The Tampa Bay Rays franchise was awarded in 1995 and began play as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1998 MLB season 1)2)
Originally, ownership wanted the name Sting Rays, but went with Devil Rays due to naming rights; it officially changed to Tampa Bay Rays (invoking rays of sunshine as a nod to Florida) in 2008 3)4)
Since their inception, the Rays have played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, with a capacity of 31,042 5)
In 2025, the Rays made a one-season move to Steinbrenner Field following Tropicana Field renovations, transforming a Yankees venue for their home games 6)
The Rays have reached the World Series twice: in 2008 (losing to the Phillies) and in 2020 (falling to the Dodgers) 7)8)
Their first AL pennant came in 2008, the same year they rebranded as the Rays 9)
Evan Longoria is considered the franchise's all-time greatest player, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2008 and three Gold Gloves 10)
Longoria played 1,435 games for the Rays, more than any other player in team history 11)
David Price (2012 AL Cy Young), Carl Crawford (all-time stolen bases leader), Ben Zobrist, and James Shields rank among Tampa Bay's most successful stars 12)13)
The only retired numbers are Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 (retired league-wide) and No. 66 for Don Zimmer, a beloved longtime senior advisor 14)
“Raymond” debuted as the official mascot in the inaugural season and remains a fan favorite for his playful antics 15)16)
The original logo featured a menacing manta ray; in 2008, the team’s logo and uniforms were changed to emphasize rays of sunlight and a modern look 17)18)
Lineup legends include Kiermaier, Upton, Zobrist, Longoria, Crawford, Peña, and McGriff—plus ace pitchers like Price and Shields 19)
Tropicana Field hosted its largest crowd ever in Game 7 of the 2008 ALCS, with over 44,000 fans 20)
Larry Rothschild was the first manager in team history 21)
Fred McGriff and Roberto Hernandez were acquired during the 1997 MLB expansion draft ahead of Tampa Bay’s debut 22)
In 2024, the Rays released their “City Connect” uniform, blending tradition and modern aesthetics 23)
No Tampa Bay Rays player has ever won the AL MVP award 24)
David Price won the AL Cy Young Award in 2012 while playing for the Rays 25)
The switch from Devil Rays to Rays emphasized a sunbeam logo referencing Florida’s Sunshine State reputation 26)
Tropicana Field is known for its unique “cowbell” tradition during home games 27)
The Rays have posted winning seasons in 11 of their last 15 years, including a franchise-best 100 wins in 2021 28)
Players have hailed from Cuba (Yandy Díaz), Mexico (Arozarena), and Japan (Tsutsugo), among others 29)
Evan Longoria leads the franchise with 261 home runs 30)
Kevin Kiermaier played more games in center field for the Rays than anyone else and won multiple Gold Gloves 31)32)
Carl Crawford holds the franchise record with 409 stolen bases 33)
The 2008 ALCS Game 7 was clinched by rookie David Price, entering in relief to close out the Red Sox 34)
The first African-American player in franchise history was Terrell Wade in 1998 35)
The Rays’ longest single-season win streak is 13 games, set in 2023 36)
David Price has the most career pitching wins as a Ray (82) 37)
Raymond is humorously described as a “seadog” species called “Canus Manta Whatthefluffalus” 38)
Don Zimmer’s #66 is uniquely retired by Tampa Bay, honoring his six decades in baseball 39)
The Rays have rallied behind the “Built for the Bay” motto since the mid-2010s 40)
In 2007, a multi-player deal sent Delmon Young to the Twins for Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett, sparking the 2008 playoff run 41)
In 2020, the Rays defeated the Yankees and Astros en route to their second AL pennant 42)
Carlos Peña hit a club-record seven grand slams as a Ray 43)
Fernando Rodney set the franchise single-season saves record with 48 in 2012 44)
The Rays are known for analytical defensive shifting and bullpen innovation 45)
Dewayne Staats has served as lead TV play-by-play voice since 1998 46)
Evan Longoria holds the club RBI record with 892 47)
The Rays swept the Blue Jays in the 2020 AL Wild Card Series 48)
The Rays are recognized for advanced international scouting and player development 49)
The Rays helped popularize the “opener” strategy in the late 2010s 50)
The Rays have used “sunburst” and manta ray design elements on alternate uniforms 51)
The Rays Baseball Foundation supports youth and education initiatives 52)
Tampa Bay reached 100 wins for the first time in 2021 53)
Tropicana Field’s live-ray Touch Tank remains one of MLB’s most unique ballpark attractions 54)