Tampa Bay Rays

All 25 players on a Major League Baseball team are important. However, some stand out more than others. They are the ones who are essential to a team's success. Here are my top five essential players for the Tampa Bay Rays:

5. Pat Burrell

Burrell was the Rays' top free agent pick up this season. He was brought in to add power to an already impressive lineup.

Source: mlb.com

RAYS 3, PHILLIES 2
at Port Charlotte, Fla.
Thursday, March 12

Jamie Moyer and J.A. Happ both pitched well for the Phillies today, but the offense failed to get anything going, as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Philadelphia by the score of 3-2 this afternoon. Pat Burrell scored a run against his old team.

Moyer allowed six hits in five full innings, and only walked one batter. Two runs were charged to the veteran pitcher.

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The Rays enter 2009 boasting one of the most impressive young pitching staffs in all of baseball, despite losing 14-game winner Edwin Jackson to a trade.  We expect to see and hear a lot about young phenom David Price, but don’t expect him to be handed a spot in a rotation already including Kazmir, Shields, Garza, and Sonnanstine. The Rays will more than likely be careful with Price in the early going.

With about four weeks left of Spring Training, I'll be previewing each MLB team, two at a time. Monday through Thursday I'll cover two teams per day, leading all the way up to the Phillies and Braves, a few days before Opening Night.

To kick it off, the American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays and the San Diego Padres.

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Tampa Bay Rays – AL East