Putting together the Rays All-Time 25th Anniversary squad

Though arguably MLB's least historic team on paper, the Tampa Bay Rays have led a baseball revolution since entering Major League Baseball ahead of the 1998 season. As the Moneyball concept introduced by Billy Beane with the Oakland Athletics continues to take over the sport, it's perhaps the Rays that have perfected the notion. While teams such as the 2015 Kansas City Royals have ridden the concept to a World Championship, it's the Rays who have strung together the most consistent run of success with the approach since the arrival of Joe Maddon as the team's skipper in 2006.

The Rays have entirely changed the game and how front offices operate around baseball, allowing the game to fully immerse itself in 21st century ideology. As the Rays continue their cost-conducive efforts to win, and do so at a high level, their savvy executives are sprinkled around the league, to the point where even the Los Angeles Dodgers, with former Rays General Manager Andrew Friedman at the helm, are winning championships with the strategies introduced by the Rays.

Naturally, with an organization notorious for pinching pennies, however, there's been a rather high turnover rate on their roster over the course of the first 25 years. All of that said, that allows us ample options when putting together an all-time Rays 26-man roster for the first 25 years.

It should be noted that this isn't a list of the best players to wear the uniform. So, for example, six-time All-Star (including his sixth and final selection with the Rays in 1999) Jose Canseco won't make an appearance on the roster because he only played in one season with the ballclub, whereas outfielders with more tenure and more of an impact on the club and community will be considered. Certain pivotal moments in the franchise's history will be heavily considered, and do matter when choosing between similar players. However, there has to be more impact than a handful of singular at bats. Thus, as fun as the team's 2020 playoff run is, neither Michael Brosseau nor Brett Phillips will be appearing for their clutch hits that October. The team will be introduced in order of lineup, bench, rotation and bullpen.

Without further ado...

Left Field: No. 13, Carl Crawford

Aptly nicknamed the Perfect Storm, the leadoff hitter on our Rays 25 Team is the team's first superstar: Carl Crawford.

Drafted in 1999, Crawford caught eyes around the league for his athletic prowess in the summer of 2002, despite only so-so rookie production. In 2004, at age 22, No. 13 had officially made his presence felt in the heart of Tropicana Field, 315 feet away from the home diamond as the everyday left fielder.

Crawford became the best baserunner in baseball, leading the league in triples and stolen bases four times over the course of his nine seasons in St. Pete, including 59 stolen bags in the '04 campaign. He averaged 50 bases swiped over a typical 162-game stretch from 2003-2009, but offered so much more than his speed at the dish. The southpaw slugger is one of only six Rays to reach triple digit homeruns (104) in a Tampa Bay uniform, as well as having more doubles and triples than homeruns. Crawford's .296 batting average just edges out former first baseman James Loney among players with at least 1,500 plate appearances. It's the highest cumulative batting average for a Rays player. His .781 OPS is well-established within the top ten of the franchise leaderboard, though his 107 OPS+ does indicate he was only 7% better offensively than the average Major League Baseball player during his stint with the team.

Crawford has appeared in more games than any Ray not named Evan Longoria and has more hits while wearing the uniform (1,480) than every player in Rays history. Crawford is second in runs created, runs scored and runs driven in, providing some of the most consistent run production that the Rays have ever seen.

While the way Crawford departed for Boston left a sour taste in the mouth of quite a few fans, Crawford was a dynamic player with the Rays. He was elected to four All-Star games, the most of any player representing the Rays, while also winning a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. For many, Crawford not only presented a reason to watch the product, but the first representation of a quality ballclub.

Crawford will be inducted into the Rays Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 2023.

Right Field: No. 56, Randy Arozarena

It's hard to gush about Randy Arozarena's greatness with the Tampa Bay Rays organization because of how much of a roller coaster it's been thus far in his run. Coming over in the Matthew Liberatore trade with the Cardinals, Randy has raked all night, day, and year. Yet, he's perhaps the most frustrating player currently in the uniform with how the roster is constructed.

Arozarena in 2022 alone made more than ten outs on the basepaths on balls put in play, not to mention his double-digit total in caught stealing. In fact, it's that type of chaos that provided the drama in the now-infamous Phillips World Series base hit.

Arozarena's baseball instincts aren't necessarily the best, but beyond that, he's a tremendous player. He stole 32 bases and hit 20 homeruns this past campaign, providing the Rays a second consecutive 20/20 season where he hit to a terrific .263/.327/.445 slash line, or a line that was 24% better than the average player during the season. Since his Rays debut in 2020, he's posted a 130 OPS+, 47 homeruns and 169 RBI. In 2021, Arozarena was the third Tampa player to be named Rookie of the Year after Jeremy Hellickson and Wil Myers in 2011 and 2013, respectively.

