Our All Time Top 50 Tampa Bay Rays have been revised to reflect the 2024 Season.
Yes, we know that this is taking a while!
As many of you know, we 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 and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2024 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 the American League.
3. Playoff accomplishments.
4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.
Please note that our algorithm has changed, which yielded minor changes throughout the baseball lists.
Last year, the Rays finished 80-82 and missed the playoffs. There were two new entrants and multiple elevations coming from the 2024 season.
As always, we present our top five, which saw one change.
3. Ben Zobrist
5. David Price
You can find the entire list here.
Based on the revisions, Kiermaier overtook Price for #4.
Brandon Lowe moved up from #16 to #9.
Third Baseman Yandy Diaz was not able to move past last year’s #10.
Outfielder Randy Arozarena, who was traded to Seattle during the season, advanced two spots to #17.
Pitcher Zach Eflin, who was traded to Baltimore during last season, enters at #50.
We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.
Our All-Time Top 50 Tampa Bay Rays Have Been Revised to Reflect the 2023 Season
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.
Our All Time Top 50 Tampa Bay Rays have been updated to reflect the 2022 Season
Yes, we know that this is taking a while!
As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 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 2022 revision of our top 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 the American League.
3. Playoff accomplishments.
4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.
Last year, Tampa was not able to make the playoffs, but they were contenders. On a young team, this allowed, four new entrants on our Top 50.
As always, we present our top five, which was not affected by the last season:
3. Ben Zobrist
4. David Price
5. Kevin Kiermaier
You can find the entire list here.
Kiermaier, who is now a Toronto Blue Jay, did not do enough to move past his number five spot.
Brandon Lowe, moved up one rank to #15.
Of the highest four new entries, we have Infielder, Yandy Diaz, who enters this list at #29.
2021 American League Rookie of the Year, Randy Arozarena, debuts at #30.
An All-Star last year, Shane McClanahan enters at #43, and fellow hurler, Tyler Glasnow moved up two spots to #45.
Outfielder, Manuel Margot debuts at #50.
We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.
If I Had a Vote in the 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame Election
On a ballot packed with qualified candidates for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, is it possible that none of them will be elected this year?
If that happens, as it did last year, it would be the third time in the last decade that the qualified voters of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) have thrown a shutout at the Hall of Fame. This is an odd paradox considering that after the Big Zilch of 2013, the BBWAA in subsequent years went on to elect 22 players across the next seven ballots, with the various guises of the veterans committee voting in another five players (and six non-players) during that seven-year span. (In 2013, the veterans committee did elect three candidates to the Hall.)
Last year, Curt Schilling, who had garnered 70 percent of the vote on the previous ballot, seemed to be a lock for election. Instead, he stalled with a negligible increase in support, then threw a social-media Trumper tantrum declaring that he wanted to be removed from this year's ballot. The Hall of Fame quickly responded that it would not do so.
Baseball Hall of Fame: Ballot Forecast 2021 to 2025
In a tumultuous year that was not normal for anything and everything including baseball, one thing that might be back to normal is voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Granted, the 2021 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot has 14 returning candidates, with just about every one of them owning cases for induction that range from borderline to compelling.
Our All-Time Top 50 Tampa Bay Rays are now up
Yes, we know that this is taking a while!
As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team. We have a new one to unveil today, that of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Entering the American League as an expansion team in 1998, the Rays were originally the “Devil Rays”, before dropping the demonic portion of their name in 2008. Saddled in the ultra-competitive American League East, Tampa has managed to make the playoffs five times, including an American League Pennant in 2008. They have yet to win the World Series to date.
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 the American League.
3. Playoff accomplishments.
4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.
Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories.
This list is updated up until the end of the 2019 Season.
The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article. They are:
3. Ben Zobrist
4. David Price
We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.
Look for our All-Time Top 50 Boston Red Sox coming next!
As always we thank you for your support.
2. Carl Crawford
When evaluating the foundational catalyst who first injected pure, electric athleticism into the modern Tampa Bay roster, long before the club became an analytical powerhouse, you have to look directly at the turf-shredding velocity of their premier home-grown speedster. Selected in the second round of the 1999 amateur draft out of high school in Houston, Carl Crawford didn't just climb the minor league ranks; he completely redefined the offensive tempo of the young organization. Making his big-league introduction in the summer of 2002 at just 20 years old, the blazingly fast left fielder embarked on a stellar nine-season residency that fundamentally altered how opponents defended the cavernous outfield grass of St. Petersburg.
