Tampa Bay Rays Players of the Decade: #2 David Price

David Price comes in as the second best Rays player this decade as he enjoyed one of the best stretches of success by any player in franchise history.

David Price made his debut with the Tampa Bay Rays late in that magical 2008 season and eventually closed out Game 7 of the ALCS, as a rookie. He would appear in 23 games the following season and by the beginning of the decade would position himself as one of the most dominating pitchers in baseball.

From 2010 to 2014, David Price was as dominant as any pitcher in baseball during that stretch and cemented himself as the best pitcher in franchise history. He was the undisputed ace and workhorse for four and a half seasons until he was traded to Detroit at the deadline in 2014.

David Price’s Numbers with Rays from 2010-2013:

• 830.2 IP
• 61-32
• 3.02 ERA // 127 ERA+
• 762 K

David Price’s Numbers w/ Rays in 2014:

• 170.2 IP
• 11-8
• 3.11 ERA // 119 ERA+
• 189 K

Price’s numbers this decade were great and his accolades over this stretch reflect that. He was an all-star four of the five seasons he was with the Rays this decade. The only season he failed to reach the mid-summer classic was 2013. He finished second in the Cy Young race in 2010 and won the award in 2012, becoming the first pitcher in franchise history to do so. In 2012 he also finished 12th in the MVP vote. That season he led the league in wins (20) and ERA (2.56) and in 2014, he finished 6th in the Cy Young vote.

On the mound, he amassed over 19.9 bWAR and during his Cy Young season in 2012, he was worth 6.6 wins. He was worth a combined eight wins in 2010 and 2011.

The only pitcher to match the dominance displayed by David Price over a single season was Blake Snell in 2018 when he brought home the franchise’s second Cy Young award. No pitcher has matched his excellence to this point and the only pitcher to come close is James Shields.

David Price was a huge reason for the Rays success in 2010, 2011, and 2013. He was consistently one of the best pitchers in the game and every time he took the mound, the Rays were in a better position to win.