Ex-Rays in the World Series
The MLB Fall Classic has finally arrived and the two biggest juggernauts in baseball will collide as the New York Yankees will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 120th World Series.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are filled with former members of the Tampa Bay Rays organization, while the New York Yankees have...not as much.
Here is a list of each former member of the Rays organization that will be participating in the World Series.
Los Angeles Dodgers
- Tyler Glasnow
Rays Connection: The Rays acquired Tyler Glasnow at the 2018 trade deadline. For the next several years, Glasnow would show that he is a Cy Young caliber pitcher when healthy. During his Rays career, Glasnow compiled a 3.03 ERA and 2.89 FIP over 332 2⁄3 IP across 60 starts.
Current Status: Tyler Glasnow once again demonstrated that when healthy, he can be one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. Over 22 starts this season, he compiled a 3.49 ERA | 2.90 FIP with a 32.2 K% & 6.7 BB% across a career high 134 innings pitched. Unfortunately, Glasnow’s season ended prematurely when he went on the Injured List in August and missed the rest of the season.
- Anthony Banda
Rays Connection: The Rays acquired Anthony Banda just prior to the 2018 season. He would spend the next three seasons with Tampa Bay, compiling a 5.96 ERA and 4.11 FIP over 25 2⁄3 IP across 10 appearances.
Current Status: It’s been a struggle for Banda to find his place as a fixture on a Major League team but he seems to have found a home this season with the Dodgers. After pitching for five teams from 2021 through 2023, Banda spent the entire 2024 campaign with Los Angeles, compiling a 3.08 ERA | 3.67 FIP over 49 2⁄3 IP.
- Brent Honeywell
Rays Connection: The 72nd overall selection in the 2014 draft, Brent Honeywell would weaponize a screwball on his way to becoming one of the best pitching prospects in all of baseball. Unfortunately, injuries wrecked havoc on his career and he only appeared in three games for the Rays, registering a 8.31 ERA & 9.40 FIP over 4 1⁄3 IP.
Current Status: Following his departure from the Rays, Honeywell struggled to find a big league opportunity. However, a strong showing in Mexico during the 2022-2023 offseason led to an renewed interest in Honeywell. He still hasn’t regained the arsenal that made him a top prospect, but several teams have taken looks, The latest being the Los Angeles Dodgers, with whom Honeywell spent the majority of the 2024 season. Over 18 appearances, Honeywell compiled a 2.62 ERA | 4.27 FIP across 34 1⁄3 IP.
- Daniel Hudson
Rays Connection: The Rays acquired Daniel Hudson just prior to spring training in 2018 as part of the return for All-Star Corey Dickerson. However, the veteran reliever only made a few appearances for Tampa Bay that March before being granted his release prior to Opening Day.
Current Status: Hudson has enjoyed much success since departing the Rays. He has been with multiple teams over the years, but has usually enjoyed a high-leverage bullpen role on a team that is postseason bound. Hudson has been with the Dodgers since the start of the 2022 season and has been battling injuries for most of the time. However, he was fully healthy in 2024, appearing in 65 games and compiled a 3.00 ERA | 4.18 FIP over 63 IP.
- Evan Phillips
Rays Connection: The Rays scouting department was enamored with Evan Phillips and the team was able to snag him in August 2021. Unfortunately, through some roster shuffling, the Rays designated Phillips for assignment just two weeks later after appearing in just one game for Tampa Bay.
Current Status: The Los Angeles Dodgers were able to acquire Phillips from the Rays on the waiver wire and he has since become a dependable high-leverage reliever. He pitched in 61 games this year for Los Angeles and compiled a 3.62 ERA | FIP over 54 2⁄3 IP.
- Kevin Kiermaier
Rays Connection: A 31st round selection by the Rays in the 2010 draft, Kevin Kiermaier would go on to be one of the premier defenders in all of baseball. He would win four Gold Gloves and one Platinum Glove and even received some MVP consideration for his 2015 campaign. Overall, Kiermaier spent 11 seasons in Tampa Bay and hit .248/.308/.407 with 82 HR and compiled 23.6 fWAR over 913 games.
Current Status: Kiermaier left via free agency following the 2022 season. He enjoyed an excellent season with Toronto in 2023 and returned north of the border for 2024. However, he struggled and would later announce the 2024 season as his last. The Blue Jays dealt Kiermaier to the Dodgers at the trade deadline, with Kiermaier mainly serving as a defensive specialist.
- Andrew Friedman
Rays Connection: Andrew Friedman got his first gig in baseball working for the Rays new ownership team in 2005. He quickly took the reigns and helped to build one of the most successful teams in all of baseball. After a decade with the cash-strapped Rays, Friedman ventured where he’d have nearly unlimited resourced at his disposal.
Current Status: Friedman became the President of Baseball Ops for the Dodgers following the 2014 season, becoming the highest paid front office employee in baseball in doing so. The Dodgers have made the postseason every year under Friedman and have reached the World Series three times, winning the trophy in 2020 against the Rays.
- Brandon Gomes
Rays Connection: The Rays originally acquired Brandon Gomes during 2010-2011 offseason as part of the return for Jason Bartlett. Gomes would only ever pitch in the big leagues for the Rays, appearing in 173 games over five seasons, compiling a 4.20 ERA | 4.44 FIP over 167 IP.
Current Status: Gomes’ playing career ended in 2017 when he joined the Dodgers as a Pitching Coordinator and promoted to Director of Player Development. It was a quick rise from there for Gomes as he is now the General Manger of the Dodgers, a position he has held since January, 2022.
- Ron Porterfield
Rays Connection: Porterfield has been involved in professional baseball since 1988 and joined the Rays in 1997. In 2003, he’d become the team’s athletic trainer at the big league level. For the longest time, baseball injuries for the Tampa Bay Rays were synonymous with Ron Porferfield as DeWayne Staats would announce him trotting across the field to whichever player needed his medical expertise.
Current Status: Following the 2017 season, Ron Porterfield left the Rays to become the Director of Player Health for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
New York Yankees
There are no former Rays connections to the New York Yankees. If you, dear reader, know of any, please share them in the comments.