Best Rays of all time, by jersey number

The Rays have only been around since 1998, but with all the roster transactions that the front office makes, a good number of players have played in the organization.

And because of that turnover, there have been a lot of different jersey numbers throughout the years. Let’s face it, most players want to be known as the best player to wear a particular uniform number, so we take a look at who those players are in Rays history.

0: Mallex Smith
Surprisingly, Smith is the only Rays player to ever wear the No. 0, making him a lock here. Besides that, the Mallex Effect had a very solid 2019 season before getting traded to Seattle.

1: Willy Adames
Akinori Iwamura had a few successful seasons and recorded the last out in the 2008 American League Championship Series against the Red Sox, but Adames’ strong performance in the abbreviated 2020 campaign pushed him to the top of the list here. The sparkplug shortstop totaled 7.6 WAR in parts of four seasons with Tampa Bay, and he was a beloved teammate.

2: Yandy Díaz
B.J. Upton held this title for a long time, and it’s an interesting debate. But the muscular infielder Díaz stuck around long enough to become one of the best hitters in franchise history.

3: Evan Longoria
Longoria is the greatest Ray of all time, so there’s really nothing else to say.

4: Blake Snell
Snell was dealt to the Padres after the 2020 season, likely preventing him from becoming one of the best pitchers in franchise history -- though there’s an argument for that. His last three seasons were enough to make him the best No. 4 in franchise history, especially because of his dominant ‘18 campaign.

5: Rocco Baldelli
Though injuries shortened a very promising career, Baldelli turned into a really good manager and was constantly voted as most handsome skipper in baseball.

6: Taylor Walls
John Flaherty was the original Rays catcher, playing in each of the franchise’s five seasons. Walls may not hit much, but he continued the franchise’s proud defensive tradition.

7: Logan Morrison
Morrison wins the honor after launching 38 home runs with the Rays in 2017.

8: Brandon Lowe
Don’t sleep on Desmond Jennings, but Lowe left the Rays as one of the most accomplished hitters in team history, ranking third on the franchise home run list.

9: Wil Myers
Many players have worn this number, but the 2013 AL Rookie of the Year Award gave Myers the nod.

10: Mike Zunino
Kelly Shoppach and Corey Dickerson were considered, but Zunino had the best season by a catcher in franchise history in 2021 -- and he was a valuable presence behind the plate during the Rays’ run to the 2020 World Series.

11: Logan Forsythe
Yunel Escobar made a case, but Forsythe had some of his best moments in a Rays uniform.

12: Wade Boggs
The first -- and last -- No. 12 in Rays history.

13: Carl Crawford
The best left fielder in franchise history, and it’s not even close. But Junior Caminero could make this number his own someday.

14: David Price
Price won the first AL Cy Young Award in franchise history and would unquestionably be on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore.

15: Josh Lowe
It’s been an uneven ride, but he showed all his talent and separated himself in this discussion with his outstanding 2023 season.

16: Dwight Gooden
The Tampa native made only eight appearances in a Rays uniform, but he’s Dwight Gooden, so he gets the nod.

17: Isaac Paredes
It’s either the pull-homer specialist Paredes, who hit 67 homers in a Rays uniform, or … the man he was traded for, Austin Meadows, who hit 65 homers with Tampa Bay.

18: Ben Zobrist
When you think of the Rays, it’s impossible to not think of Zobrist and his versatility.

19: Scott Kazmir
Through the 2025 season, the left-hander's 16.5 bWAR ranked 10th in franchise history (third among pitchers), and his 55 wins were tied with Chris Archer for third all-time. Kazmir's also in the top five in starts, innings, batters faced, strikeouts, strikeouts per nine innings and ERA+.

20: Matt Joyce
Joyce owns one of the smoothest left-handed swings in franchise history and had enough solid years to hold off Tyler Glasnow, whose claim to this spot was delayed by injuries.

21: James Loney
Loney didn’t do anything spectacular during his three years with the Rays, but he was a solid first baseman and helped the club reach the postseason in 2013.

22: Chris Archer
He’s one of the best pitchers in franchise history, and he served as the face of the franchise through some of its harder struggles in the mid-2010s.

23: Carlos Peña
Jake Odorizzi, Julio Lugo, Greg Vaughn and Nelson Cruz also wore Michael Jordan’s No. 23, but Peña’s 46 home runs in 2007 make him the best No. 23.

24: Dan Johnson
Is it too much to say that he's the best clutch hitter in franchise history? Maybe, but we’re going to do it anyway.

25: Russ Johnson
Oddly, there was a 15-year gap with nobody wearing this number between Matt Diaz in 2003-04 and Yoshi Tsutsugo in 2020, then it got back in the rotation. Of the group, Johnson was the most successful.

