A casual fan's guide to the 2025 Rays
Friday is Opening Day for the Tampa Bay Rays as they kick off the new season at home against the Rockies.
If you're a baseball fan, you already knew that. This mini-guide is for everyone else.
Here are four things to know about the 2025 Rays:
🏟️ Is that... the sky?
Your eyes aren't deceiving you: For the first time in team history, the Rays will not play home games at Tropicana Field, which lost its roof to Hurricane Milton.
The team instead will play at Tampa's open-air Steinbrenner Field. Brace for summer heat and rain delays.
⚾️ Heroic hurlers
The Rays' pitching is considered the team's strength, with a rotation featuring ace Shane McClanahan and key starters Drew Rasmussen and Ryan Pepiot.
McClanahan was set to start opening day but suffered a pesky nerve issue, so Pepiot will be on the mound Friday.
🧢 Batters up
Second baseman Brandon Lowe, a power hitter and last season's team MVP, leads the list of names to know in the Rays' lineup.
Keep an eye on third baseman Junior Caminero, who's 21 and primed for a breakout season. He's said he wants to hit 30 homers.
🏷️ Ownership rumors
With the collapse of the team's deal for a new stadium in St. Pete, reports say owner Stu Sternberg is under pressure from the league to sell.
The team has said it's not for sale, but buyers are circling. Don't be surprised if the owner's box has different occupants by season's end.
Bonus: 🤔 1 quirk of baseball history to go
Changing teams mid-season is a fact of life for many professional athletes.
Changing teams mid-game? That's an experience unique to new Rays catcher Danny Jansen.
Flashback: Jansen was playing for the Toronto Blue Jays on June 26, 2024, when severe weather at Fenway Park led to a road game against the Boston Red Sox being suspended in the second inning.
By the time the game resumed on Aug. 26, Jansen had been traded to the Sox — making him the first player in MLB history to appear in the same game for both teams.
"Honestly, when I heard about it, I didn't think I would be the first," Jansen said at the time, per ESPN. "The game has been around for so long."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Roman Anthony's first MLB hit is a 2-run double that propels Red Sox past Rays
Roman Anthony's second MLB game went better than his first. And it helped lead the Red Sox to a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Anthony went 0-for-4 with an RBI and an error in his MLB debut on Monday, just hours after the Red Sox called up the No. 1 prospect in baseball. The Red Sox lost to the Rays 10-8. Advertisement On Tuesday, Anthony got to work in his first at-bat. With runners on second and third in the bottom of the first inning, he faced an outside changeup from Rays starter Ryan Pepiot on a 1-2 count. Anthony swung and sent a line drive down the left-field line that rolled to the outfield wall. Two runs scored, and Anthony reached second for a go-ahead double on his first MLB hit. Not a bad way to start the career highlight reel. The runs off of Anthony's bat turned out to be all the Red Sox needed to secure the 3-1 win. Anthony finished 1-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and a strikeout. Can Anthony help Sox compete in AL East? A Red Sox team sitting near the bottom of the AL East standings (32-36 before Tuesday's game) and in need of an offensive injection called Anthony up from Triple-A Worcester following an injury to right fielder Wilyer Abreu. A 21-year-old outfielder, Anthony is filling in for Abreu in right and batting fifth in the Red Sox's lineup. Advertisement Just two nights prior to his call-up, Anthony showed off part of what makes him such a tantalizing prospect with a 497-foot grand slam for Worcester that was longer than any MLB home run this season. The Red Sox are certainly hoping he can build off Tuesday's breakthrough and provide a boost in the AL playoff race.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Red Sox's Alex Cora Calls Out Umpires Over Poor Call 'That Pitch Was a Ball'
Red Sox's Alex Cora Calls Out Umpires Over Poor Call 'That Pitch Was a Ball' originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After the Boston Red Sox lost to the Tampa Bay Rays, there was a lot of frustration. It was an extra-inning thriller, but the Red Sox fell to the Rays after a terrible call had a huge impact on the game. Advertisement Late in the game, the Red Sox were in a precarious situation. With runners on first and second, and one out, in a two-run game, Romy Gonzalez watched a low pitch go by and began his trot to first for the walk. However, despite the pitch being below the strike zone on the TV broadcast, home plate umpire Junior Valentine called it a strike. Gonzalez was out, Cora was heated, and shortly thereafter was ejected. After the game, Cora called out the umpires for their poor strike-three call. "It was a ball," Cora said. "That pitch was a ball. It was down. He (Valentine) was really good, actually, during the day. But it was down." Advertisement A huge reason why that pitch was especially frustrating was in the prior half-inning, in the top of the 11th, Red Sox reliever Zack Kelly threw a pitch in the same area, and it was called a ball. Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora reacts after a strikeout during the eleventh inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Fluharty-Imagn Images The Rays benefitted both times from Valentine's decision, and while not the sole reason for the Red Sox's loss, it was a huge part in the outcome of the game. Despite the high energy from Roman Anthony's MLB debut, the Red Sox fell to the Rays in a tough loss following a bad call from the umpire. Cora's message wasn't too inflammatory. While he called out Valentine for the missed call, he also complimented him for his performance throughout the previous ten innings. Advertisement With how umpires aren't afraid of holding a grudge against players, teams, and managers, Cora's praise of Valentine isn't out of the ordinary. Instead of blasting Valentine, his complaint was a reasonable one, expressed clearly and respectfully. The Red Sox will not have to see Valentine behind the plate again in the series against the Rays, but will look to rebound from a crushing extra-inning loss to the Rays. Related: Top Red Sox Prospect Roman Anthony Breaks Silence Amid MLB Debut Related: Marcelo Mayer Shares Heartwarming Reaction Amid Red Sox Roman Anthony Decision This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Roman Anthony's first MLB hit and sliding catch lead Red Sox to victory over Rays
By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer Roman Anthony, the top prospect in baseball, hit a two-run double for his first major league hit and added a sliding catch in right field to help the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Tuesday night. One night after his MLB debut, when he went hitless and committed an error in an 11-inning loss, Anthony went 1 for 4 with his family in the stands and gave Boston a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a sharp double to left. Trevor Story added two hits for the Red Sox, including a solo homer over the Green Monster and onto Lansdowne Street. Boston Red Sox rookie Roman Anthony runs down the first base line on his two RBI double, his first major league hit, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Boston. Charles Krupa / AP Lucas Giolito, who gave up seven runs to the Angels in his last start - four of them before recording his first out - picked up his first win in five starts. Giolito (2-1) limited Tampa Bay to one unearned run - thanks to his own errant pickoff throw - on three hits and three walks while striking out four over six innings. Greg Weissert pitched the ninth for his first save. Ryan Pepio (3-6) gave up three runs on five hits and two walks, striking out nine in 5 2/3 innings for Tampa Bay. Key moment Boston took the lead for good in the first when Rafael Devers singled with one out in the first, went to third on Carlos Narváez's double and scored when Anthony lined a double to left. Key stat Story has four consecutive multihit games. He was batting .267 on June 5 before going .141 over the next month to drop his average to .217. Up next Tampa RHP Zack Littell (6-5) faces Boston RHP Walker Buehler (4-4) in the series finale.