Beyond his athletically gifted play in the regular season, he's provided one of the most remarkable postseasons in MLB history. With the Rays looking to make their first Fall Classic since 2008, Arozarena stepped up in a major way. In the 2020 postseason, the slugger had 14 XBH, including a record 10 home runs. He set the record for most hits in a single postseason with 29, surpassing former Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval. Though the Rays fell short in their quest to defeat the Dodgers, the Randy Arozarena Show continued the next year when he became the first to successfully attempt a straight steal of home in the postseason since Jackie Robinson.

Arozarena's regular season numbers are likely enough to earn a spot on this celebration of Rays history, but it's his postseason heroics that make him a surefire candidate. Randy will look to continue to rake in 2023.

Designated Hitter: No. 29, Fred McGriff

One of only two players to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame while having spent time with the Tampa Bay Rays, The Crime Dog excelled in Tampa even as a much older contributor. After peaking with the Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves, the first baseman played parts of five seasons with the Rays across two different runs with the club. After purchasing his contract from Atlanta following the 1997 Expansion Draft, McGriff returned to his hometown club. McGriff slashed .291/..380/.484 with 99 home runs as a Devil Ray. The 99 home runs were the most by a Ray until 2009.

Alongside 3,000 hit club member Rafael Palmeiro, McGriff is one of two first basemen to debut since the second World War to have at least 490 home runs, 2,490 hits, 1,500 RBI, and at least an .880 OPS. While only one of his five All-Star nods came as a Ray, McGriff's time in St. Pete was significant as the Rays' first superstar, and he was still a very solid option for the club.

Putting Fred McGriff in the three hole of the lineup was a no-brainer, considering he's one of the best run producers in the era that saw the biggest offensive explosion in baseball history. "The guy answered the bell. You look at his career and you see how many 100-RBI seasons that he had," former Rays radio broadcaster Charlie Slowes told MLB.com recently. "Maybe he didn’t have a ton of 40-home run seasons, but he had a lot of 30-home run seasons. He was very consistent."

First Base: No. 23, Carlos Pena

Carlos Pena was a big part of the aforementioned Moneyball strategy innovated by Billie Beane that the Rays historically implement, and while he's a baseball purist's nightmare, he's the quintessential analytical darling. Of any legendary Ray from the past, he's the most like the modern Rays and embodies the typical MLB player's attitude from 2023. A three-true-outcome savant, Pena was a low-batting average, high on-base plus slug batter. From 2007-2010, Pena had a 26.5% K rate. He also posted a 15.7% walk rate to go with his 6.1% home run rate. Approximately half the time, a Pena at-bat ended in one of the three-true-outcome probabilities.

There's a strong argument to be made that the 2007 season from Pena was the strongest single-season campaign in Rays history. His .411 on-base clip and .627 SLG are the highest in single-season history. In fact, the second closest in SLG in a stand-alone campaign is Austin Meadows, who slugged a mere .558 in his 2019 All-Star season. Beyond that, Pena is the only Ray to reach the 40 home run benchmark in the uniform, hitting 46 in 2007, leading to a 7.2 bWAR.

Yet, it's his 2008 season he likely remembers fondest, as a cornerstone of a team that embarked on a trip to the World Series, and saw Pena win his Gold Glove, which was the determining factor in whether he or McGriff started in the field on this particular fantasy squad. Pena was elected to his only All-Star team in 2009, a year where he led the Junior Circuit in home runs.

It's well-documented how good Tampa is at getting the most out of their players, but perhaps there's no player whose potential they unlocked (where others could not) more than Carlos Pena. A run-producer that drove in 100 runs in three consecutive seasons and would have the most raw power of any player in this lineup, he's the easy choice to bat cleanup for this team.

Third Base: No. 3, Evan Longoria

There's very little that The Jameus of FanSided can write about Evan Longoria's legacy with the Rays that hasn't been pontificated about elsewhere. So, we'll save the long-winded 'Mr. Ray' speech. Simply put, the first time the team contended coincided with the year that Evan Longoria won Rookie of the Year and took the Rays to the World Series. Their 2011 playoff berth is most remembered by arguably the most iconic home run in Rays history, an extra-inning walk-off against Scott Proctor and the Yankees that just cleared the porch in the left field corner of Tropicana Field. For ten exciting years, Evan was a staple in the No. 3 hole of the lineup.

