These are the Rays' best bets to win awards in 2025

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ST. PETERSBURG -- It's awards season for Major League Baseball, and it doesn’t look like the Rays will be taking home any hardware.

The Rays didn’t have any finalists for the Silver Slugger Awards or the Hank Aaron Award, unsurprisingly, and they didn’t win any Gold Glove Awards. There are no Comeback Player of the Year candidates or Players Choice winners on their roster, and their All-MLB Team odds look slim.

The finalists for the big four Baseball Writers’ Association of America awards -- MVP, Cy Young, Manager of the Year and Rookie of the Year -- were announced on Monday night. No Rays to be seen there, either.

The outcome is no surprise, considering the Rays’ 80-82 record and lack of elite-level performances, especially at the plate. But it is unusual. Aside from 2022, they had at least one “finalist” (top-three finisher) for the major BBWAA awards every year from 2018-23.

The Rays have never had a player finish within the top five of the American League MVP voting, but they’ve generally represented themselves well this time of year. Since 2007, they’ve won …

• Two AL Cy Young Awards: David Price (2012) and Blake Snell (’18)
• Four AL Manager of the Year Awards: Joe Maddon (2008, ’11) and Kevin Cash (’20, ’21)
• Four AL Rookie of the Year Awards: Evan Longoria (2008), Jeremy Hellickson (‘11), Wil Myers (’13) and Randy Arozarena (’21)
• One Platinum Glove Award: Kevin Kiermaier (2015)
• Nine Gold Glove Awards: Carlos Pe?a (2008), Longoria (‘09, ’10, ’17), Carl Crawford (’10), Hellickson (’12) and Kiermaier (2015, ’16, ’19)
• Four Silver Slugger Awards: Pe?a (2007), Longoria (’09), Crawford (’10) and Yandy Díaz (’23)
• Two Comeback Players of the Year: Pe?a (2007) and Fernando Rodney (’12)

Who could add to that haul in 2025? Let’s break down which Rays have the best chance to bring home the big hardware next year and what would have to happen in each case.

AL Rookie of the Year
Junior Caminero exhausted his rookie eligibility, so it’s about the next wave of talent in Tampa Bay’s system. Maybe top prospect Carson Williams (No. 4 overall) will get called up earlier than expected, lock down shortstop and make a case for himself. But the most likely candidate here, based on his proximity to the Majors and his potential impact, is first baseman/corner outfielder Tre’ Morgan (Rays' No. 10 prospect).

Morgan is on the fast track after flying from Single-A Charleston to Double-A Montgomery this year. The Rays are obviously high on the potential of the 22-year-old’s left-handed bat after he slashed .324/.408/.483 in 100 games to earn their organizational Minor League Player of the Year Award. He might not get enough playing time to compete for Rookie of the Year, but he certainly could help Tampa Bay next year.

AL Manager of the Year
This typically goes to the manager whose team outperforms expectations. Combine the Rays’ disappointing 2024 season with the uncertainty of their ballpark situation and their typically lower-payroll operation, and Cash would probably be the frontrunner if they return to the postseason.

That will be easier said than done, but it’s certainly possible if they can manage to improve their offense while maintaining their run-prevention foundation of elite pitching and defense.

AL Cy Young
This is a good place to remind everyone that Shane McClanahan is returning next season. The Rays’ ace will face some workload questions after sitting out all year while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but if he pitches enough, he’s already shown he has the talent to be one of the league’s best starters. From 2022-23, the two-time All-Star went 23-10 with a 2.85 ERA and 315 strikeouts in 281 1/3 innings over 49 starts.

That said, it wouldn’t be a surprise if McClanahan has competition within his rotation considering what Jeffrey Springs has done as a starter, how well Shane Baz finished, what Ryan Pepiot accomplished in his first full season, etc. It’s hard to look at the stuff Taj Bradley has -- not to mention that nearly two-month stretch this summer when he was as good as anybody in baseball -- and think he won’t also force his way into the conversation at some point.

AL MVP
Díaz finished sixth in the 2023 voting after the best season of his career, and Brandon Lowe had a pair of top-10 finishes in 2020-21. Unless Josh Lowe puts together a bounce-back season for the ages, they’re the best picks currently on the roster if they stay healthy. But since there’s no obvious or perhaps even likely candidate here, let’s get a little weird.

What if Caminero follows his fellow former No. 1 overall prospects, from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to Bobby Witt Jr., and quickly puts it all together at a young age? This would be an enormous leap for a 21-year-old with 50 games of MLB experience, of course, and his late-season cameo this year was a reminder that Minor League production doesn’t guarantee immediate Major League success. But he was highly touted for a reason, and he has potentially game-changing power. How far will it take him next year?