The so -called “Citrus Bowl” baseball series – which ends on Sunday afternoon with the rubber match of the three game set between the Miami Marlins and the visit of the Tampa Bay rays – is known for a few things.
Aside from the two Florida teams, Tampa Bay and Miami have other similarities. For example, the two teams have wicks of pay in the end.
According to Spotrac. Miami is n ° 29 of the 30 teams ($ 67.3 million).
Another thing that connects these franchises is Peter Bendix, the president of the marlins of baseball operations. He was previously part of the front office of Tampa Bay and was general manager for two seasons before coming to Miami.
In fact, the Rays have made the playoffs in the last five seasons of Bendix in Tampa Bay.
Then, in 2024 – His first season in Miami – The Marlins acquired prospects by exchanging veterans such as Jazz Chisholm Jr., Luis Arraez, Tanner Scott, Josh Bell, AJ Puk and Trevor Rogers.
Meanwhile, without Bendix last year, the Rays went from 80-82, not having made the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
“Rays have the ability to maximize and get the most out of everyone on their list,” said Marlins director Clayton McCullough, who was hired by Bendix in Miami. “They continue to do a good job to raise the guys through their system … And in some respects, they are like us.”
On Sunday, the two teams will start right -handers. Shane Baz (3-2, 5.02 ERA) will get the head sign of Tampa Bay, while Cal Esterill (2-4, 7.00) will start for Miami.
Etriill is 1-0 with an MPM of 2.31 in four career starts / appearances against Tampa Bay.
He has starts of zero quality this season, and he did not last 5 2/3 innings in one of these eight appearances.
Baz, who is 26 years old in June, is 1-0 with a 0.00 MPM during his career appearance against Miami. He started and launched 5 2/3-sleeves aimlessly, granting only three strokes and a walk with nine stick withdrawals during a 3-2 victory in September 2021.
First round piece (12th in total) by Pittsburgh Pirates in 2017, Baz was acquired by Tampa Bay the following year in Chris Archer’s trade.
Baz made its MLB debut in 2021, but missed the 2023 season due to elbow surgery.
He had his best season to date in 2024, making a career summit of 14 departures and finishing 4-3 with a 3.06 MPM.
Baz has a plus cursor and a quick ball that surmounts at 96 mph. This season, he withdrew 9.6 throats for nine rounds, which represents an increase in his line of 7.8 statistics last year.
Kyle Stowers, 27, was a force for the Marlins offensive, because it leads the team on average to the stick (0.304), Home Runs (10), Product points (30), races (23) and a basic percentage (0.379).
Stowers was a second round choice of Baltimore Orioles in 2019 and was exchanged in Miami in July 2024 with the Norby inner field player against the leftist Rogers, a star in 2021.
As for the Rays offensive, they have an interesting player to Chandler Simpson, a recruited voltiseur with high speed.
He strikes .301 with a .671 ops and nine interceptions in 11 attempts in just 25 games.
Simpson was injured, however, during the ninth round of Tampa Bay’s 4-0 victory on Saturday, leaving the match after plunging marble to try to score.
Simpson, who was thrown at home, hit her head and his upper lip.
“He’s fine,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash after the match. “I just talked to him.”
Simpson, originally from 24 -year -old Atlanta, played UAB for two years, then led university baseball on average in the stick (0.433) in his only season at Georgia Tech. This prompted Tampa Bay to write it in the second round in 2022.
Although it does not strike a lot of circuits, Simpson hit 0.324 with 214 interceptions in 250 minor league games. He stole 94 bases in 2023 and 104 bases last year.
Although he did his debut at the MLB before April 19, Simpson already leads the Rays with 10 strokes.
“Chandler is young,” said Cash. “But there are a lot of things he does that excite you.”
– field level media
