How Rays’ Unorthodox Outfield Approach Helped Get Them to the World Series

The Tampa Bay Rays do a lot of things right on the field.

They put the ball in play, they play small ball and succeed at it, and they play defense very well. One aspect of their game that they approach in a not-so-common way is how they instruct their outfield to play.

Instead of tracking the ball, running the perfect route, and then getting to full speed, Rays’ outfielders focus on prioritizing getting to a full sprint speed right away, then making adjustments as necessary once they are at full speed to track down balls. They trust their instincts and athleticism to get them to the spot in time and make the necessary adjustments.

This graph from Baseball Salvant shows how quickly each outfielder reacts to the ball along the “x-axis,” and how direct their route to the ball is in response along the “y-axis.”

Rays outfielders are taught unique way to play

Tampa Bay’s outfielders, including Chandler Simpson, Victor Mesa Jr., Cedric Mullins, Ryan Vilade and Jonny DeLuca, are all above the average line according to this graph, with Mesa Jr. and Simpson having among the quickest reactions in the league. All but one of their names are below the halfway mark, showing that they also take the most indirect routes to the ball in the league.

Additionally, each dot that represents each of the Rays’ outfielder is either bright red or close to it, which the scale shows they’re among the highest in the league with their jumps.

This new approach can be credited to the hiring of Corey Dickerson this past off-season. During his playing career, Dickerson was originally strictly a Designated Hitter before flourishing into a Gold Glove outfielder. The approach that helped Dickerson become successful is the same approach he’s implementing with Tampa Bay this year.

A prime example of this is Simpson, who has seen significant growth in the outfield. He went from being a subpar outfielder to a Gold Glove finalist in left field. His jumps in the outfield have gone from about average to excellent.

Another example is Mullins. Mullins is 32 years old now and debuted in the league at the age of 23. This year is his ninth Big League season, and it’s safe to say he’s not as fast as he used to be. He is having his best jumps since 2021 and is having his quickest reactions to the ball in his career.

His sprint speed is above average at 27.8 feet per second, but is no longer at an elite level, down from his 28.5 feet per second mark in 2021. Yet, Mullins is getting better jumps and having quicker reactions, which make up for that extra step or two he lost.

Corey Dickerson has helped elevate Rays' defense

This quote by Mullins from earlier this year proves that Dickerson’s approach is working.

“Mullins told a similar story. He wasn’t happy with his defensive performance last season, but admitted he didn’t fully grasp what needed to change or how to go about doing it. After one conversation with Dickerson, he did.

“I know that's not me as a defensive player. I wanted to definitely improve upon that as quickly as I could,” Mullins said. “He came in with a true plan for us, and it's been working really well.”

Now, the veteran has gone from posting below-average reaction times throughout his career to having one of the quickest first steps in baseball this season. He’s noticed the difference on plays that used to require “all-out effort” but now feel more routine.

Fast forward to today, the Rays are American League Champions and are playing in the World Series beginning Friday night. It’s safe to say this approach has worked and has been a key reason for their success as a team this year, and a lot of that credit goes to Tampa Bay’s new hire, Dickerson.