MLB Top 5: Tampa Bay Rays Outfielders

By Kevin Rakas

This is the fourth article in a series that looks at the five best players at each position for the Tampa Bay Rays. In this installment are the outfielders.

As with many other teams, many of the most productive batters in Tampa Bay Rays history can be found manning the outfield. Each of the three spots features the starters from both pennant winning teams, with left and center field having much more depth than their counterparts on the right side.

The Best Outfielders in Tampa Bay Rays History

Left Fielders

Honorable Mentions –Quinton McCracken is a North Carolina native and a Duke graduate who was taken by the Rockies in their first draft in 1992. After three seasons, Tampa Bay selected him with its second pick in the expansion draft, and he split time between left and center field. McCracken is credited with the first at-bat, run and stolen base in franchise history. He had a solid first season, batting .292 with 19 stolen bases and setting career highs with 77 runs, 179 hits, 38 doubles, seven home runs and 59 RBIs. McCracken missed most of the 1999 season recovering from a torn ACL and spent most of the following campaign in the minor leagues. After his three-year stint with the Devil Rays (1998-2000), he played with four other teams, ending his career in 2006. Following his time as a player, he worked for several teams as a coach, coordinator and front office hand before being named manager of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, a collegiate summer baseball team in Ohio.

After signing with the Devil Rays in 2000, Greg Vaughn spent his first season in left field, hitting 28 home runs, a solid total for a young team but a far cry from the 45 he hit with the Reds the previous year or the 50 he smacked for the pennant-winning Padres in 1998. He moved to designated hitter and followed his initial performance with his fourth and final All-Star selection thanks to a 24-homer output in 2001, but a bruised shoulder cost him much of the next season. Vaughn hit three home runs in 22 games with the Rockies in 2003 and retired.

Sam Fuld was drafted by the Cubs out of Stanford in 2004 and, after seven years in the Chicago organization (including 98 major league games), he was traded to Tampa Bay in 2011. He was known for having a decent contact rate and being a solid player in terms of getting on base, but he wasn’t able to show either of those qualities with the Rays. Fuld was the team’s leadoff hitter in his first season and responded with 20 stolen bases, but he was used mainly in a reserve role in his other two campaigns, especially after having surgery to repair ligaments in his wrist. He sandwiched a stint with the Twins in between two with the Athletics and retired following the 2015 season. Fuld worked as the information coordinator for the Phillies and was interviewed for several managerial positions before being named Philadelphia’s general manager in 2020.

Corey Dickerson was a Mississippi native who was drafted by the Rockies in 2010 and spent six years with the franchise, including three in the major leagues, before he was traded to the Rays in 2016. Although his batting average dropped after leaving the high altitude of Colorado, he kept up the run production, hitting 24 home runs in his first season. Dickerson fared even better in 2017, earning his lone All-Star selection after batting 292 with 62 RBIs and setting career highs with 84 runs, 166 hits and 27 homers. He especially worked on his defense, which was evident the following year when he won a gold glove with the Pirates. Dickerson played with six team over six seasons after leaving Tampa Bay, and he retired after he was released by Washington in August 2023. He is now the head baseball coach at Jackson Academy, a private school in his home state.

5. Mallex Smith – The 2013 Padres draft pick was known for his speed throughout his major league career. Smith was traded to the Braves the following year and made his debut with Atlanta in 2016 and was moved twice in one day during the offseason, first to Seattle and then Tampa Bay. He became such a terror on the basepaths with the Rays that opposing pitchers had to start planning for the “Mallex Effect” to keep him from stealing. Smith pilfered 16 bases in 81 games in 2017 and swiped 40 while leading the league with 10 triples and setting career highs with a .296 average, 142 hits and 40 RBIs the following year. He was traded back to the Mariners in the offseason and stole a league-leading 46 bases in 2019. Smith batted just .133 in the COVID-shortened campaign and has had failed tryouts with the Mets, Reds and Blue Jays. He played with an independent team for one season and has spent the past two in the Mexican League.