When Down and Out by Tantric came up to the plate, Tropicana Field would electrify with the flip of a switch. He was a superstar by every tangible measurement, even in seasons where his statistics weren't exactly up to par. However, in his three All-Star seasons from 2008-2010, he drove in 300 runs, hit 82 home runs and slashed a robust .283/.361/.521 to complement defense that would win him three Gold Gloves in his Rays tenure at the hot corner.

Though injuries have caught up to him, the now-Arizona Diamondback still seems to be on a potential Hall of Fame pace with one or two solid seasons left, albeit most likely via a committee nod if elected. Among players with at least 315 home runs, 1,800 hits, 50 career WAR and an .800 OPS, there are eight players to play at least 50% of their games at third base. Amongst those eight are six Hall of Famers (Mike Schmidt, Eddie Mathews, Chipper Jones, Scott Rolen, Ron Santo, George Brett) as well as Adrian Beltre, who could potentially be the first position player to garner 100% of the vote next year. The only active third baseman to have accumulated those numbers? Evan Longoria.

Longoria was the easiest pick for this exercise. He's number one in franchise history in just about every major category: games played, home runs, WAR, RBI, walks, doubles, runs created, et. al. In 2017, he became only the second Ray to hit for the cycle. The best third baseman to wear a Rays uniform is Hall of Famer Wade Boggs, but the best third baseman during their run with the ballclub is inarguably Evan. He is the most memorable Ray, even despite issues in the later years caused by plantar fasciitis.

Second Base: No. 18, Ben Zobrist

If you were tasked with finding the stereotypical Tampa Bay Rays player, it'd be Ben Zobrist. He'll forever be known for a knack for peskiness at the plate, all-around athleticism across the diamond, and the willingness to do just about anything unorthodox for the team. As you most likely interpret from the photo used, Zobrist was at one point at outfielder for the organization. Here's the thing: he was. But he was also a more-than-solid infielder. During his career, Zobrist played at least one inning at every position, including pitcher, with the exception of catcher. The position he played most during his MLB career is second base, at 911 games, so that's the position we'll use here.

Despite being a very prominent part of the Rays lineup, including an 8-win 2009 season where the All-Star slashed a gaudy .297/.405/.543, that's his legacy. Zobrist was the first true super-utility player that didn't come off the bench, a role every team in the league looks to fill every single year. Beyond that, every team needs a winning player, which Ben Zobrist was.

Zobrist stacks up excellently among players to put on the Rays uniform. He's top three in WAR (35.3) for position players, hits (1,016), doubles (229) and RBI (510). He's top five in OBP (.354, tied with Akinori Iwamura), home runs (114), stolen bases (102) and WPA (7.3). There's a strong argument to be made that Zobrist never truly received the love he earned in the Tampa area while playing with talents the caliber of Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford and David Price, but he's firmly entrenched in team lore for all of the right reasons.

Shortstop: No. 5, Wander Franco

This feels weird to write down for a greatest Rays team of all-time: a sophomore shortstop that's dealt with injuries in the first two seasons feels like inherent recency bias. Be that as it may, when you break down the numbers, there's no better Rays shortstop. The only player in Rays history other than Wander Franco who's hit to a .280 batting average and at least .775 OPS while playing 50 or more games at shortstop is Brendan Harris, who played one season with the Rays.

Despite an injury-plagued 2022, The Wander Years officially began in 2021 when he had one of the best 83-game stretches in team history, as written about here by yours truly. There are five shortstops in the last 90 years to post at least six WAR before their 22nd birthday. Two of them, Hall of Famer Robin Yount and Alex Rodriguez, have won multiple MVPs. The other three are active: Carlos Correa, Fernando Tatis Jr. and 'The Boy Wander.'

The switch-hitting shortstop is currently under the richest deal in Rays history and is set to be Tampa's shortstop of the foreseeable future.

Catcher: No. 30, Dioner Navarro

Finding a catcher for this activity was probably the most difficult position. That being said, Navarro was a much better player for the Rays at one point than folks probably remember. Navarro is one of three, specifically Wilson Ramos and Mike Zunino, to be selected to the MLB All-Star game as a Rays backstop. Navarro, who alongside Jason Varitek served as backup to starter Joe Mauer in the 2008 All-Star game, hit .295 that season for the Rays, in what is the highest single-season batting average for a catcher in franchise history.

In fact, the only other catcher in Rays history to hit at least .280 with at least 100 games behind the dish is Toby Hall in 2005, whose OPS+ was 17 points lower than Navarro's 2008 offering. In fact, Hall is the only other catcher to spend at least five seasons playing their home games at Tropicana Field. Though his other seasons were underwhelming (a 73 cumulative OPS+ in a Rays uniform) and his defense would often be hit or miss in regards to pitch framing, if you combine Navarro's best season with the amount of volume he spent in the uniform, he's most likely the best choice here.