26: Brad Boxberger
The reliever was an AL All-Star in 2015, so he gets the nod here. Ji-Man Choi, who evolved into a fan favorite, was a close second.

27: Cesar Ramos
Ramos was one of those sneaky-good relievers during his time with Tampa Bay, posting a 3.66 ERA across four seasons.

28: John Jaso
This was a battle between Jaso and José Molina, but Jaso’s hair gave him the edge.

29: Fred McGriff
Pete Fairbanks was one of the best closers in franchise history, but all McGriff did was hit in his career. The Crime Dog did the same for his hometown team on his way to the Hall of Fame.

30: Dioner Navarro
One of the key pieces during the team’s 2008 run.

31: Jonny Gomes
One of the most memorable personalities in franchise history.

32: Eric Hinske
Hinske hit 20 home runs in his lone season with the Rays and was one of the veteran leaders in 2008.

33: James Shields
It came down to Shields or Jose Canseco, but it’s impossible to not give it to someone nicknamed Big Game James.

34: Jeff Niemann
It must take a lot of fabric to make jerseys for people who are 6-foot-9.

35: Dan Wheeler
In his second stint with the Rays, Wheeler wore No. 35 and helped the Rays advance to the World Series. Another No. 35, local hero Brett Phillips, had a pretty big Fall Classic moment, too.

36: Andrew Kittredge
With all due respect to Edwin Jackson, part of the 2008 team, Kittredge was a classic Rays reliever success story. You won’t find many better bullpen seasons than his All-Star 2021 campaign.

37: Alex Colomé
It wasn’t always easy, but Colomé was a really solid closer for the Rays.

38: Colin Poche
He missed time recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, but if you’re in the market for a No. 38 jersey, Poche’s is the one for you.

39: Kevin Kiermaier
Easily the best center fielder in franchise history, a legitimate clubhouse leader, one of the longest-tenured Rays ever and a link between the club’s most successful eras.

40: Wilson Ramos
The Rays have struggled to find productive catchers, but Ramos was extremely productive during his All-Star season in 2018.

41: Paul Wilson
He started 61 games for the Rays, including 30 in 2002.

43: Mike Brosseau
His name is engraved in Rays history after his go-ahead eighth-inning home run off Aroldis Chapman in Game 5 of the 2020 AL Division Series.

44: Toby Hall
One of the top catchers in franchise history.

45: Taj Bradley
He didn’t quite live up to his prospect status, but he was a big-time strikeout starter and had one excellent stretch before being traded for Griffin Jax.

46: José Alvarado
Not exactly a star-studded list, but don’t forget just how good he was in 2018.

47: Victor Zambrano
One of the pitchers that got the Rays through some tough times in the early 2000s.

48: Ryan Yarbrough
Bouncing back between roles as a starter and a bulk-inning guy, Yarbrough had a tremendous first three seasons in the big leagues then led a 100-win team in innings in 2021.

49: Jason Hammel
Hammel ended up having a nice career with the Rockies, Orioles, Cubs, A’s and Royals, but it all started with Tampa Bay.

50: Grant Balfour
Charlie Morton made a really good case in just two seasons, but it’s impossible to overlook just how important Balfour was to the Tampa Bay bullpen.

51: Rick White
There weren’t many options to pick from, but White was on the inaugural Rays team; therefore, he gets to claim this number.

52: Zack Littell
A wild success story who transformed from a waiver-claim relief pickup into a stabilizing force in the rotation, especially in 2023.

53: Alex Cobb
One of the most reliable and consistent pitchers in franchise history.

54: Sergio Romo
Ryne Stanek became the face behind the opener strategy, but Romo was the original, the pitcher that allowed the Rays to try out the unique plan.

55: Matt Moore
Going 17-4 during an All-Star season in 2013 certainly locked up this one for Moore.

56: Randy Arozarena
With all due respect to Fernando Rodney, whose incredible 2012 season was one of the best in Major League history, Arozarena earned this one in a hurry with his 2020 breakout and historic postseason, followed by the AL Rookie of the Year Award (and a straight steal of home in the postseason) in ’21.

57: Jake McGee
Drew Rasmussen is a run-prevention machine, but McGee finished with a sub-2.00 ERA twice in five seasons, solidifying himself as one of the best relievers in franchise history.

58: Jeremy Hellickson
He was never able to fully build on his 2011 AL Rookie of the Year Award-winning campaign, but Hellickson was still a solid pitcher for Tampa Bay and the best No. 58.

59: Jose Lobaton
This is kind of an obscure jersey number, but Lobaton made it cool after he hit one of the biggest home runs in franchise history, a walk-off against the Red Sox in Game 3 of the 2013 ALDS.

