The Tampa Bay Rays are World Series-bound – and they’ve done so without a flashy roster full of big names, something the organization has become known for over the past 15+ years.
Each year when the calendar flips to October, there’s a level of expectation among baseball fans that we’re about to see something unexpected that runs contrary to conventional wisdom and expert predictions.
The lightning-in-a-bottle Cinderella runs help make the playoffs so special each year, with many surprise teams crafting a legacy that gets remembered for generations within a fanbase – even if it doesn’t result in a World Series title.
Yet in some years, there are no surprises to be had. The best teams during the regular season continue to be the best teams in the postseason, and the World Series ends up being the same matchup it would have been had these standings existed under the format used until the League Championship Series began in 1969.
Not only did all four teams with a Wild Card Round bye advance to the LCS, the top two regular season teams in each league advanced to the World Series, creating an all-small market duel between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers.
This year marks the third trip to the Fall Classic for the Rays, who have experienced all of their success as a franchise since changing their name to the Rays ahead of the 2008 season – abandoning ten seasons of futility as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Playing in a small-market in a ballpark maligned by much of the league, the Rays have excelled over the past 15 years as an analytics-forward team with player development that is leaps and bounds above where the rest of the league is.
While franchise pieces like Drew Rasmussen, Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz lead the way, the Rays have had plenty of notable names cycle through the Tropicana Field doors over the years – speaking to the franchise’s ability to take advantage of reclamation projects on the free agent market in addition to their development.
With the Rays aiming for their first World Series title in franchise history, here’s a look at some players you probably forgot suited up for them over the past decade:
1. Denard Span, OF (2018, 43 games)
A contact-hitting stalwart mostly known for his time with the Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals, Denard Span spent the first part of his final year in the big leagues with the Rays, getting into 43 games during the early part of the season.
Span arrived in Tampa Bay during the offseason as a component of the Evan Longoria trade, which sent the Rays icon to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for a four-player package headlined by Span and Christian Arroyo.
Span provided the Rays with an above average bat during his time with the team, posting a 109 OPS+ with 12 of his 34 hits going for extra bases. While no longer the speedster he was early in his career, the veteran outfielder also swiped nine bases during his tenure with the team.
After around two months with the team, Span was dealt to the Seattle Mariners in late May of 2018 alongside closer Alex Colomé in a deal that didn’t aid Seattle nearly as much as they were hoping for. Although Span put up stronger offensive numbers with the Mariners, his defense returned to the shaky shape it was during the 2017 season, which saw Span clock in at -2.5 defensive WAR.
Following the 2018 season, Span was granted free agency and would not play in MLB again, formally announcing his retirement in June 2020.
Span retired with 28.0 career WAR across 1,359 games with 1,498 hits, 71 home runs, 185 stolen bases and a 103 OPS+.
2. Carlos Gómez, OF (2018, 118 games)
Previously an All-Star and elite two-way player as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers during his prime, Gómez spent his penultimate season in the big leagues with the Rays, serving as a veteran depth piece for a young team finding their way into contention.
Signing with the team after spring training had already started in March 2018, Gómez was more valuable for his defense than his bat during his time with Tampa Bay, scuffling to a 0.8 WAR across 118 games with the Rays throughout the regular season.
Things were particularly bleak offensively, with Gómez slashing .208/.298/.336/.634, amounting to a flimsy 76 OPS+ accompanied by just nine home runs and 12 stolen bases.
Gómez’s most reliable offensive contribution in 2018 was ultimately his propensity to get hit by pitches, leading the AL with 21 HBP on the season despite missing 44 games. Still, this and solid defense wasn’t nearly enough to outweight Gómez’s deficiencies at the plate, who hit the free agency market after the season.
The veteran would go on to play one more year at the MLB level, getting into 34 games with the New York Mets in 2019 – the same club he debuted for back in 2007. Gómez retired with 24.4 WAR across 1,461 games alongside 145 home runs, 268 stolen bases and a 94 OPS+.
In addition to the aforementioned clubs, Gómez also suited up for the Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers during his MLB career.
