The Rays and Brewers have clinched playoff spots and are on pace for their leagues’ top seeds despite lower payrolls than the last-place Royals. The article argues Kansas City should study how they score runs, find and develop talent, and build their rosters.
Milwaukee ranks second in runs and Tampa Bay 11th despite limited home-run power. The article points to contact, ground balls, walks, opposite-field hitting and stolen bases; Kansas City has a much lower ground-ball rate and many unproductive fly balls.
Both clubs seek undervalued players through trades, waivers and Rule 5 selections, develop them and trade established players when their value is high. Farm-system depth helps them fill major-league needs and absorb injuries; MLB Pipeline ranked Tampa Bay’s system second after it traded eight top-30 prospects at this year’s deadline.
