a 96.4% heart zone contact percentage, a clear sign that when he’s getting pitches to hit, he’s not missing them.
The power spike drives the point home. Palacios hit five home runs in 10 games during this stretch, matching the total he produced across the first five months of the season. He also entered September with five homers from March through August in 104 games, then added five more in September alone.
That’s why this run feels different from a simple hot streak. Palacios hasn’t just gotten results; he’s altered the way pitchers have to deal with him.
He’s swinging more, damaging more, and forcing opponents to rethink the same scouting report that used to describe him. If this is the new baseline, the Rays may have found a version of Palacios that travels well into October.
In Other News...
Rays Move On From Pitcher Still Trying To Rebound From Surgery
The Rays have made another roster move involving a pitcher still working his way back from surgery, with right-hander Michael Grove claimed off waivers by Atlanta and sent to Triple-A Gwinnett. Tampa Bay had designated Grove for assignment earlier, and he had spent time pitching in both the majors and minors this season as he tried to regain his footing after the operation.
Atlantas interest was practical as much as anything else, coming as the Braves look for extra pitching depth amid injuries in their rotation. For Tampa Bay, it is another reminder of how quickly the back end of a roster can turn over, especially with pitchers who are still in the middle of a recovery and trying to prove they can hold up again at the big-league level. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Have One Clear Weak Spot In A Tight AL East Race
With 13 games left, the Rays are still in control of a tight AL East race, and the broader picture looks good enough that they can afford to focus on one nagging issue rather than panic over the standings. Junior Caminero has helped steady the lineup with his strong play, giving Tampa Bay a source of impact production as the club tries to close out the regular season with its division lead intact.
Cedric Mullins, though, has remained the obvious weak spot in an otherwise competitive group. The outfielder has not provided much offensively this season, sitting at .202 with a .626 OPS, and that kind of drag stands out more now that every game carries extra weight. Even with the Rays in a strong position, how much they can live with that production down the stretch could shape the final push. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Quietly Added A New Arm And The Bullpen Implications Matter
The Rays were busy shuffling the board before their three-game series against the Athletics, and one of the more notable moves came on the pitching side with right-hander Michael Grove being claimed off waivers by Atlanta. Tampa Bay also had to adjust its own bullpen depth, placing Tyler Wells on the 15-day injured list with right forearm tightness, a move that closes the book on his regular season and forces the club to lean on the next layer of arms.
Alex Cook was recalled from Triple-A Durham to fill Wells spot, while Jake Fraley was activated from the 60-day injured list and catcher Kenny Piper was optioned to Durham. For a team that has long valued flexibility and depth, the sequence matters because every late-season pitching move can ripple forward, and the Rays now have to manage one more bullpen absence as they try to keep things steady over the final stretch. [Read more 🡒]