Seemingly every postseason, a star is born, and the Tampa Bay Rays are hoping to see it happen again.
They come in different forms. Sometimes it's on the magnitude of a Randy Arozarena or an Evan Carter . A rookie who blows by everyone's expectations to cement themselves as the leader in a team's charge for a title. Other times, a veteran presence like Rajai Davis gives the moment of their lives to immortalize themselves in baseball's history books.
These 2026 Rays are chock-full of names to root for everywhere you look. Their non-reliance on being a top-heavy team was part of the magic that fueled such a surprising run to take the AL East. Of course, Junior Caminero and Drew Rasmussen lead the team's hitting and pitching, respectively.
It's the supporting cast, though, that helped pitch to MLB's lowest collective WHIP and introduced the baseball world to Tampa Bay's small-ball play . Now, they will get the opportunity to do it on the biggest stage. Here are three particular Rays with the best shot to make themselves a household name and why.
Sep 10, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pinch hitter Victor Mesa Jr. (25) reacts after hitting a home run against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
At one point, just an inconspicuous February trade addition to add depth to their outfield, Victor Mesa Jr . seized his moment more so than possibly any other Ray. Filling in for an injured Jake Fraley early in the year, it quickly became clear that the changes he made to post an .866 OPS in Triple-A Durham during April were carrying over to the Major League level.
His game offers a blend of everything that a true baseball fan can appreciate. If fielding is your thing, Mesa Jr. showed why runners should never try to take a bag on him. His 94th percentile arm strength made him a nightmare for base coaches, and his instincts give him the ability to nail down right field.
Hitting-wise, he found his swing in 2026, especially towards the end of the season, hitting .355 with a 184 wRC+ in the month of September. His picturesque lefty swing clocks in at a lofty average of 74 miles per hour to collect extra-base hits, most notably to his pull side.
The baseball world got to know him fully through his fantastic play and AL Player of the Week honor during the playoff stretch run in September. Now, he hopes to carry it through to games that matter even more.
Sep 24, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Ian Seymour (61) pitches against the New York Yankees during the second inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Harkening back to the role Ryan Yarbrough played on top Rays playoff teams, Ian Seymour has similarly come into his own. His wacky, creative delivery gives him deception in a relief role, and his durability allows him to handle the workload of a starter. Manager Kevin Cash deployed him 58% of the time in the rotation, mainly at the tail end of the year, with his relief appearances coming early.
What makes Seymour such a postseason weapon is his versatility, which can fit almost any game situation. A Game 4 starter? Seymour has proven all year that he can throw deep into games, as seen in a dominant six-inning, 10-strikeout game against Houston in September. A high-leverage relief outing? Seymour allowed a mere .227 wOBA when pitching with runners in scoring position.
The list goes on with mop-up relief duty in disaster start events or lefty situational matchups. With the number of ways Tampa Bay can approach Seymour's usage, he's bound to leave his mark on this playoff run in some way.
Sep 2, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Manuel Rodriguez (39) pitches in the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It may be by virtue of the depth in the Rays bullpen that Manuel Rodriguez is a hidden gem among Rays relievers. Acquired back in 2023 from the Cubs at the trade deadline, Rodriguez operates simply and ferociously. A powerful fastball and slider go a long way to making Rodriguez a top reliever in baseball on his best day.
His limited availability in 2026 was due to Tommy John surgery that put an end to his extremely promising 2025 breakout. In that season, he tossed 37.2 innings of 2.17 ERA ball while deploying a devastating slider that gave right-handed hitters fits. That same slider also helped to keep his groundball rate at a whopping 60.2%, best for ninth in the majors among all pitchers with 30 or more innings.
Now, fully healthy and activated in time for October, Rodriguez has a chance to find himself in several high-leverage spots.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/rays/onsi as Three Under-The-Radar Rays To Watch This Postseason .