3. Jesús Aguilar, 1B (2019, 37 games)
Just one year removed from being an offensive focal point for the Brewers in 2018 with a 35-home run campaign, Jesús Aguilar found himself on the trade market with the club his original team is meeting in this year’s World Series.
Dealt to the Rays in exchange for Jake Faria at the 2019 deadline, Aguilar ultimately played in 37 games for Tampa Bay and was left off of the team’s postseason roster despite putting up mostly solid numbers during his limited time with the club.
Aguilar slashed .261/.336/.424/.760 during his 37 games with the Rays, good enough for an above average OPS+ of 104 – although these contributions largely came without the trademark power the Rays hoped they’d be getting.
The righty slugger hit just four home runs with the Rays across 107 plate appearances in 37 games, a 3.7% home run rate that was a precipitous drop from the 6.2% rate he boasted with the Brewers in 2018.
Placed on waivers after the season, Aguilar was claimed by the Miami Marlins, whom he went on to play parts of three seasons with. Last playing in 2023 with the Oakland Athletics, Aguilar retired with 3.0 WAR in 795 MLB games, compiling 114 home runs and a 105 OPS+.
In addition to the aforementioned teams, Aguilar also spent time with the Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles in his 10-year career.
4. Corey Kluber, SP (2022, 31 games/starts, 1 postseason game)
Remembered for winning two Cy Young Awards as the ace of the Cleveland rotation throughout much of the 2010’s, Corey Kluber was a solid back-of-rotation starter during his one season with the Rays in 2022.
After a solid 16-start season with the New York Yankees in 2021, the former ace signed on with the division rival Rays ahead of the 2022 campaign, and immediately slotted into the team’s rotation.
Kluber went on to pitch a full season with the club, making 31 starts and throwing for 164 innings with a 10-10 record and 4.34 ERA, a bit of a step back from the 3.83 mark he posted with the Yankees a year prior.
Still, there were plenty of other things to love about Kluber’s season – most notably the fact that he only yielded 21 walks to his 139 strikeouts, with his 1.2 BB/9 inning ratio coming in as the best in all of baseball. Kluber only allowed one more walk than he allowed home runs, directly putting his biggest strength of the season up against one of his most noticeable weaknesses.
Kluber also made it into one playoff game, and it didn’t create the best of memories for the veteran righty. Entering a 0-0 tie in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series against his former team in Cleveland, Kluber allowed a series-winning walk-off home run to Oscar González, ending his team’s season and his own postseason career.
After a lackluster performance across 15 games and nine starts with the Boston Red Sox in 2023, Kluber retired from professional baseball with 34.0 WAR across 13 seasons.
In addition to two AL Cy Young Awards, Kluber finished with a 116-77 record, a 3.44 ERA and 1,725 strikeouts in 1,641.2 innings. In addition to the teams mentioned above, Kluber also spent one season with the Texas Rangers.
5. Chase Anderson, P (2023, 2 games)
All of the players above played enough games for the Rays for their tenure to be remembered by fans as a notable part of the given team they played on, but the same can’t be said for veteran pitcher Chase Anderson – who suited up for the Rays for just two games in 2023.
Initially starting the 2023 season in the Cincinnati Reds system after playing nine games with the club in 2022, Anderson was purchased by the Rays in May 2023, getting into two games with the team shortly thereafter.
Anderson pitched five innings across his two games as a Ray, recording one of just four career saves while allowing two hits and a walk alongside two strikeouts.
Just over a week after being added to the team, Anderson was placed on waivers and selected by the Colorado Rockies, whom he made 17 starts for throughout the remainder of 2023, posting a 1-6 record and 5.75 ERA.
Anderson’s two-game stint with a team would be replicated in 2024, which saw him finish his career with a quick two-game tenure with the Texas Rangers following an unremarkable 27-game stay with the Boston Red Sox.
The right-handed pitcher finished his career after the 2024 season with 8.8 WAR, posting a 59-58 record with a 4.41 ERA and 923 strikeouts in 1,107.1 innings.
Mostly known for a four-year tenure as a top starter for the Brewers in the mid-2010’s, Anderson also played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies during his 11-year MLB career.
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