60: Garrett Cleavinger
An underrated strikeout machine who grew into a high-leverage reliever.

61: Josh Fleming
Fleming was one of the pleasant surprises for the Rays in 2020 while wearing this jersey, going 5-0 with a 2.78 ERA in his first seven big league appearances then swapping out for a lower number in his sophomore campaign.

62: Joel Peralta
Shane McClanahan made history with this number by becoming the first pitcher in Major League history to make his debut in the postseason, and Jonathan Aranda made an All-Star team wearing No. 62. Before that, Peralta was wearing it while helping the Rays make a couple of postseason appearances in the early 2010s.

63: Diego Castillo
Disney made a movie out of Jim Morris’ life, so it’s hard to go against the left-hander here. But Castillo had some excellent seasons in an important role and is surprisingly still the only Rays pitcher to record a save in the World Series.

64: Shawn Armstrong
Armstrong wore this number from 2022-24, when he was a versatile and valuable reliever doing everything from opening games to closing them out.

65: Casey Sadler
Sadler made only nine appearances with the Rays in 2019, but the right-hander was very effective, posting a 1.86 ERA. He’s the only one to wear this number in franchise history and could very well be the only player ever to drive his RV from Triple-A Durham after getting called up.

67: Joel Kuhnel
Not a lot to work with here, but Kuhnel made a few low-leverage appearances down the stretch in 2024.

68: Jalen Beeks
Beeks was establishing himself as a key piece to the Tampa Bay bullpen in 2020, but a left elbow injury led to Tommy John surgery. He returned as a mostly effective left-handed reliever.

70: Nick Anderson
Anderson went from playing Independent ball to being the best player to wear No. 70 in franchise history. Not bad.

71: Ryan Sherriff
Sherriff made it back to the big leagues after sustaining numerous injuries, and the left-hander was sharp, not allowing a run over 9 2/3 innings in 2020.

72: Yonny Chirinos
Chirinos was developing into a really productive Major League starter, but injuries kept him off the mound a long time. Simply returning from what he went through was a major accomplishment.

73: Johnny Davis
He didn’t make the impact with his speed the way the Rays hoped for, but he did provide one of the best interviews inside the clubhouse when Tampa Bay made the postseason in 2019.

74: J.P. Howell
Not many relievers in the history of the franchise have had a more successful two-year run than the one Howell had in 2008-09. He mostly wore No. 39, but we’ll put him as a No. 74 in order to get him on this list.

75: Dietrich Enns
Enns took a wild path to the Rays, going from independent ball in 2020 to the Majors one year later. He pitched well in a cameo role, posting a 2.82 ERA with two wins and two saves in nine appearances, then accepted an opportunity to continue his career in Japan.

76: Dusten Knight
He only pitched six times for the Rays, but he did some sick backflips after closing games in the Minors.

77: José Caballero
He wore No. 7 while leading the AL in steals for the Rays in 2024, but he switched to 77 (to accommodate Ha-Seong Kim) in 2025 and wound up leading the Majors with 49 steals – 34 for the Rays, 15 for the Yankees.

78: Miles Mastrobuoni
An organizational favorite, Mastrobuoni made it to the Majors near the end of the 2022 season.

80: Phoenix Sanders
The University of South Florida product might best be remembered as the first pitcher to try out the PitchCom system in a Spring Training game.

81: Ryan Thompson
Thompson is the only Rays player to wear this wide receiver number, and the sidearmer was a key part of some good bullpens.

84: John Curtiss
Curtiss went from being cut from the Phillies’ Triple-A squad to pitching in a World Series game. That’s somehow more remarkable than his decision to wear No. 84.

85: Sean Gilmartin
This guy probably has more White House appearances than mound appearances with the Rays, but he’s the only No. 85 in team history, so he makes the cut.

86: Chris Ellis
The Rays’ only No. 86 gets a bonus point for efficiency. In his lone appearance for the team in 2021, he recorded his first Major League win by working four scoreless innings with seven strikeouts out of the bullpen.

87: José De León
Injuries prevented him from developing as the Rays hoped when they acquired the right-hander from the Dodgers in 2017.

88: Phil Maton
His time with the Rays didn’t go as planned, but it was a mere bump in the road in a successful career.

97: Joe Beimel
He made only seven appearances with the Rays, but I’m more intrigued by the fact that he wore No. 97 with five big league teams.

98: Jae Weong Seo
He finished his Major League career by posting a 6.15 ERA in 28 outings for the then-Devil Rays.

99: Javy Guerra
The former shortstop prospect turned out to be a hard-throwing reliever.