His introductory experience in Major League Baseball during 2002 was a brief 63-game period, serving as an initial exposure. However, his subsequent performance in 2003 represented a remarkable and high-velocity breakthrough. Crawford transformed stealing bases and hitting line drives into a disciplined daily routine, recording 177 hits, nine triples, and leading the entire American League with 55 stolen bases. He maintained this vigorous, frontline presence over the following summers, establishing himself as one of the premier high-volume hitters and elite base stealers in all of professional baseball.
From 2004 through 2010, Crawford turned compiling 180-plus hits into an absolute annual certainty, missing the mark only during a frustrating 2008 campaign where an injury restricted him to 109 games. Even in that truncated summer, his high-octane speed remained crucial, helping anchor the outfield during the Rays' improbable, historic run to their first-ever American League pennant and division title.
He was an absolute nightmare for opposing batteries and defensive alignments under the dome, weaponizing his world-class acceleration to lead the American League in triples four separate times (2004, 2005, 2006, and 2010) and topping the junior circuit in stolen bases in three additional campaigns following his rookie breakout.
Crawford’s standout season was in 2010, when he reached career highs with 30 doubles, 13 triples, and 19 home runs. He also drove in 90 runs, scored 110—setting a franchise record—and combined his powerful hitting with excellent defense, earning both an American League Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove. Additionally, he stole 47 bases, helping him secure a seventh-place finish in the league's MVP voting. That rare blend of blistering speed and top-of-the-order hitting earned him massive national reverence, commanding four separate American League All-Star selections—highlighted by an iconic 2009 midsummer showcase where his gravity-defying home run robbery earned him the game's MVP trophy.
This campaign landed him a monumental, $142 million free-agent contract with the Boston Red Sox ahead of the 2011 season.
The transition away from the comfortable marine environment of Florida brought a highly turbulent, painful crossroads; unable to match the skyrocketing performance pressure of New England, severe injuries and debilitating depression took a heavy toll on his mechanics, rendering him a fraction of his former self during subsequent stops in Boston and Los Angeles. While he may never anchor a top historical ranking for the Red Sox or the Dodgers, his monumental legacy with the Rays is completely unassailable. Crawford walked away from St. Petersburg, leaving behind a volume-dense statistical fortress that dominates the organization's archives: a stellar .296 batting average, 765 runs scored, 592 runs batted in, and an incredible 35.6 franchise bWAR, which ranks second behind only Evan Longoria. He remains the all-time, undisputed franchise leader in hits (1,480), triples (105), and stolen bases (409).
Our 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame Futures are now up
It never stops for us at Notinhalloffame.com and nor do we ever intend for it to.
Early in the new year, the Baseball Hall of Fame will be announcing the Class of 2019 but before that we have updated our Baseball Futures and here are the potential additions to the that ballot in 2022.
In alphabetical order by their first name:
A.J. Pierzynski: The Catcher was certainly famous (or infamous in some cases) is a two time All Star, one time Silver Slugger but importantly was the pulse that helped the Chicago White Sox win the 2005 World Series.
Alex Rodriguez: Love him or hate him, PED or not, A-Rod was one of the greatest players of all time. A three time MVP and fourteen time All Star, Rodriguez retired with 696 Home Runs, 3,115 Hits, 2,086 Runs Batted In and a bWAR of 117.8, which are all first ballot Hall of Fame numbers however he WAS caught with PEDs and suspended. He does however have a job broadcasting so his forgiveness trail seems much quicker than some.
Angel Pagan: Pagan was a two time World Series Champion with the San Francisco Giants and he would lead the National League in Triples in 2012. Pagan is also a two time Silver Medalist at the World Baseball Classis representing Puerto Rico.
Billy Butler: Mostly used as a Designated Hitter, Butler would go the All Star Game in 2012, which would be the same season he was named the winner of the Edgar Martinez Award.
Carl Crawford: Crawford was at his best when he was with the Tampa Bay Rays and it was there where he would become a four time All Star who woud also lead the American League four times in Triples and in Stolen Bases. He would collect 1,931 Hits over his career.