4. Matt Joyce – The Tampa native was drafted by the Tigers in 2005, made his debut in Detroit three years later and was traded to Tampa Bay in 2009. He spent four seasons in right field (more on that later) before moving to the left side for his final two years in a Rays uniform. Joyce was streaky offensively, batting .245 during that stretch. He hit 18 home runs in 2013 and nine the following year, although he didn’t hit any in the first month. Joyce did gain a bit of internet fame for hitting a ball back into a pitching machine in June 2014.

3. Desmond Jennings – The Alabama native was drafted by the Rays in 2006 and appeared in the MLB All-Star Futures Game twice before his brief callup at the end of the 2010 season. Although he played more games in center field throughout his career, Jennings started and ended his Tampa Bay tenure on the left side, hitting 31 home runs and stealing 60 bases in the parts of five seasons he spent at the position. He was never the same after a bout of knee bursitis in 2015 and played just 93 games over his final two seasons. Following his release the next year (while he was on the DL for more knee issues), Jennings had failed tryouts with the Reds and Mets and spent the 2018 season in Mexico.

2. Randy Arozarena – He was born in Cuba and defected to Mexico in 2015. After two seasons in his new home, Arozarena signed with the Cardinals and played in the 2018 MLB All-Star Futures Game. After a brief callup the following year, he was traded to the Rays and hit seven home runs in 23 games during the COVID-shortened season. Arozarena became a star in the making during the 2020 playoffs, setting single-season records with 10 home runs and 29 hits. He put together an MVP performance in the ALCS victory over the Astros, totaling six runs, nine hits, four homers and six RBIs in seven games. Arozarena continued his power hitting the following year, smacking 20 home runs and stealing 20 bases, propelling him to the Rookie of the Year Award. He hit 20 more long balls in 2022 and set career highs with 154 hits, 41 doubles, 89 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.

Arozarena earned his only All-Star selection to date in 2023 after driving in 83 runs, stealing 22 bases and setting personal bests with 95 runs and 23 homers. He also competed in the Home Run Derby, finishing as the runner-up behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Arozarena hit 15 more home runs, but his average dropped, and he was traded to the Mariners in late July. He finished his five-year Rays tenure (2020-24) ranked sixth in franchise history in stolen bases (94), eighth in strikeouts (605), tied for eighth in doubles (113), ninth in home runs (85), on-base percentage (.345) and slugging percentage (.441) and tenth in runs (321) to go with a .255 average, 531 hits, 289 RBIs and 917 total bases in 568 games. Arozarena’s fantastic playoff totals in Tampa Bay included 23 runs, 38 hits, five doubles, 11 home runs and 17 RBIs in 28 contests. He was also a star with his adopted home country, leading Mexico to the semifinals of the 2023 World Baseball Classic and being named to the All-Classic team as a unanimous selection.

1. Carl Crawford – The native of Houston was discovered in high school and drafted by the Devil Rays in the second round in 1999. Crawford made his debut three years later and quickly became known for his speed. He led the league in stolen bases and triples four times each during his time in Tampa Bay and swiped 40 or more bases on seven occasions. Crawford led the league with 59 steals and a career- and franchise-best 19 triples, leading to him being selected as an All-Star for the first time in 2004, when the game was held in his hometown. He ended the season with 104 runs, which is second in team history.

In 2005, Crawford batted .301, topping the .300 mark for the first of five times with the club, and he added 101 runs (third in team history), a career-high 194 hits (second), 15 home runs, 81 RBIs and 46 steals. The following year, he led the league in triples and stolen bases once again, increased his average (.305) and homers (18) for the fifth straight year and won the first of three Fielding Bible Awards. Crawford hit a personal-best .315 in 2007, and he led the league with 50 steals. He had surgery to repair a torn tendon in his finger late in the following season but returned in time to post five hits in an ALCS game and hit two home runs in a losing effort against the Phillies in the World Series.

“The Perfect Storm” tied a modern record with six steals in a game in 2009 on the way to a career-high and club-record 60 on the season. He earned his fourth All-Star selection, as well as his only gold glove and silver slugger, in 2010 when he batted .307 with 184 hits, 47 stolen bases, a league-leading 13 triples, personal-best totals of 19 home runs and 90 RBIs and a franchise-record 110 runs. In addition to holding the top seven single season steals marks in team history, Crawford topped 80 runs, 175 hits and 200 total bases seven times each, led the league in putouts at his position four times and drove in at least 80 runs on three occasions. He ended his nine-year Tampa Bay tenure (2002-10) as the all-time franchise leader in average (.296), hits (1,480), triples (105) and stolen bases (409).

