Evan Longoria (2008) is the only Rays' first-round pick to win a Rookie of the Year Award with the team.
TheTampa Bay Rays are aMajor League Baseball franchise based inSt. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays (formerly the Tampa Bay Devil Rays) compete in theAmerican League East division. Since the franchise was established in 1995, the Rays have selected 36 players in the first round. Officially known as the "First-Year Player Draft",[1] the Rule 4 Draft is Major League Baseball's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick.[1] In addition, teams which lostfree agents in the previous off-season may be awardedcompensatory or supplementary picks.[2] The First-Year Player Draft is unrelated to the1997 expansion draft in which the Rays filled their roster.
Of the 36 players the Rays have selected in the first round, 10 have beenoutfielders and 12 have been drafted exclusively aspitchers. Of the 12 pitchers, eight were right-handed and four were left-handed. The Rays have also drafted fiveshortstops, fourthird basemen, twocatchers, onesecond baseman, and onefirst baseman. In addition to these, one player (2017 pickBrendan McKay) was drafted as both a left-handed pitcher and a first baseman.[3][a] Twenty players were drafted out of high school, 12 were drafted out of four-year colleges, and one was drafted from ajunior college. Two players were drafted fromRice University inHouston,Texas in consecutive years.[3]
The Rays have made nine selections in the supplemental round of the draft since their establishment in 1995.[3] These additional picks are provided when a team loses a particularly valuable free agent in the previous off-season,[2][6][V] or, more recently, if a team fails to sign a draft pick from the previous year.[7] The Rays have failed to sign one of their first-round picks, LeVon Washington (2009), a client ofScott Boras who could not come to an agreed contract with the team.[8] The Rays received the 31st pick in 2010 as compensation.[9]
Josh Hamilton (1999) was the first of the Rays' first overall selections in the draft.Delmon Young (2003) was one of six outfielders selected by the Rays in the first round.David Price (2007) was the third of the Rays' first overall selections in the draft.
V Through the 2012 draft,free agents were evaluated by theElias Sports Bureau and rated "Type A", "Type B", or not compensation-eligible. If a team offeredarbitration to a player but that player refused and subsequently signed with another team, the original team was able to receive additional draft picks. If a "Type A" free agent left in this way, his previous team received a supplemental pick and a compensatory pick from the team with which he signed. If a "Type B" free agent left in this way, his previous team received only a supplemental pick.[7] Since the 2013 draft, free agents are no longer classified by type; instead, compensatory picks are only awarded if the team offered its free agent a contract worth at least the average of the 125 current richest MLB contracts.[35] However, if the free agent's last team acquired the player in a trade during the last year of his contract, it is ineligible to receive compensatory picks for that player.[36]
g The Rays gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2010 for losing free agent Rafael Soriano.[24]
h The Rays gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2010 for losing free agent Carl Crawford.[24]
i The Rays gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2010 for losing free agentGrant Balfour[24]
j The Rays gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2010 for losing free agentBrad Hawpe.[24]
k The Rays gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2010 for losing free agentJoaquín Benoit.[24]
l The Rays gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2010 for losing free agentRandy Choate.[24]
m The Rays gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2010 for losing free agentChad Qualls.[24]
n The Rays gained a compensatory first-round pick in 2013 for losing free agent B. J. Upton, now known asMelvin Upton Jr.[26]
^abAlthough McKay was officially listed on the draft board as exclusively a first baseman, the Rays announced they would develop him as a two-way player.[4]
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