Centerfield: No. 39, Kevin Kiermaier

Having a player with the speed of Kevin Kiermaier hitting ninth in your lineup, despite the inherent flaws in his offensive make-up, is a proverbial bolt in the lineup, allowing for almost a second leadoff hitter. That being said, Kiermaier's offense left a lot of potential untapped during his time with the Rays. His OPS+ is a modest 98 over the course of his career, enough to keep you in the majors when you have the defensive prowess of Kiermaier, but average at best with a bat. His career high in home runs is 15, giving Tampa only a small amount of thump, and he's only walked more than 40 times once. He hits the ball to the opposite field less than 15% of the time, rarely being able to even utilize his speed to get on base.

Kiermaier, beyond being one of the biggest fan favorites, is arguably the best defensive player of his generation at a premium position. Consider this excerpt from my piece on Kiermaier back in August:

"Kiermaier is one of the game's top defensive centerfielders, posting a gaudy 17.6 defensive WAR in his Rays tenure by Baseball Reference measurements. He's done so in only 914 games on top of that. For comparison, Braves legend Andruw Jones, considered by many to be the greatest defender in the history of position, posted an 18.1 dWAR in his first 981 games from 1996-2002. It's there-within that lays the issue, though, as AJ25 had played in 67 more games across the first six seasons he saw big league action in versus Kiermaier who's seen action in ten separate seasons."

Andruw Jones, who's gaining traction in the Hall of Fame discussion, is widely considered the best defensive center fielder to ever play the game. Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox once famously touted that Jones had 'RBI in his glove,' with Cooperstown electees Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz all three citing how he made them better. A center fielder that valuable often goes understated, but that's what The Outlaw provided for the Rays. It's no wonder why pitchers' ERAs are lower when Kiermaier's on the diamond versus when he's off the diamond. The issue with Kiermaier beyond his expected offensive output is that he averaged only 108 games per season from 2014-2022, excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

Despite his lack of availability and offensive struggles, Kiermiaer accrued 31.8 bWAR in a Tampa uniform, the fourth-highest total in franchise history. For his defense to hold that much weight in the conversation of his analytical statistics, it automatically makes him the greatest defensive player in Rays history. Since the start of 2016, Kiermaier has 71 Outs Above Average, sixth most in MLB over that span, preventing approximately 64 runs. Those 64 runs sit behind only Francisco Lindor (Cleveland, New York), Nick Ahmed (Arizona) and Nolan Arenado (Colorado, St. Louis), while being the most among center fielders. Those numbers don't even include the 2015 season where Kiermaier won a platinum glove for being the best defensive player in the American League.

A fan-favorite beloved in St. Pete, Kiermaier's defensive play covets him the final spot on our starting lineup.

Starting Pitcher: No. 14, David Price

The starting five for this club is a bit unorthodox, considering three of the five arms selected in this projected are southpaws, but it wouldn't be a Rays team without unorthodox roster construction.

In an effort to put together the best team, antiquated theories on how to utilize a lefty-heavy pitching staff were thrown out the window. The clear first choice is that of Tampa's first Cy Young recipient David Price, who leads the Rays in a number of pitching categories among hurlers with at least 500 innings of work: ERA (3.18), WAR (21.8), WHIP (1.14), and Win Probability Added (9.4). His 122 ERA+ is second only behind Blake Snell, and his 82 decisions are second behind James Shields. Price pitched many big games for the Rays, including a relief outing where he closed out Game 7 of the American League Championship Series in 2008 as a rookie.

It's the 2010 season when Price, who went to his first of four All-Star games as a Ray, truly arrived as a certifiable ace for the ballclub. Price finished second in AL Cy Young voting behind Felix Hernandez in a season where the King pitched to a terrific 2.27 ERA. That being said, Price was terrific in his own right: 2.72 ERA, 144 ERA+, 188 Ks, 208 IP. 2012 was Price's crown jewel of his career, however, as he became the first Ray to ever record 20 wins in a single season. Price led the American League in ERA with a robust 2.56 margin over 211 innings, and struck out excess of 200 for the second consecutive season. Price posted numbers 50% better than the average pitcher in 2012, indicated by his 150 ERA+, and was good enough to become the first Ray to win an AL Cy Young.

From 2010 to 2014, the year of Price's midseason trade to Detroit, Price was one of four pitchers with a sub-3.10 ERA and at least 1,000 strikeouts across at least 1,000 frames, alongside Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, Cole Hamels of the Phillies and Felix Hernandez of the Mariners. To say that Price was amongst the game's elite for a significant period of his era as a Ray would be an understatement.