Crawford ranks second in games (1,235), runs (765), RBIs (592) and total bases (2,217), third in doubles (215), fourth in strikeouts (768), tied for sixth in slugging percentage (.444) and seventh in home runs (104) and walks (293). He totaled 10 runs, 21 hits, three doubles, three home runs, nine RBIs and eight steals in 21 postseason contests. The 2009 All-Star Game MVP signed a big contract with the Red Sox in 2011, then spent parts of two years in Boston and another four in Los Angeles after a blockbuster trade. While he didn’t receive any votes in his only year on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot in 2022, Crawford was inducted into the Rays Hall of Fame the following year. He is the CEO of an independent record label in Houston that signed Megan Thee Stallion, but the rapper is now suing the company for allegedly blocking her from releasing music.

Center Fielders

Honorable Mentions – Gerald Williams was a New Orleans native who got his start with the Yankees and spent time with the Brewers and Braves before signing with the Devil Rays in 2000. His season in Tampa Bay was his best, as he batted .274 and set career highs with 87 runs, 173 hits, 21 home runs and 89 RBIs. After his numbers declined dramatically, Williams was released and went back to the Yankees. He also played for the Marlins and Mets before his 14-year career ended in 2005. The Tampa native passed away after a battle with cancer in 2022 at age 55.

The team’s current starter, Jose Siri, is a native of the Dominican Republic who was originally signed by the Reds and began his major league career with the Astros before he was sent to the Rays in a three-team trade in 2022. Although his defense and contact are not great, he is a solid option for both power and speed, and he has totaled 47 home runs, 117 RBIs and 34 stolen bases in 287 games so far with Tampa Bay (2022-present). Siri’s top moment include a home run against the Guardians in the 2022 Wild Card series and a five-game suspension for starting a bench-clearing brawl against the Brewers in late April 2024.

5. Randy Winn – The Los Angeles native was drafted by the Marlins in 1995 and taken by the Devil Rays in the expansion draft two years later. Winn started at all three outfield spots during his five-year run with Tampa Bay (1998-2002), and he was known for his contact hitting, speed and baserunning. He hit an inside-the-park grand slam against the Yankees in October 1999 and earned his only career All-Star selection after batting .295 with 87 runs, 181 hits, 39 doubles, 11 home runs, 75 RBIs and a career-best 27 steals in 2002. Winn was traded to the Mariners for manager Lou Piniella after the season, finishing his Devil Rays career ranked fourth in franchise history in triples (28), eighth in stolen bases (80) and tenth in average (.279) to go with 264 runs, 513 hits, 94 doubles, 182 RBIs and 735 total bases in 519 games. He spent three years with Seattle and five with San Francisco before splitting his final season with the Yankees and Cardinals in 2010.

4. Desmond Jennings – He began his career as a left fielder, hitting 13 home runs and setting career highs with 85 runs and 31 stolen bases in 2012. Jennings moved to center the following year posting another 20 steals, scoring 82 runs and setting personal bests with 133 hits, 31 doubles, 14 home runs and 54 RBIs. He was part of a scary moment when he hit a line drive that struck Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ in the head during a game in May. Jennings hit 10 home runs, stole 15 bases and won the fielding title in 2014, the last full season of his career. The two-time MLB All-Star Futures Game participant finished his seven-year Rays tenure (2010-16) with 311 runs, 508 hits, 99 doubles, 55 home runs, 191 RBIs, 95 steals and 816 total bases in 567 regular season games and five runs, 10 hits, two homers and four RBIs in 11 postseason contests.

3. Rocco Baldelli – He is another example of a promising career derailed by injury. The Rhode Island native was drafted sixth overall by the Devil Rays in 2000 and made his debut three years later, finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting after batting .289 with 11 home runs and setting career highs with 89 runs, 184 hits, 32 doubles, 78 RBIs and 27 stolen bases. After a similar season in 2004, Baldelli tore his ACL over the winter and, while recovering, he injured his elbow and needed Tommy John surgery. He returned after missing 19 months, but he could not escape the injury bug. Over his final three years with the franchise, Baldelli suffered multiple hamstring pulls, which led to him getting medical tests to see why his muscles were wearing down. He eventually was diagnosed with channelopathy, a rare metabolic and muscular disorder that leads to soft tissue injuries and fatigue.

