Top 5 hitters that have played for the 2024 NL champion Dodgers and the Rays

In the 26 years of the Rays' existence, there have been 64 players that have worn a Rays and Dodgers' uniform. These five athletes are the greatest hitters to play for both organizations.

1. Manny Ramirez

Ramirez was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the first round of the 1991 MLB draft. He played for the Indians from 1993 to 2000 finishing in the top 10 in MVP voting in three of those campaigns. One of his best years came in 1999 when the gifted outfielder drove in an MLB-best 165 runs.

His time in Boston also didn't disappoint as he was featured in seven straight all star games. Another interesting stat from Ramirez is that he led the American League in intentional walks in 2001 and 2003 with 25 and 28 respectively. Pitchers clearly feared his at-bat!

Manny Ramirez was a member of the LA Dodgers towards the end of his impressive career from 2008-2010. The Dominican star hit an unbelievable .396 in 56 games for the LA club in 2008. The Dodgers would lose to the Phillies in the NLCS that season.

Ramirez's stint in Tampa Bay was extremely short as he went 1-for-17 in five contests leading to his retirement in 2011. According to ESPN, the powerful righty retired abruptly after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Regardless, we are honored to have employed such a highly touted veteran in our clubhouse.

2. Fred McGriff

McGriff played for the Devil Rays for five seasons from 1998-2001 and 2004 hammering 99 home runs and recording a .291 AVG. Despite those imposing stats, he was only added to one all star game while in a Devil Rays' uniform.

The exceptional first baseman played his age-39 season with the LA Dodgers where he slashed .249/.322/.428 with 13 HRs. He showed spectacular stamina as he played well beyond his prime.

The Tampa product finished his career with a 1995 World Series ring, three Silver Slugger awards and an eventual invite to the venerable Hall of Fame.

3. Carl Crawford

You can't have a discussion about Rays' legends without bringing up Carl Crawford's name at least once. The elite outfielder was drafted by the Devil Rays in 1999 at 17 years old. However, he didn't appear in the majors until his age-20 season in 2002. The Houston, Texas native instantly made a huge impact for the struggling club. His electric speed and durability gave him an edge that few players could emulate. Crawford played in at least 150 games in each season from 2003-2006 and totaled a whopping 218 steals in that span. On top of his astounding stolen base numbers, he also managed to produce a .296 AVG with 104 HRs during his 9 years with the Rays.

After signing with the Red Sox and playing two seasons for the club, Crawford was part of a blockbuster trade that included names like Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, and James Loney. Carl Crawford's time in LA started off very well as he hovered around a .300 AVG for the first two seasons. Although, the star athlete started to falter in 2015 and 2016 leading to the Dodgers releasing him in the middle of the 2016 season.

Nevertheless, Crawford put together a formidable career. The Rays held a ceremony this past year to honor his success in Tampa Bay and invite him to their own Hall of Fame.

4. Kevin Kiermaier

As highlighted in our previous article, Kiermaier was the epitome of heart and hustle during the prime of the Rays' history. He was a part of the second World Series appearance in franchise history and many other postseason moments. In his time with the Rays, he collected four Gold Gloves and one Platinum Glove award. The Platinum Glove is handed out to the best overall defender in the entire league. Andres Gimenez of the Guardians and Fernando Tatis Jr. of the Padres won this award for their respective leagues in 2023. Kiermaier received the coveted award in 2015 as he produced 412 putouts and committed only five errors the entire season.

During the trade deadline this year, the Blue Jays dealt Kiermaier to the Dodgers for former Rays' starting pitcher, Ryan Yarbrough. The Indiana native has hit ,203 in 34 games for Los Angeles. Kiermaier is set to retire at the conclusion of the 2024 campaign.

5. David Peralta

Peralta is currently playing in his 11th season in the Show and he's been a member of four different organizations. The Venezuelan outfielder spent most of his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he's traveled around the league in the last few years. In 2022, the Rays acquired Peralta in a deal that included a minor league catcher in the Rays' farm system. Tampa Bay didn't make the most of the veteran's skills when they had the chance as he only appeared in 47 games and neither of the two postseason games that season.

The Dodgers signed him in 2023 and the 35-year old had a solid comeback year. The lefty slashed .259/.294/.381 with 7 HRs and 55 RBIs.

Peralta elected free agency during that offseason, but stayed in California as the Padres signed him in May of 2024. The journeyman only saw time in 91 contests, but he carried an OPS of .750 which is his best since 2020. He was also clutch in the postseason this year as he finished with a .308 AVG collecting four hits and two extra base hits.