No one loves a good debate quite like baseball fans, and with that in mind, we asked each of our beat reporters to rank the top five players by position in the history of their franchise, based on their career while playing for that club. These rankings are for fun and debate purposes only.
1) Kevin Kiermaier, 2013-22
Key fact: Three-time Gold Glove winner and Platinum Glove Award winner
Though Kiermaier didn’t swing the bat as well as the Rays had hoped when they signed him to a six-year extension, he put up solid enough numbers at the plate while being arguably the greatest defensive center fielder of his generation and a mainstay through two successful eras of Rays baseball.
Having a Platinum Award-winning center fielder goes a long way for a team. Kiermaier stabilized the middle of the outfield, while also covering some of the shortcomings the players on the corners might have had. Kiermaier’s defensive value did most of the heavy lifting in his 31.5 bWAR with the Rays, fourth most in franchise history behind Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford and Ben Zobrist -- Mount Rushmore-type players for Tampa Bay.
Kiermaier made some contributions offensively, posting a 98 OPS+ with 82 homers, 316 RBIs and 112 steals in parts of 10 seasons with the Rays. He also developed into an influential clubhouse leader, taking on the role of running the team’s postgame victory celebrations.
2) B.J. Upton, 2004, '06-12
Key fact: 232 stolen bases rank second in franchise history
Upton has a legitimate case as the franchise’s best center fielder, playing a key role in some of the most successful teams in club history. Upton recorded a .784 OPS during the team’s World Series run in 2008, finishing with a career-high 44 stolen bases that season.
Like Kiermaier, Upton didn’t hit quite as well as the Rays hoped for, but he made up for it with his defense and ability on the bases. Upton never made it to an All-Star Game, but he is one of the best players to ever wear a Rays uniform.
3) Desmond Jennings, 2010-16
Key fact: 13.4 bWAR, 22 triples and 95 stolen bases
Jennings might not have quite lived up to the hype as Carl Crawford’s heir apparent, but he enjoyed a few solid seasons with the Rays in the early 2010s. From 2011-14, Jennings posted a 105 OPS+ while averaging 22 steals and 12 homers.
He started as primarily a left fielder before moving to center, where his speed and athleticism played well. Jennings fell off hard, though, playing only 93 games while his numbers cratered in 2015-16, by which point Kiermaier had taken over as Tampa Bay’s center fielder.
4) Rocco Baldelli, 2003-08, ‘10
Key fact: Hit 43 homers and stole 54 bases with 9.1 bWAR in first three seasons
Ah, what could have been. The sixth overall pick in the 2000 MLB Draft, Baldelli burst onto the big league stage in 2003 and finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. He had another solid season in '04 and played well over 92 games in ’06.
But Baldelli’s prime and career were cut short due to a medical issue out of his control: mitochondrial channelopathy, a rare cell disorder causing muscle fatigue. A diagnosis came slowly and perhaps too late, and it limited Baldelli to 135 games and 1.1 bWAR over the final four seasons of his career -- three with the Rays and one with the Red Sox.
Of course, Baldelli enjoyed a second act as a coach with the Rays and wound up becoming the Twins’ manager for seven years.
5) Randy Winn, 1998-2002
Key fact: Made the American League All-Star team in 2002
Winn played all over the outfield, but he spent most of his time in center. It took Winn some time to find success at the Major League level, but he certainly found it during the 2002 season. He became an All-Star for the first time in his career, slashing .298/.360/.461 during that season. In five years with the Rays, Winn hit .279, which ranks ninth in franchise history. He also stole 80 bases, ranking seventh.
Honorable mentions
Quinton McCracken was the Rays’ inaugural center fielder, and he hit .292 in 1998. ... Mallex Smith stole 40 bases and hit .296 in 2018. ... Gerald Williams received a lot of consideration, but Smith’s best season was better than his 2000 campaign, during which he hit .274, with 30 doubles, 21 homers and 89 RBIs. ... Guillermo Heredia didn’t put up big numbers on the field, but he endeared himself to the fan base during the 2019 season. ... Joey Gathright played parts of three seasons with the Rays, but he didn’t play more than 76 games in any of them.