MLB.com has broken down the top five players at each position in Rays history. Some of the decisions were pretty clear -- hi, Evan Longoria -- while others created a good amount of debate.
But after trying to decide what the all-time Rays team would look like on the field, it was time to start thinking about which Tampa Bay manager would manage the all-time club. And, well, it’s a pretty straightforward debate.
Joe Maddon or Kevin Cash? Kevin Cash or Joe Maddon?
Their credentials aren’t so different.
Maddon joined the Rays heading into the 2006 season, tasked with taking a cellar-dwelling team and leading it into a new era under new leadership. He did just that in his first job as a full-time Major League manager, pulling off a worst-to-first turnaround in 2008 that marked their arrival as a legitimate contender.
Under Maddon, the Rays won one American League pennant. They won 754 games in the regular season and lost 705. They reached the postseason four times but only advanced past the AL Division Series once.
When Maddon left to manage the Cubs after the 2014 season, Cash took the reins of his hometown team. The Tampa native got his first managerial job in a time of transition for the Rays, as baseball operations leader Andrew Friedman also departed for a bigger market in Los Angeles. With the farm system no longer churning out stars and the central figures of Maddon’s era either elsewhere or entering the second act of their careers, it seemed obvious it would take some time for Tampa Bay to return to glory.
It took only four years for the Rays to achieve another winning season and five years to get back into the playoffs. They found more consistent success under Cash, reaching the postseason five consecutive seasons from 2019-23.
Cash has been on the job in Tampa Bay longer than Maddon was. As of the start of the 2026 season, he had managed 221 more games for the Rays and won 142 more. He is the winningest manager in franchise history by victories and winning percentage. And the Rays’ track record in the postseason under Cash is similar to that under Maddon: They won one AL pennant and failed to advance past the ALDS in their other four attempts.
Both hires were relatively bold. Maddon had only a pair of stints as interim manager of the Angels, although he had a deep coaching background. Cash was only 37 years old in his first season as a Major League manager, having spent only two years as Terry Francona’s bullpen coach in Cleveland after a brief stint as a scout.
Both went on to be named AL Manager of the Year twice with the Rays: Maddon in 2008 and ’11, Cash in 2020 and ’21.
Both were unafraid to be bold, embracing the “Rays way” of doing business.
Maddon provided stability for a young Rays organization that had gone through three managers in its first eight years of existence. He also brought a forward-thinking approach and a contagious energy, which is exactly what the club needed after posting eight consecutive losing seasons.
There were some doubters, but it all came together in 2008.
Yes, the Rays had a lot of young talent during that season, but Maddon’s unorthodox leadership helped Tampa Bay reach its only World Series appearance in franchise history. While Maddon’s tactics of themed road trips and Spring Training shows gained a lot of publicity during his time with the Cubs, that all started with the Rays.
“From the beginning, we felt our ideal candidate would have infectious energy and optimism, strong communication skills, extensive player development background and willingness to embrace new ideas,” Friedman said in 2005. “He is a teacher, a leader and a strong communicator. He understands what it takes for a team to be successful.”
Cash offered a different personality but arguably an even greater desire to win. Maddon communicated through the media and often became the face of the Rays’ unorthodox approach. Cash has been no less daring in deploying tactics like the opener and other forward-thinking strategies, but he’s also content to let players be themselves and credit others whenever something goes well.
“I think Joe and Evan Longoria are probably the two biggest faces in uniform for the franchise. To be able to be tied with Joe would be quite an honor,” Cash said shortly before winning his 755th game. “The opportunity to go one more win beyond that? Pretty humbling.”
Maddon or Cash? Cash or Maddon? For Rays fans, it’s a good question to ask.