Coco Crisp: Crisp would help the Boston Red Sox win the World Series in 2007 and he would also lead the AL in Stolen Bases in 2011. He would have 1,572 Hits over his Major League Baseball career.
Colby Lewis: Lewis would have a decent career as a starter where he would win 77 Games.
David Ortiz: “Big Papi” is a legend in Boston and how can he not be? Ortiz powered the Red Sox to three World Series Championships and he was a ten time All Star. Ortiz is in the opinion of many the greatest Designated Hitter that ever lived and he has 541 career Home Runs with an OPS of .931. He should receive a very healthy first year ballot percentage.
Jake Peavy: Peavy was the National League Cy Young Award winner in 2007 and was a three time All Star. He would win 152 Games, 92 of which were with the San Diego Padres.
Javier Lopez: Lopez only won 30 Games with 14 Saves over his long career as a Relief Pitcher but he is a four time World Series Titles, one with Boston and three with the San Francisco Giants.
Jeff Francouer: Francouer would win a Gold Glove in 2007 and would have 1,373 Hits over his career.
Jimmy Rollins: A three time All Star at Shortstop, Jimmy Rollins would win the National League MVP in 2007 and lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series the nest year. He retired with 2,455 Hits and 231 Home Runs.
Joe Nathan: Nathan was a six time All Star closer who won the Rolaids Relief Award in 2009. He finished his career with 377 Saves.
Jonathan Papelbon: Papelbon was named to the All Star Game six times and he was huge part of the Boston Red Sox 2007 World Series win. He retired with 368 Saves.
Juan Uribe: Uribe was a two time Wilson Defensive Player and the infielder would accumulate over 1,500 Major League Hits.
Justin Morneau: The 2006 American League MVP with the Minnesota Twins was a four time All Star. Late in his career he would have a resurgence where he won the Batting Title (2014) with the Colorado Rockies.
Kyle Lohse: Lohse would win 147 Major League Games and he helped the St. Louis Cardinals win the 2011 World Series.
Mark Teixeira: A five time All Star, Mark Teixeira would blast 4009 Home Runs with 1,862 Hits over a career that is best known with the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees. A member of the Yankees 2009 World Series Team, the First Baseman is also a three time Silver Slugger and five time Gold Glove winner.
Marlon Byrd: An All Star in 2011, Marlon Byrd would have over 1,500 Hits over his career.
Matt Thornton: A Relief Pitcher throughout his career, Matt Thornton was an All Star in 2010 and a World Series winner the next season with St. Louis.
Michael Bourn: A two time All Star, Michael Bourn would lead the National League in Stolen Bases three times and was also a two time Gold Glove winner. Bourn also would finish first in Total Zone Runs twice.
Omar Infante: Infante was an All Star in 2010 and collected 1,427 Hits over his career.
Prince Fielder: Fielder was a powerhouse like his father and the six time All Star was the Home Run leader in the National League in 2007. A three time Silver Slugger belted 319 Home Runs over his career.
Ryan Howard: The 2006 National League MVP played his entire career with the Philadelphia Phillies and he would later propel them to the 2008 World Series. Howard blasted 382 Home Runs over his career and was a two time league leader in that statistic.
Ryan Vogelsong: Vogelsong was a two time World Series Champion with the San Francisco Giants who was also an All Star 2010. He would win 61 Games over his career.
Scott Kazmir: Kazmir was a three time All Star who won 108 Games over his career. As a Tampa Bay Devil Ray, he would lead the American League in Strikeouts in the 2007 season.
Tim Lincecum: Lincecum was a two time National League Cy Young Award winner who was also a four time All Star. “The Freak” would win 110 Games in the Majors.
You know what we want you to do!
Take a look at the full list of 2022 Future Baseball Hall of Fame Eligibleplayers and cast your vote and offer your opinions.
As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com thank you for your support!
Carl Crawford
As a member of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Carl Crawford would easily show off his best run in Baseball. Crawford’s speed would see him lead the American League four times in Triples and in Stolen Bases and he would display enough power to also finish first in the Power/Speed# metric. Crawford’s career would also see him bat over .300 six times and he was 69 Hits away from tallying 2,000 for his career.
