Yes, we know that this is taking a while!
As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out, and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity. As such, we are very happy to present our post-2023 revision of our top 50 Tampa Bay Rays.
As for all of our top 50 players in baseball, we look at the following:
1. Advanced Statistics.
2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in Major League Baseball.
3. Playoff accomplishments.
4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.
Last year, the Rays went off to a torrid start and made the playoffs but was unable to get past the first round. There are two new entrants and several elevations, some of which are significant. However, this is more of a reflection of the franchise’s relative youth and Tampa Bay’s propensity to unload tenured players.
As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:
3. Ben Zobrist
4. David Price
You can find the entire list here.
Yandy Diaz, who went to his first All-Star Game, and won his first Batting Title, skyrockets from #29 to #10.
The enigmatic Outfielder, Randy Arozarena, also made a huge jump. An All-Star last season, Arozarena climbed to #19 from #30.
Now a two-time All-Star, Pitcher Shane McClanahan also had a giant rise in the rank. He went from #43 to #20.
Another Pitcher, Tyler Glasnow, who is now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, went from #45 to #30.
The controversial and likely MLB-banned Wander Franco debuts (and likely ends) at #32.
Manuel Margot moved to #43 from #50 and is no longer with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The last new entrant is Isaac Parades, who enters the list at #47.
We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.
16 Seasons in the National Hockey League. 16 Seasons with the Boston Bruins.
Any player who stays that type of duration with one team regardless of the sport shows that he or she is very competent and very happy. The Bruins had that in David Krejci.
Krejci was a 2nd Round Pick in 2004 but honed his skills in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before he joined the Bruins in 2016. After a brief period in the AHL, Krejci proved his value quickly, leading the NHL in Plus /Minus (+37) in 2008-09, when he also boasted a career-high 73 Points. Krejci never broke that mark, but he did match it in 2018-19 and had four other years where he broke at least 60. Krejci also had a second Plus/Minus Title (+39) in 2013-14).
Where Krejci shined brightest was in the NHL post-season. Krejci was the leading scorer in the 2010-11 Playoffs (23) in the year where the Bruins won it all. He also was the leader in Game-Winning Goals with 4. He also was the league-leader in Playoff Points in 2012-13 (26) and also recorded the most Assists (17).
Overall, in the regular season, Krejci compiled 786 Points in 1,032 Games and was lauded for his two-way play and hockey IQ. Internationally, Krejci represented the Czech Republic multiple times, including three Olympics and won two Bronze Medals for his nation.
Krejci will not be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, but we hope that the Bruins honor him one day.
Cory Schneider won the William M. Jennings with Roberto Luongo in 2010/11, but as Vancouver’s backup, he did not get the time between the pipes he coveted. That changed when he was traded to the New Jersey Devils, where Schneider was their lead Goalie and was an All-Star in 2016, the only year he received Vezina votes (6th).
He would have an overall career record of 171-159-58 with a GAA of 2.43.
Craig Anderson had an extraordinary 20-year career in the National Hockey League, but his remarkable achievements may have gone unnoticed in the sport's history.
Anderson was drafted by his hometown team, the Blackhawks, in the Third Round in 2001. He later played for Florida and Colorado before being traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2011, where he had his most successful and longest run. In the lockout-shortened 2012/13 season, Anderson led the NHL in Save Percentage (.941) and Goals Against Average (1.69) and was fourth for the Vezina. He remained as Ottawa’s lead Goalie for the rest of the decade, winning the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2016/17 for his admirable performance in between the pipes while dealing with his wife’s cancer.
Anderson concluded his career with Washington and Buffalo, retiring with a record of 319-275-73.