Starting Pitcher: No. 33, James Shields

While his peak wasn't quite as memorable as some others on this list, every pitching staff needs a durable anchor to pitch deep into ballgames and show up when it matters. Nicknamed Big Game James by the Tropicana Field faithful, James Shields was among the organization's best. He's atop the franchise leaderboard in strikeouts (1,250) and innings worked (1,454.2), but perhaps most impressively is his franchise-record 19 complete games in an era where complete games are becoming a lost art. For reference, there were only 35 complete games across baseball in the 2022 season. From 2007-2012, Shields hit the 200 inning benchmark every season, averaging 230 innings pitched over the course of a 162-game season.

The season that Shields will be most remembered for in a Rays uniform will be his 2011 season, where he was tabbed an All-Star for the only time in his major league career. That year, the 29-year-old pitched to a 2.82 ERA in 249.1 innings of work, the most innings in a single-season in Rays history. Alongside eventual MVP Justin Verlander and Jered Weaver, Shields was a Cy Young finalist for the first time in his MLB tenure. Shields finished with a 134 ERA+ and 11 complete games, proving that not only did he eat innings, but that the innings were also of a quality variety.

Shields was traded to the Kansas City Royals before the 2014 season alongside Wade Davis, as both became crucial in their run to the World Series during that season, but his Rays tenure was a strong one. During his time with the Rays, he posted a 19.7 bWAR, the second-highest behind Price in Rays history for a pitcher. Though his ERA is only ninth in franchise history, even behind Jake Odorizzi, who came to Tampa Bay in the aforementioned deal with Kansas City, Shields' run of stability has been unparalleled since. His eight complete game shutouts is the best mark in team history.

Starting Pitcher: No. 4, Blake Snell

It's an arduous task to sift through Blake Snell's legacy with the Tampa Bay Rays: a Cy Young recipient, but heavily criticized for his lack of innings. That led to him cruising through a World Series game against the Dodgers and being taken out in one of the most excoriated managerial decisions in recent memory.

Yet Snell shouldn't be remembered for what he didn't do, but rather what he did accomplish in a Rays uniform. He is second in franchise history in ERA at a 3.24 mark, with the best ERA in franchise history, 1.89, in his 2018 Cy Young campaign. That season, in addition to his sensational ERA, Snell's K numbers were scintillating. Snell struck out 11 hitters for every nine innings pitched, finishing at 221 on the season in only 180.2 innings of work. While those in real-time were discussing the lack of depth in his output, it wasn't enough to sway voters, as Snell became only the second starting pitcher to ever win a Cy Young while pitching fewer than 200 total innings. For reference, Clayton Kershaw pitched 198.1 innings in his MVP season.

It was that 2018 season that Snell paced the franchise in single-season win total (21), WAR for pitchers (7.1), WPA (5.1, tied with Fernando Rodney's 2012 campaign) and ERA+ (217), posting an adjusted ERA better than the average pitcher by 117 total points.

Snell was dealt by the Rays ahead of the 2021 season amidst Kevin Cash's questionable playoff decision in the deal that brought Francisco Mejia and Luis Patino to the Rays, ending his tenure with the club just two years into the five-year pact he signed in 2019. But, he did more than enough to earn a major spot on this roster in his five seasons with the ballclub.

Starting Pitcher: No. 19, Scott Kazmir

Almost as difficult as selecting the final two pitchers for the all-time Rays rotation was selecting which jersey number Scott Kazmir would wear on the club -- as you recall, he wore three different ones in Tampa.

His 114 ERA+, while very solid (especially for a No. 4 starter on any team), doesn't exactly scream "Greatest Ray of All Time," but Kazmir's impact goes beyond that. Kazmir, an All-Star for the Rays in 2006 and 2008, was the first Rays starting pitcher to be tabbed an All-Star since Rolando Arrojo in the team's inaugural season.

Kazmir's excellence shined through on a substandard Rays teams in 2006 and 2007, even if his record doesn't exactly reflect such a notion. In just over 350 innings over that stretch, Kazmir posted a 134 ERA+, 402 Ks and a 3.38 ERA. While his 2006 season was better by most measurements, Kazmir did lead the American League in Ks with 239 in 2007.

While his early success was notable for the Rays in the Devil Ray era, Kazmir was an even more crucial piece to the 2008 World Series run. In the '08 run, Kazmir posted a 127 ERA+ at the top of the rotation for the Rays, complemented by a 9.8 K-per-nine ratio and his lowest WHIP in a Tampa uniform. The rest of Kazmir's career didn't go according to plan, but Kazmir was the first true stalwart of the Rays rotation.