Thanks to a combination of medications, rest and dietary changes, the “Woonsocket Rocket” (named for his hometown) returned to play 28 games for the Rays in 2008, then appeared in seven postseason contests, amassing four runs, four hits, one home run and six RBIs to help his team reach the World Series for the first time. He signed with the Red Sox the following year and hit seven home runs in 62 games before returning to the Rays as a special instructor. Baldelli appeared in 10 games in September and another during the Division Series against Texas, going 0-for-3 against the pennant-winning Rangers, before his condition forced him out. He retired in 2011, finishing his six-year Rays tenure (2003-04, 06-08 and ’10) tied for sixth in slugging percentage (.444) and ninth in franchise history in average (.280) and triples (17) to go with 258 runs, 493 hits, 53 home runs, 239 RBIs and 781 total bases in 457 games. Baldelli continued to work as an instructor with Tampa Bay and was a first base coach and major league field coordinator with the club. He was hired to be the manager of the Twins in 2018, and he has led Minnesota to a 457-413 record and three division titles in his six seasons at the helm while winning the Manager of the Year Award in 2019.

2. B. J. Upton – The Virginia native was drafted second overall by the Devil Rays as a shortstop in 2002, and he continued to play in the infield in two MLB All-Star Futures Games, as well as his first few seasons in Tampa Bay. After spending most of the 2005-06 seasons in the minors, Upton joined the Devil Rays, converting from second base to center field. He started strong in his first full season in 2007, batting a career-best .300 with 86 runs, 142 hits, 24 home runs, 82 RBIs and 22 stolen bases. Upton registered at least 30 steals in each of the next five campaigns, beginning with a personal-best 44. Despite drawing the ire from both coaches and fans for his lack of hustle at times, he put together a stellar postseason, totaling 16 runs, 19 hits, seven home runs, 16 RBIs and six stolen bases over 16 games to help the Rays reach their first World Series.

While Upton’s numbers dropped in 2009, he did have one highlight as he became the first player in franchise history to hit for the cycle when he did so in a win over the Yankees in October. His power numbers began to improve, but his contact continued to decline, and his strikeouts rose. Upton hit a career-best 23 home runs in 2012, including the 100th of his career in August, less than an hour after his younger brother, Justin, had done the same thing. He signed with the Braves the following season, ending his eight-year Rays tenure (2004 and 06-12) ranked second in franchise history in stolen bases (232) and strikeouts (1,020), fourth in games (966), runs (539, including four with 80 or more), hits (910), doubles (202) and total bases (1,506), fifth in home runs (118), sixth in RBIs (447) and seventh in triples (20) to go with a .255 average). Upton appeared in 25 postseason games with Tampa Bay, amassing 19 runs, 27 hits, six doubles, seven homers, 18 RBIs and nine steals. He went by his given name, Melvin, beginning in 2015, ended his major league career by splitting the following season between the Padres and Blue Jays and changed his name back to B.J. just in time to officially retire in 2019.

1. Kevin Kiermaier – While Upton might be the more dynamic hitter, Kiermaier was solid at the plate and spectacular with the glove during his decade with the franchise (2013-22). The Indiana native was drafted by the Rays in 2010 and played two games with the team three years later, one at the end of the season and one against the Indians in the Wild Card round, both as a defensive replacement. Kiermaier hit 10 home runs as a rookie right fielder in 2004 before moving to center, where he has spent nearly the remainder of his career. Not only did he win three gold gloves, a platinum glove and two Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Awards with Tampa Bay, but he also won a pair of fielding titles and is a two-time league leader in advanced metrics such as Total Zone Runs and Defensive WAR (of which he is the active leader at the position).

