On Opening Day at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Tampa Bay Rays faced off against the Toronto Blue Jays.
However, it was not a triumphant start for the Rays, as they suffered an 8-2 defeat, compounded by an awkward moment during the banner-raising ceremony. The Rays unveiled a banner commemorating their 2023 wild card playoff berth, marking the second consecutive year they had clinched a wild card spot.
Yet, the celebratory gesture highlighted their struggles in the postseason. Over those two years, the Rays were swept in the wild card round, managing to score only a meager total of 2 runs across both series.
RELATED: Rays Had Ill-Timed Wander Franco Giveaway For Fans On Sunday
Fans were quick to weigh in on the Rays Wild Card banner:
Recalling their postseason performances, in 2022, the Rays were edged out by Cleveland with scores of 2-1 and 1-0 in the best-of-three series. Similarly, in 2023, they suffered defeats of 4-0 and 7-1 against the eventual World Series champions, the Texas Rangers.
Although the Rays have made significant strides since their inception in 1998, including winning the competitive AL East division title four times and making two World Series appearances, they have yet to claim a World Series championship. Despite their challenges as a newer franchise in a demanding division, some critics argue that raising celebratory banners for wild card berths may set the bar too low for the organization.
In essence, while the Rays’ achievements are commendable, perhaps they should reserve banner-raising for more substantial milestones, such as winning the pennant, rather than settling for wild card acknowledgments.