Starting Pitcher: No. 22, Chris Archer

Quantifying the quality of Chris Archer and the value he brought to the Rays is an interesting task. Archer had a 3.71 ERA as a Ray and only a 107 ERA+, the lowest of the rotation members selected. A lot of that has to do with his inflated walk rate (1.232 WHIP, 3.0 BB-per-nine) and keeping the ball in the ballpark. Yet his underlying peripherals, such as a 3.49 FIP, suggest that the defense didn't exactly help him out, also impacting the ERA negatively.

What Archer did bring to the table every year was durability and stability. A two-time All-Star with Tampa, he pitched at least 190 innings in four consecutive seasons. His 1,082 innings pitched is third in franchise history, and his 1,167 Ks mark is just shy of James Shields. For a single season, his 252 strikeouts in 2015 and 249 in 2017 represent both of the highest K totals in franchise history. His wipeout slider is one of the nastiest pitches the Rays franchise has ever seen. Archer also brought a bubbly personality to the team, keeping the clubhouse and his teammates loose at all times.

Archer's name is, however, one of the most notorious in recent baseball history through no fault of his own. The 2018 trade that sent Archer to Pittsburgh elicited a return of Tyler Glasnow, who is in our bullpen on this theoretical team, future All-Star Austin Meadows and top pitching prospect Shane Baz. It's considered one of the most lopsided deals in baseball history, meaning Archer helped the Rays beyond his on-field play.

With the starters out of the way, we get to our reserves. Every team needs depth. We have five additional position players, including a catcher, two infielders and two outfielders. We also have seven of the top relief arms in team history. Relief pitchers often times are volatile, so accolades aren't taken into account as much. For example, Lance Johnson was once the Rays' All-Star representative while posting a 4.33 ERA. Not to mention, a lot have posted stellar seasons and horrible seasons back-to-back. Without any more hesitation, I present our bullpen:

Relief Pitcher: No. 29, Rafael Soriano

Perchance the most difficult decision on this list was whether or not Rafael Soriano should be featured. Despite only spending one season with the Rays, Soriano's 2010 is probably the second-best season for a reliever in Rays history.

Soriano was traded to the Rays from the Braves for 2021 World Series Champion Atlanta Brave Jesse Chavez, who was the main return the Rays received for Akinori Iwamura a month earlier. Soriano's 3.6 Championship Win Probability Added is third all-time for single-season marks, starter or reliever, in Rays history behind Rodney (4.0) and Price (3.8) in 2012 and 2013, respectively. His 45 saves is the the third-highest season total behind Rodney and Alex Colome in 2012 and 2017. It had set a franchise record through the 2010 season.

While the strikeout total wasn't dominant, the 1.73 ERA certainly played. In August of that season, Soriano became the sixth pitcher to record a save while pitching an immaculate inning in a game against the Angels. He finished eighth in Cy Young polling.

Further solidifying himself in Rays lore, Soriano had one of the quirkiest celebrations in baseball history. Soriano would untuck his jersey after every save because when you get home from work, you untuck your shirt for a job well done.

Relief Pitcher: No. 28, Danys Baez

Our Devil Rays addition to our bullpen is 2005 All-Star Danys Baez. Despite only pitching two years in St. Pete with his awkward signature delivery, Baez left his mark with the Rays. Signing as a free agent in 2004, Baez immediately became the Rays closer, saving 30 games in 33 opportunities. It was his 41-save 2005 season, however, that made him valuable in the 2006 offseason.

In 67 games, Baez saved 41 games in 2005 with a 2.86 ERA. His 153 ERA+ was his highest since his 2001 rookie campaign with Cleveland. Following the 2005 season, he was traded to the Dodgers for Edwin Jackson, who became a staple for the Rays ahead of the 2008 pennant. For the Rays, Baez represented the first stability across multiple seasons that they'd ever seen in the closer role. Granted, the position has been a revolving door throughout their entire 25-year tenure.

Relief Pitcher: No. 57, Jake McGee

While defeating the Rays in a World Series should be enough to disqualify anybody from this list, it wouldn't be a Rays bullpen without Jake McGee. Despite only 26 saves, McGee is the Rays' most prolific reliever, appearing in the most games ever for a Rays pitcher. McGee was one of the few constants the team had over a long period at any point in team history.

Over the course of six seasons as the franchise's lefty specialist, McGee posted a 2.77 ERA in just under 260 innings of work. Due to the straight-on angle of their delivery, a southpaw can neutralize left-handed batters. Between that and McGee's pinpoint control, he offered an entirely different look out of the proverbial stable.

