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Former FSU baseball standout gets another offseason boost
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- Former FSU baseball standout gets another offseason boost
Former Florida State Seminoles shortstop Taylor Walls is putting together quite the start to his offseason.
Less than 24 hours after earning the first Gold Glove Award of his major-league career, Walls received another vote of confidence from the Tampa Bay Rays . The organization exercised his $3.1 million club option for the 2027 season, ensuring the former Seminole will remain in Tampa Bay for at least another year.
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The timing was fitting. Walls has built much of his major-league reputation on elite defense, and the Gold Glove finally rewarded him after previous finalist appearances. Tampa Bay's decision to keep him around a day later further reinforced the value the Rays place on what he provides at shortstop.
The 30-year-old also produced his best offensive season in several years, batting .222 with a .309 on-base percentage, two home runs, 36 RBIs and 21 stolen bases across 433 plate appearances. He helped Tampa Bay reach the World Series while establishing a career high in wins above replacement.
Before reaching the majors, Walls spent three seasons at Florida State from 2015-17. He started 196 games for the Seminoles, finished his career with a .284 batting average, and helped FSU reach the 2017 College World Series before Tampa Bay selected him in the third round of that year's MLB Draft. Walls was also a first-team All-American as a sophomore in 2016.
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Walls has been with the Rays since making his MLB debut in 2021. Now, fresh off the biggest individual honor of his professional career, Tampa Bay has ensured the former Seminole will remain part of its plans for at least one more season.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Former FSU baseball standout gets another offseason boost
