With the Yankees in the Fall Classic, let's look back at the top 5 hitters to play for the Rays and their rival

Congratulations to the 2024 Yankees as they are heading to the World Series to face off against the Dodgers! In the spirit of October baseball, we're going to look at the top five hitters to wear both jerseys.

1. Wade Boggs

Wade Boggs was a clear number one choice for this list. The Tampa Bay product finished his 18-year career with 3,010 hits and an impressive .328 batting average. Boggs played for 3 different AL East teams, the Red Sox, Yankees, and finally the Devil Rays. His best campaign came in 1985 where he hit .368 and finished fourth in MVP voting for the Boston Red Sox. Wade Boggs was added to the coveted Hall of Fame in 2005 to complete his glorious career.

2. Johnny Damon

Damon bounced around the league throughout his 18-year career and he appeared in 2,490 games. This speedy outfielder is the only member of our list who surpassed 300 career stolen bases as he swiped 408 bags in total. His stint with the Rays was short-lived as he only appeared in 150 games during the 2011 season. However, the outfielder carried a respectable .261/.326/.418 line at the ripe age of 37. Unlike the Rays, Johnny Damon spent 4 years with their rivals in pinstripes. His best season in the Bronx was in 2008 where he hit .303 with 17 HRs and 71 RBIs.

3. Jose Canseco

Unfortunately, Canseco is well-known for an outfield blunder that cost his team a homerun. If you're not aware of this mistake, as a member of the Texas Rangers, Jose Canseco was tracking down a fly ball and allowed the ball to bounce off of his head and into the stands for an unlucky homerun. Despite this play, Jose Canseco put together a top-notch career as he finished with a .262 AVG and 462 HRs. The skilled slugger actually played for the Yankees and Rays in the same season. The 2000 MLB campaign saw him hit .252 with 15 HRs while sporting both uniforms.

4. Tino Martinez

Legendary Yankee's first baseman, Tino Martinez was a model of consistency throughout his 16 years in the big leagues. He started with Seattle at the age of 22 and finished with New York in 2005. His time with the Rays lasted only one year, but the Tampa Bay native was a solid contributor at the back-end of his career. Martinez hit .262 with 23 HRs and 76 RBIs. However, the first baseman really found his stride over his seven years with the Yankees as he hit .279 with 175 HRs over that long stretch.

5. Hideki Matsui

Similar to most players on this list, Matsui only played with Tampa Bay for a single year. His season with the Rays was below average as he appeared in only 34 games and slashed .147/.221/.435 with 2 HRs. However his career, especially his time with the Yankees, was nothing short of excellent. The Japanese left fielder played most of his 10-year career with New York and finished with a .282 AVG and 175 HRs. His most memorable performance was certainly during the Yankees' 2009 postseason run where he hit .615 with 3 HRs in the World Series against Philadelphia. The Yankees would go on to win the 2009 World Series in 6 games and they hope to duplicate that feat this year. Hideki Matsui was named the 2009 World Series MVP.

Honorable mentions:

Ji-Man Choi

Choi hit .245 with 52 HRs over 5 seasons with the Rays. He only appeared in 6 contests as a New York Yankee and had a .267 AVG.

Steve Pearce

Pearce saw his best years in Baltimore and a World Series championship with Boston, but he comprised a reputable season with the Rays where he hit. 309 with 10 HRs in 2016. His one year with the Yankees was quite different as he hit .160 through only 12 games in the Big Apple.