Tampa Bay Rays tickets are on sale to see if 2012 is the year in which the MLB franchise makes another run at the World Series. They have the pitching and might have just added enough offense to capture the AL East title and not be forced from behind as the wild card team. TheSeats has the Rays baseball tickets to enjoy as Joe Maddon attempts to work another miracle with a team salary significantly lower than the contenders.

Tampa Bay Rays Tickets for Sale

The Tampa Bay Rays strength is its starting pitching. As of right now, before spring training, the experts have pegged David Price, James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson, Wade Davis, and Jeff Niemann as the starting rotation. Last season these five had 93 quality starts in 143 total starts. That is an incredible percentage, one that gives the Rays a chance to take the division. It appears the bullpen is willing to go the distance with Kyle Farnsworth as closer. I would expect a trade or some sort of shake up before the season starts, or a pennant race trade in time to salvage the regular season as it slips away.

Maddon has to figure out some way to put runs on the board, even with this good of a starting rotation. Rays fans at Tropicana Field are going to expect big names like Evan Longoria, BJ Upton, and Carlos Pena to carry the bulk of the load. Right fielder Matt Joyce will become more and more recognizable in 2012, if last season is any indication. Joyce hit 20 home runs and posted a .353 OBP last season, even stealing 19 bases. It was as close to a breakout season as he could expect.

The other two major additions to the Tampa Bay Rays roster are DH Luke Scott and right hand pitcher Fernando Rodney. Scott has proven capable of hitting somewhere between 25 and 30 home runs. Rodney is a welcome addition to a middle relief with only one other notable name, Joel Peralta. Despite the focus on Price and Longoria, it is likely going to be up to these two baseball players to tip the scales in the Rays favor.

Tampa Bay Rays History

The Tampa Bay Rays have been playing at Tropicana Field since coming into the league as an expansion team in 1998. Tampa came into the MLB as the Devil Rays, finishing in last place or in fourth place in the AL East from 1998 to 2007. To purge the team of its struggle, the front office changed the name to the Rays and immediately the franchise’s fortune changed. That season the Rays won the World Series, taking the AL East with 97 wins and plowing through the White Sox and Red Sox on the American League side of the playoffs. They met the Phillies in the World Series, losing in five games. TheSeats has Rays tickets for the upcoming season at Tropicana Fieldas they try and go from the AL pennant to World Series champions.