Vidal Bruján #17

Full name is Vidal Bruján Esteva...He weighed just 145 pounds when he signed his Rays contract at age 16...In 2018, Vidal’s father passed away at age 52 due to complications associated with a stomach condition…his father had been the biggest influence on his young baseball career, providing him rides to practice and any equipment he needed.

2023

Appeared in 37 games with Tampa Bay and made 20 starts: 12 games at second base, four games at shortstop, three games in right field and one game at third base...Enjoyed five stints with the Rays: April 8-25, May 24-25, June 5-July 3, July 22-Aug. 6, Aug. 24-Sept. 14...Scored four runs as a pinch runner, tied for the 4th most in the AL...Hit safely in a career-best four straight games from June 12-24, going 5x15 (.333) with one double in those contests...Hit .250 (8x32) in 18 home games compared to .114 (5x44) in 19 road games...Went 1x18 (.056) over his final 10 appearances on the road...On June 24 vs. KC, recorded his first career multi-steal game (two SB)...On Aug. 29 at MIA, his three times on base set a career-high (1x3, BB, HBP)...On Sept. 5 vs. BOS, matched a career-high with two walks (also, June 29, 2022 vs. MIL)...In 59 games for Triple-A Durham, slashed .272 (65x239) with 11 doubles, four triples, 10 homers, 32 RBI and 19 stolen bases...Reached base safely in 33 consecutive games for Durham from May.

2022

Appeared in 52 games and made 40 starts (25- 2B, 10-RF, 4-SS, 1-CF) spanning four stints with the Rays: April 23-24, May 10–July 6, Aug. 31– Sept. 6 and Oct. 3 through the end of the season...Hit .170 (23-for-135) with 5 2B, 2 HR and 15 RBI in 45 games (37 starts) during his second stint...Hit .294 (5-for-17) with RISP and two outs, compared to .146 (19-for-130) in all other situations...On May 11 at LAA, hit a go-ahead, RBI double off Aaron Loup to score the automatic runner on the first pitch of the 10th, the first extra-base hit of his career…was the first Rays rookie with a go-ahead hit in the 10th inning (or later) since Nathaniel Lowe on Sept. 21, 2019 vs. BOS....On June 10 at MIN, his first career homer came off Devin Smeltzer in the seventh inning…went 36 homerless games to begin his career, the longest drought for a Rays batter to start his career since Luke Maile (36) from 2015-16…was the second of back-to-back homers with Randy Arozarena...On Oct. 5 at BOS, his solo homer off Ryan Brasier in the seventh inning was the third of his career and first since June 22 vs. NYY…was the fifth Ray all-time to homer at Fenway Park in a game he did not start, joining Mike Zunino on Aug. 11, 2021, Willy Aybar on June 29, 2010, Dan Johnson on Sep. 9, 2008 and Eduardo Perez on Aug. 29, 2005...Hit .292 (75-for-257) with 14 2B, three 3B, six HR, 21 RBI and 26 SB in 63 games for Triple-A Durham… the .292 avg. would have ranked seventh in the International League if he qualified…his final recall came after being named MVP of the IL Championship Game, going 4-for-5 with three runs, two RBI and one BB in a 13-0 win over Nashville...With the Bulls, hit .304 (56-for-184) with five HR and 16 RBI against right-handed pitching and .310 (44-for-142) with five HR and 16 RBI at home...Was used as a pinch-runner in both games of the AL Wild Card Series at CLE… stole second base in the eighth inning of Game 1 and in the 10th inning of Game 2…singled off Sam Hentges to lead off the 15th in Game 2.

2021

2020

Was part of the Rays 60-man player pool and spent the summer at the alternate training site in Port Charlotte…was also part of the Rays 40-man player pool for the postseason...Was on the taxi squad for the Sep 7-8 road trip...Played 20 games for the Toros del Este in the Dominican Winter League…hit .254/.373/.317 (16-for-63) with 2 2B, 1 3B, 5 RBI and 10 SB...Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 56 overall prospect in the minors following the season… was the No. 4 prospect in the Rays system… ESPN.com ranked him as the No. 26 prospect in the game entering 2021...Ranked by Baseball America as the Fastest Baserunner in the Rays organization for a third consecutive year.

2019

Split the season between Class-A Charlotte and Double-A Montgomery, earning a June 27 promotion…hit .277/.346/.389 (106-for-383) with 4 HR, 40 RBI and 48 SB between the two levels...Named Minor League Baserunner of the Year by the Rays Baseball Operations department for a second consecutive year…his 48 SB led the organization and tied for 5th in the minors…tied for 4th in the Florida State League with 24 SB and ranked 6th in the Southern League with 24 SB...Was on Charlotte's 7-day IL from May 24-June 19 with a left wrist sprain...Named to the FSL midseason All-Star Team...Named to the Rays Organizational All-Star Team by MLB.com...Hit .256/.380/.463 (21-for-82) with 3 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBI and 4 SB in 22 games for the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League… named to the AFL Rising Stars Game...Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 51 overall prospect in the minors following the season… was the No. 4 prospect in the Rays system… the publication also tabbed him as the Best Baserunner, Fastest Baserunner, Best Defensive Second Baseman and Most Exciting Player in the FSL in its Best Tools survey...Ranked by Baseball America as the Fastest Baserunner in the Rays organization for a second consecutive year.

2018

Hit .320/.403/.459 (152-for-475) with 9 HR, 53 RBI and 55 SB in 122 games between Class-A Bowling Green and Charlotte...His 55 SB ranked 2nd in the minors, tied for 6th in a single season in organizational history and were the most by a Rays minor leaguer since Andrew Toles (62) in 2013…led the minors with 112 runs, which ranked 2nd in organizational history behind Fernando Perez (123) in 2006… became the first Rays minor leaguer with 100 runs and 50 SB in a season...Ranked 2nd among Rays minor leaguers in hits and ranked 3rd with 218 total bases...Named to the Midwest League midseason and postseason All-Star teams…ranked 2nd in the MWL with a .313 avg., 3rd with a .395 OBP and 86 runs and 5th with 43 SB...Named to the Rays Organizational All-Star Team by MLB.com...Played for the Toros del Este in the Dominican Winter League...Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 64 overall prospect in the minors following the season… was the No. 7 prospect in the Rays system… the publication also tabbed him as the Best Baserunner in the MWL in its Best Tools survey.

2017

Named Most Valuable Player for Short-A Hudson Valley by the Rays Baseball Operations department, helping the Renegades win the New York-Penn League title...Led the NYPL with 51 runs, 74 hits and 108 total bases…tied for 4th with 23 XBH, ranked 5th with 16 SB and tied for 6th with 34 BB...Named to the NYPL midseason All-Star Team...Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 20 prospect in the Rays system following the season.

2016

Led the Gulf Coast League with 41 runs and tied for 3rd with 57 hits…played 2 games with Hudson Valley to end the season.

2015

Began his career with the DSL Rays.