ST. PETERSBURG -- In December 2018, the Rays selected a right-hander with a funky, sidearm delivery in the Minor League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. It was hardly big news at the time. But less than two years later, Ryan Thompson cracked Tampa Bay’s Opening Day roster and wound

Game 7 in 2008 or Game 162 in 2011? You don’t need to read much more than those four-word descriptions before the memories start flooding back. The first was Game 7 of the 2008 American League Championship Series, the unforgettable moment the Rays reached the World Series for the first

As the Rays’ best young player during the club’s rise from perennial cellar-dweller to American League East powerhouse, Evan Longoria quickly became one of the faces of baseball at the beginning of his career. He cemented that status by delivering one of the most memorable moments in the sport’s recent

Who are the best players born on each day of the year? We have a list for every day on the calendar. Here’s a subjective ranking of the top five for Oct. 7. 1) Mookie Betts (1992) One of the best all-around talents in the game, Betts was selected by

Who are the best players born on each day of the year? We have a list for every day on the calendar. Here’s a subjective ranking of the top five for Oct. 5: 1) Claude Ritchey (1873) Ritchey, know as “Little All Right” due to his stature, played 13 years

Who are the best players born on each day of the year? We have a list for every day on the calendar. Here’s a subjective ranking of the top five for Sept. 28.

Who are the best players born on each day of the year? We have a list for every day on the calendar. Here’s a subjective ranking of the top five for Sept. 26. 1) Bobby Shantz (1925) The 1952 American League Most Valuable Player after winning 24 games for Philadelphia

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays have run the gamut with their first overall Draft picks over the years, selecting everyone from franchise players and pitchers to prospects who never made it out of Class A.

ST. PETERSBURG -- In their short history, the Rays haven't had many Hall of Famers play with the organization, with Wade Boggs and Tampa native Fred McGriff being the most notable players to wear a Devil Rays jersey. However, the Rays have had a lot of very good players, though

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays have only been around since 1998, but with all the roster transactions that the front office makes, there’s been a good amount of players that have played in the organization. Because of the high number of players, there has been a lot of different jersey

ST. PETERSBURG -- As an organization, the Rays have been one of the most successful franchises over the past decade-plus. Tampa Bay has two American League pennants, including one in 2020. Since the Rays' first season in 1998, the franchise has had many talented players and numerous superb single-season performances.

ST. PETERSBURG -- After starting the franchise with 10 consecutive losing seasons from 1998-2008, the Rays have enjoyed one of the most successful stretches across baseball, including two World Series appearances. During those successful seasons, the Rays had plenty of strong single-season performances by the best players in franchise history.

ST. PETERSBURG -- While the Rays have had some good offensive players over the last two-plus decades, the organization has made it very clear that they’re built around stellar pitching, and it has showed season after season. Over the last decade or so, it’s difficult to find an organization that

It's no secret that the Rays aren't considered big spenders on the free-agent market. Despite the financial restrictions, the organization still has been able to add some marquee names, albeit most of them coming toward the end of their respective careers. Adding a veteran presence to the clubhouse has been

Tampa Bay opened its doors to Major League Baseball in 1998 as the expansion Tampa Bay "Devil Rays," and the franchise already had a retired number in place before ever playing a game. That's because Jackie Robinson's number had already been retired by every team in baseball. In recognition of

ST. PETERSBURG -- Coming up with a name for an expansion team is no easy task. The owner of the team eventually has the final say, but a lot of pressure comes from that decision. There’s pressure from the fan base to get it right, and there’s pressure from the

If it seems like the Rays are always wheeling and dealing, that's because they are. Such is life at Tampa Bay, where combating the realities of playing in baseball's smallest market remains a constant challenge. That often means finding creative ways to churn the roster, mine others across the Majors

ST. PETERSBURG -- Every player’s Major League debut is special. Only some can be considered events. The Rays have had their share of those highly anticipated debuts throughout the history of their franchise. They’ve already witnessed a few this season, in fact, from Brent Honeywell Jr.’s long-awaited first start to

Last October, Randy Arozarena reminded Rays fans just how exciting it can be to watch a new player shine. The rookie outfielder tore it up in September and dominated in October, setting records with each home run he hit in his introduction to both a local and national audience. That's

On March 1, Wander Franco turned 20 years old. He’ll make his big league debut on Tuesday at the ripe old age of 20 years and 113 days. Just to put his age in perspective, consider this: Franco wears a No. 5 uniform to honor Albert Pujols, an all-time great

ST. PETERSBURG -- When Matt Garza took the mound at Tropicana Field on July 26, 2010, the Rays had been on the wrong end of no-hit history four times in the previous eight years. About two years later, Félix Hernández threw the 23rd perfect game in Major League history against

The Rays entered 2021 having lost 12 of their 23 Opening Day games. But when they’ve won the first game of the season, they’ve pretty much always put on a show. Three of their 11 Opening Day victories were walk-off wins. One involved a local product hitting a go-ahead triple

Before looking forward to the start of the Rays’ 24th season, we looked back to rank the club’s top five seasons by winning percentage. With one tie, we fittingly enough managed to stretch out the list to include each of the franchise’s six postseason appearances. And as you’ll see, this

The Rays are known for building successful rosters through savvy trades and shrewd, under-the-radar pickups. They’ve done well acquiring international prospects lately. But to win on a consistent basis, ultimately, they must draft and develop their own stars. That’s reflected any time you look at a list of their greatest