“Outlaw” (a nickname he got for his defense in the minor leagues) worked to cut down on his strikeouts and improve his contact rate, eventually setting career highs with a .276 average and 15 home runs in 2017, but he missed time over the next two seasons with a fractured hip and a torn ligament in his thumb, both on slides on the bases. He remained the starter in center field but dealt with nagging injuries and missed nearly half of the 2022 season after undergoing hip surgery, an inauspicious way for his Rays career to end. Kiermaier signed with Toronto in 2023, ending his decade-long tenure in Tampa Bay ranked second in franchise history in triples (51), third in stolen bases (112), fifth in games (914), runs (410) and strikeouts (736), sixth in hits (756), doubles (140) and total bases (1,244), ninth in RBIs (316) and tenth in home runs (82). He appeared in 29 postseason games, totaling 11 runs, 22 hits, nine doubles, 12 RBIs and four homers, including two against the Dodgers in the 2020 World Series. Kiermaier was sent to Los Angeles at the 2024 trade deadline.

Right Fielders

Honorable Mentions –Dave Martinez is a Brooklyn native who was drafted by the Cubs as an outfielder and played for nine teams over a 16-year major league career. He signed with the expansion Devil Rays in 1998 and had one of his best seasons the following year, batting .284 with 79 runs and career-high totals of 146 hits and 66 RBIs. Martinez was traded back to the Cubs in 2000 and played with four teams that season before a knee injury ended his playing career two years later. He worked as an instructor and coach for Tampa Bay from 2008-14 and followed former Rays manager Joe Maddon to the Cubs, functioning as the team’s bench coach when Chicago broke its 108-year title drought in 2016. Martinez was named manager of the Nationals in 2018 and has led Washington to a 463-569 record in seven seasons. The highlight of his tenure came in 2019, when the Nationals won 93 games and won the first championship in franchise history.

Ben Grieve was drafted second overall by the Athletics in 1994 and was an All-Star and won the American League Rookie of the Year Award four years later after posting setting career highs with a .288 average, 94 runs and 168 hits. He spent four seasons with Oakland and was sent to Tampa Bay in a three-team trade in 2000. Grieve had a pair of solid seasons in his first two years with the Devil Rays before an injury-plagued 2003 campaign. He finished his three-year stint with the club (2001-03) with 302 hits, 34 home runs and 153 RBIs in 345 games. Grieve spent most of the following season with the Brewers and finished his major league career with the Cubs in 2005.

Gabe Gross is a Baltimore native who was a first-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2001 and made his major league debut three years later. After stints with Toronto and Milwaukee, he was traded to Tampa Bay in 2008 and hit 13 home runs, drove in 38 runs and finished second in fielding percentage. Gross had a rough postseason, batting just .053 (1-for-19), but he drove in two runs against the Phillies in a losing effort in the World Series. His numbers dropped off the following year and he spent 2010 with the Athletics before retiring. Gross has been on the Auburn University coaching staff since 2018 and is currently an associate head coach with the Tigers.

Wil Myers is a North Carolina native who was drafted by the Royals in 2009 and appeared in a pair of MLB All-Star Futures Games with Kansas City. After the 2012 season he was traded to the Rays in a blockbuster deal that involved several major pitching stars for the franchise. Despite playing a little more than half a season in 2013, Myers became the third Rays player to win the Rookie of the Year Award after batting .294 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs. His sophomore campaign was not going as well when he collided with Jennings trying to make a catch in a late May game, fracturing his wrist and missing nearly three months of action. Myers was sent to the Padres after the 2014 season in a three-team deal that involved another Rays outfielder, Steven Souza. He spent eight years with San Diego, earning his lone All-Star selection in 2016 and hitting for the cycle the following year. Myers hasn’t played since he was released by the Reds in June 2023.

Josh Lowe was drafted by the Rays in the first round in 2016. The team’s current starter had a two-game stint at the end of the 2021 season and batted .221 with 40 hits in 52 games the following year. Lowe had by far his best season in 2023 season, posting career highs with a 2.92 average, 71 runs, 136 hits, 33 doubles, 29 home runs, 83 RBIs and 32 stolen bases. His 2024 campaign was slowed by oblique and hip injuries, and he totaled 10 homers and 25 steals. Lowe has played 295 games so far in his Tampa Bay tenure (2001-present), batting .262 and amassing 132 runs, 262 hits, 32 home runs, 130 RBIs and 61 stolen bases. He also went 1-for-4 with a run scored against the eventual pennant-winning Rangers in the 2023 Wild Card round.

