Why Rays won't bench an infielder despite a brutal .202 average

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May 27, 2026 - 16:14

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Why Rays won't bench an infielder despite a brutal .202 average originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Tampa Bay Rays are sitting atop the American League East this season with a 34-18 record, 2.5 games above the New York Yankees.

While the Rays might be having a successful 2026 season overall, there are a few reasons to be concerned about the team. One of those reasons is the offensive production from one of their everyday starters.

However, ESPN's David Schoenfield made the case for why the Rays won't be benching this struggling infielder, shortstop Taylor Walls, this season despite a rough .202 batting average.

Why Rays won't bench .202 hitting infielder

"Why fix it if it ain't broke? The Rays have the best record in the AL, and considering the rest of the infield is a bit of a defensive sieve, Walls' glovework is vital," Schoenfield writes. "The Rays might add an offensive upgrade at some point, but that's more likely to be in the outfield or second base."

The Rays are one of the best teams in baseball this season, and should be looking at ways to improve the roster. The simplest solution is to identify which hitters are struggling and trade for a replacement starter.

Walls, the Rays' starting shortstop, has played in 40 games this season and had 124 at-bats. He has a .202 batting average, a .585 OPS, and a 67 OPS+ on the season so far.

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In many scenarios, Walls would be an obvious player for the Rays to replace. But, as Schoenfield noted, his elite defense is a huge reason for his spot on the roster being solid.

With Junior Caminero and the rest of the infield defense being a "sieve" as Schonefield called it, having someone like Walls on the field is very important.

The 29-year-old, despite his offensive struggles, has 1.3 bWAR this season. That shows how valuable his defense has been in 2026.

He's valuable for the Rays, not as a hitter, but as an elite defensive shortstop who has a bit of flexibility to play third base or second base, too. Walls is going nowhere, even with his poor offensive numbers this season.