McGee's best season came at 25. In 2012, McGee posted a scintillating 1.95 ERA in 69 very nice appearances. His 198 ERA+ was just barely better than his 197 ERA+ in 2014, providing a pattern of excellence in a very particular and crucial role for the Rays. His time with the Rays came to an end ahead of the 2016 season, when he shipped off to Denver in the deal that brought future All-Star Corey Dickerson to the Rays.

Relief Pitcher: No. 37, Alex Colome

Yet another All-Star reliever out of the bullpen, Alex Colome is another righty with closer experience. Colome spent two full seasons as the Rays closer in the mid-2010s and was nothing short of spectacular. In five and a half seasons with the Rays, Colome finished with a 3.21 ERA and the second-most saves in Rays history.

One of the most important aspects of a reliever's job is pitching out of trouble, which Colome did to an incredible extent. In 2016, Colome left over 93% of baserunners stranded while recording 37 saves. It was that season he saw his lowest career ERA (1.91), lowest BB rate and highest K rate. His 211 ERA+ was more than enough to elicit his only All-Star appearance so far. In 2017, he followed it with 47 saves.

Swingman: No. 20, Tyler Glasnow

The final spot of our pitching staff goes to the arm Archer was traded for. It's a bit of a curious pick, as Glasnow is currently one of the Rays ace starters in the rotation. It may also be cheating, since he's never appeared out of the bullpen for the Rays. Yet one of the strategies the Rays have developed is using pitchers as both starters and relievers. Glasnow was a reliever when the Rays acquired him from the Pirates. With rotational depth in mind, we chose the pitcher with the best stuff as opposed to the most relief success.

Armed with the best hair and stirrups on the club, Glasnow provides a devastating slider that wiped out at 40 inches of drop in his last full season. He also attacks hitters with a sweeping curveball and a fastball that sits at 100. In 37 starts from the beginning of 2019 to the end of 2021, Glasnow pitched to a 2.80 ERA in 37 starts. Overall in his tenure as a Ray, he's seen his K rate flourish and his BB rate dwindle from his time in Pittsburgh.

The bench is the last unit of the team to put together. Each team needs a fourth outfielder, but we've provided a fourth and fifth outfielder for the sake of depth and importance to club history. In addition, there is a backup catcher and two backup infielders. To start, our backup backstop:

Catcher: No. 40, Wilson Ramos

As established in the bit on Navarro, the Rays history with catchers isn't exactly the most promising, but Ramos is one of three catchers to be elected to the All-Star game in a Rays uniform, despite playing less than a full season's worth of games.

'The Buffalo' signed a two-year commitment with the Rays ahead of the 2017 season, despite an ACL tear that kept him out for the first three months. He was traded to Philadelphia at the 2018 trade deadline. He played a total of 142 games for Tampa Bay over his two-year deal.

Yet those 142 games were magnificent. Only two catchers in baseball over that same stretch, Cardinals star Yadier Molina and Braves backstop Kurt Suzuki, matched Ramos with at least 25 home runs while posting a minimum .280 batting average and .790 OPS. During his time with the Rays, Ramos might've been the best offensive catcher in baseball during that short time period.

The reason Mike Zunino was not chosen here is because despite his impressive 2021 season, the rest of his Rays tenure left a lot to be desired. In his four years with the Rays, he hit .183 with an 85 OPS+, despite the monster 2021.

Shortstop: No. 8, Jason Bartlett

Probably the most forgotten producer amongst the position players in this list, Jason Bartlett was crucial to the Rays turnaround in the late-'00s. The Oklahoma Sooner came over in the Delmon Young trade ahead of the 2008 season. In a group of unproven misfits, solid players top-to-bottom, much like Bartlett, were what extended the season into as late as October as possible, where Bartlett won America free tacos by stealing a base in the World Series.

Bartlett, while not the best defensive shortstop, was a very good player up-the-middle for the Rays. He brought a high baseball-IQ, poise, personality, shrewd baserunning and a knack for contact. In 2009, Bartlett set a franchise record for highest batting average in team history (.320), a record that's still standing today. It was his only All-Star campaign.

Overall in his three seasons, the .752 cumulative OPS doesn't scream 'outstanding player,' nor does the 19 total home runs, but every team needs a grinder. His value across his first two seasons is often understated.

Second Base: No. 35, Brandon Lowe

For those confused because Brandon Lowe's worn No. 8 the last three seasons, we pivoted to 35 here because the number has already been used in this activity and he wore 35 in his rookie campaign.

Brandon Lowe has been historically good, and the only reason he isn't in the starting lineup is because he's missed ample time in his career. For an example of his historical greatness, his 136 OPS+ over his first four MLB seasons is the highest for a second baseman since Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. Hall of Famer Joe Morgan is second, 8% behind Lowe. In the last 100 years, he is fourth among second basemen in wRC+, behind Rogers Hornsby, Robinson and Morgan.