5. Manuel Margot – The native of the Dominican Republic signed with the Red Sox and was traded to the Padres in 2015, making his big-league debut with San Diego the following year. After three decent seasons, Margot was moved to Tampa Bay during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign and batted .369. He put together a strong postseason, hitting five home runs and driving in 11 runs to help the Rays advance to their second World Series. Margot hit a home run and made a spectacular catch in foul territory in Game 2 of the ALCS and caught the last out of series. The following year, he batted .254 with 13 stolen bases, 10 home runs and a career-best 57 RBIs. Margot saw his next two seasons cut short by injuries, including 2022, when he suffered a sprained knee after crashing into a wall trying to make a catch during a game in June. He was traded twice in the 2023 offseason, first to the Dodgers and then the Twins, ending his four-year Rays tenure (2020-23) with a .264 average, 320 hits, and 153 RBIs in 360 regular season games.

4. Steven Souza – No one in franchise history has started more years at the position than his three. The native of Washington State was drafted by the Nationals and traded to the Rays in a three-team deal (also involving Myers) following the 2014 season. Souza’s three-year tenure in Tampa Bay (2015-17) was noted for a low average, high strikeout totals and an outbreak of power. Despite fanning 179 times in 2017, he was named Rays team MVP that season after setting career highs with 78 runs, 125 hits, 16 stolen bases, 30 home runs and 78 RBIs. Souza was sent to the Diamondbacks in a three-time trade in early 2018 and missed the following season after tearing all three of his major knee ligaments slipping on home plate during a spring training game. He played just 34 regular season games for three teams from 2020-22 and 10 more with the Dodgers during the 2021 playoffs. Souza retired the following year.

3. Ben Zobrist – He was traded from Houston to Tampa Bay for Huff and began his major-league career as a shortstop Zobrist earned two All-Star selections with the Rays as a second baseman, but he also spent two seasons as the team’s primary right fielder. Hiss 2010 campaign was a down year in which he hit just .238 but scored 77 runs, drove in 75, set a career high with 24 stolen bases and led the league with 12 sacrifice flies. After another season at second, he returned to the outfield in 2012, batting .270 with 88 runs, 151 hits, 39 doubles, 20 homers and 74 RBIs. Overall, he spent nine years with the Rays (2006-14), won titles with the Royals (2015) and Cubs (as World Series MVP in 2016) and retired in 2020.

2. Aubrey Huff – The Ohio native was the primary starter at three positions, including two separate stints in right field. Huff had arguably his best season in 2003, earning MVP consideration after batting .311 with 91 runs, 107 RBIs, a career-high 34 home runs and team records with 198 hits, 47 doubles and 84 extra base hits. After spending the following year at third base, he moved back to right field in 2005, posting a .261-22-92 stat line in his final full season with the club. Huff was traded to Houston (in the deal for Zobrist) the following year, won a silver slugger with Baltimore in 2008 and a pair of titles with San Francisco before retiring in 2012.

1. Matt Joyce – He started out with the Tigers in 2008 but was traded to the Rays the following year and got into 11 games his first season. Joyce missed nearly half of the 2010 season with an elbow strain but returned to hit 10 home runs in limited action. He hit a grand slam during Matt Garza‘s no-hitter against the Tigers in July. Joyce had his best season the following year, earning his only All-Star selection by batting .277 with 69 runs and 19 home runs while setting career highs with 128 hits, 75 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. He had his best performance when it counted the most. Going into the final game of the regular season, the Rays and Red Sox were tied for the wild card spot. Joyce hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to give his team a 5-3 victory over the Yankees (with the postseason berth coming after Boston lost to Baltimore). Joyce hit 17 more home runs in 2012.

Joyce ended his six-year run with his hometown team (2009-14) ranked eighth in franchise history in games (633) and walks (268) and tenth in slugging percentage (.435) to go with 269 runs, 485 hits, 111 doubles, 76 home runs, 280 RBIs and 844 total bases. He also appeared in 12 postseason contests for the Rays, totaling five hits, including one home run and four RBIs. Joyce bounced around to six teams over his final seven seasons with the lone bright spot being a 25-homer campaign with the Athletics in 2017. He retired in 2022 after 14 big-league seasons and now works as studio analyst with Tampa Bay and the owner of five training centers.