Some thoughts after the first series

David Price returns to the dugout after an inning
Courtesy: USA TODAY Sports via FoxSportsFlorida.com

So I thought I would give my thoughts after the first series of the season. First and foremost, starting pitching needs to find itself. Yes, David Price and Chris Archer were themselves. However, both Matt Moore and Alex Cobb struggled. It was probably the first-start-of-the-season jitters, but they need to settle down and find their selves if this team is to have a hope at living up to it's potential.

The bats are still hit or miss. This has been a pretty common problem under Derek Shelton. Last year was a little better, especially when it counted at the end of the season, hopefully it's even better this year. You know I have been one of the most vocal critics of Derek Shelton. However, last year the team did fine so I will back off for now. That said, it didn't excuse the lack of offense in games 2 and 3 of the series. The Rays went a combined 1-17 with runners in scoring position. That's nothing short of pathetic. I event sent out a tweet Wednesday night putting a reward on the line for the lost offense. It also shouldn't take 4 games to get the first home run of the season. Thanks for correcting that Longo. It's only the first four games of the season, so I'm definitely not gonna hit the panic button, but it's something that needs to happen way less than previous years if the team is to do anything. Run support is important, yo.

The bullpen looks very sharp through the first four games of the season, and so far I'm most impressed with Heath Bell. Bell has struggled since he left San Diego. It looks like he's finding himself again. Like we haven't seen this before... *knock on wood*

About the Jays, the Jays look like they're gonna be a more formidable opponent than I originally thought. I still stand by my prediction at this time. But it looks like the East is really gonna be tough this year, more so than usual.

Well, now it's on to the next series, Rays are gonna welcome in the Rangers for a weekend series to wrap up the first homestand of the year. Rangers have been a consistently thorn is our side, so this series should be interesting.

What did you think of the first series of the season? Let me know in the comment section below.