Despite his noted postseason woes, the 2019 MLB All-Star is one of only six second basemen in MLB history with a multi-homer World Series game, alongside players such as Hall of Famer Tony Lazzeri and former MVP Jeff Kent.

Center Fielder: No. 2, B.J. Upton

B.J. Upton seemed poised to be a superstar for the Rays following a 2007 campaign where he slashed .300/.386/.508 with a 136 OPS+, 24 home runs and 22 stolen bases, especially when combined with his terrific defense in center. Yet, over 12 seasons in the Majors, he received zero accolades.

While his career didn't quite pan out the way his age-22 season did, there's a strong argument to be made that because of that, he's the most underrated Tampa Bay Ray of all-time. A staple of the era, B.J. played for Tampa from 2005-2012, and put up 232 steals and 118 home runs.

However, it's his 2008 postseason that confirmed his spot in Rays lore. B.J. hit seven home runs between the ALDS and ALCS, hitting .304 in the process against Chicago and Boston. B.J. was integral in advancing the Rays to their very first World Series appearance.

Left Field: No. 10, Corey Dickerson

The main return for the Rays in the trade that sent McGee to Colorado, Dickerson came in with a lot of question marks regarding how he'd adjust away from the Denver air. He did rather well, setting a career high with 36 doubles in his first season, though the on-base and average took a dip. It was 2017, however, where Dickerson popped off.

Dickerson started the 2017 All-Star Game as the American League's designated hitter. His knack for hitting bad ball pitches and doing it well led to a 27-homer campaign and a .282/.325/.490 slashline and 64 hits that went for extra-bases. Yet, he was still unceremoniously designated for assignment at the season's end, a move that's still a headscratcher to this day.

The bench adds power in the form of Dickerson and Ramos, speed in the form of Upton and Bartlett, and an all-around threat in Lowe. It also fills in depth slots that always create flexibility for the other roster members on the diamond. Of course, when it comes to putting pieces in the right places to complete a puzzle, you need the right manager.

Manager: No. 70, Joe Maddon

As fantastic as the Rays have been in the current chapter of their story, Kevin Cash's two Manager of the Year honors that matched Joe Maddon's in Tampa has not been enough to pull away in the conversation for best Rays manager. Everything we've grown accustomed to, from the way they utilize their bullpen to playing position players in every position to lineup construction, started under Joe Maddon.

His lineup choices were weird on any given day. One tim,e he hit Drew Sutton cleanup because he felt as though it'd make him more comfortable, and Sutton went 2-4 with an extra-base hit in the win. Once, the Rays hit starting pitcher Andy Sonnanstine in the three-hole in an American League ballpark, and he rewarded Maddon with a game-winning double. He was right about Dan Johnson in huge spots. Twice.

Maddon was the first manager to shift at least 200 times in a single season, doing so in a year where the second-most was 54. He pioneered the shift, more or less, and innovated on a lot of the shifts that MLB just made rules to restrict

His pitching methods? Lefty/righty conventions out the window, relievers faced everybody. Three aces on a staff heading into the playoffs? No, the Rays will start Matt Moore, a rookie, and he'll go seven shutout innings.

Most importantly, he gets players to buy in. He started the trend of themed roadtrips to keep players loose during his tenure with Tampa Bay, for example. He dyed his hair black, Johnny Cash-style, during a 2009 slump to help the players get their minds off of the team's struggles.

He's an oddball, and that's what worked. Beyond the stat sheet and his unconventional methods to win, he had the hunch of an all-time great manager, a winning track record to go along with it, and was inarguably the best people person the Rays ever employed. You need a manager that will win, but also get the players to buy in 1000% and that's Joe Maddon.

Final Squad:

Manager: Joe Maddon.
LF Carl Crawford
RF Randy Arozarena
DH Fred McGriff
1B Carlos Pena
3B Evan Longoria
2B Ben Zobrist
SS Wander Franco
C Dioner Navarro
CF Kevin Kiermaier
Bench: Corey Dickerson, Wilson Ramos, Jason Bartlett, B.J. Upton, Brandon Lowe.
SP1 David Price
SP2 James Shields
SP3 Blake Snell
SP4 Scott Kazmir
SP5 Chris Archer
Bullpen: Fernando Rodney, Danys Baez, Tyler Glasnow, Jake McGee, Rafael Soriano, Brad Boxberger, Alex Colome.

What do you think of our 25th anniversary Rays squad? Who would you replace on this ballclub? Is there any era of the team underrepresented? Be sure to let us know on my Twitter @TheJameus.