Rays prospect Murray building on eye-opening spring
This story was excerpted from Adam Berry's Rays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
This story was excerpted from Adam Berry's Rays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, *click here. And **subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.*
TAMPA -- It might have been easy to lose track of Tanner Murray as he spent last season in the Rays’ prospect-laden lineup at Double-A Montgomery.
But what he did wasn’t lost on the Rays.
After being held back by injuries in previous years, never playing more than 66 games in a season, Murray slashed .290/.328/.424 with 66 RBIs in 111 games for Montgomery. He played all over the infield, starting games at shortstop, first, second and third base. And at the end of the season, he was named the Rays’ Minor League Defensive Player of the Year.
Murray made a strong impression in Spring Training, too. Invited to big league camp as a non-roster invitee, the 25-year-old infielder slashed .324/.359/.649 with three homers, three doubles and eight RBIs in 39 plate appearances over 19 games.
“Murray’s had a good spring. He’s a solid player,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said in March. “He does a lot of things that can help you win over the course of the season. … Just a complete player on both sides of the ball.”
The Rays remain high on Murray’s potential and his outlook as a future big leaguer, believing that health has been the only thing holding him back since he was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 Draft.
Moving up to Triple-A Durham this season, Murray has picked up where he left off. He is slashing .306/.333/.569 with four homers, seven doubles and 13 RBIs in his first 18 games while getting starts at second base, third base and shortstop. Murray also worked out in the outfield during winter ball, and he could play everywhere but center field and catcher this season.
Murray isn’t the only Rays prospect off to a hot start in the Minors this season. Here’s a look at one player turning heads at each level.
Triple-A Durham: LHP Ian Seymour
The Rays added Seymour (their No. 19 prospect, per MLB Pipeline) to their 40-man roster last offseason and now view him (and fellow Triple-A lefty Joe Rock, their No. 21 prospect) as MLB-ready rotation depth.
Seymour finished last year in Triple-A, and he has had four strong appearances to start this season. The lefty has put together a 2.70 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 26 strikeouts and only four walks in 20 innings.
Double-A Montgomery: INF Cooper Kinney
These are small sample sizes from this level down, drawing from only a handful of games. But in his first nine games, Kinney (the Rays’ No. 23 prospect) is confirming what has long been his reputation: He can hit. Selected 34th overall in the 2021 Draft but slowed by injuries, Kinney put together a trio of three-hit performances and slugged a pair of homers within his first nine games.
Outfielder Matthew Etzel (No. 26) was also off to a nice start after a so-so introduction to the organization last year, batting .290 with six RBIs in his first eight games.
High-A Bowling Green: OF Noah Myers
From Field, to Fish, to SAL Player of the Week.
— Bowling Green Hot Rods (@BGHotRods) April 15, 2025
Congrats to @Noah_Myers5!!#Leg4cy |#RevItUp pic.twitter.com/EpuQBdqhJs
Selected by the Blue Jays in the 30th round of the 2019 Draft out of Wabash Valley College, the Canadian outfielder went from South Carolina to USC Upstate and wound up playing for the Evansville Otters in the independent Frontier League. He caught the Rays’ attention, joined the organization in December 2023 and went from Single-A to High-A last year. So far, all the 25-year-old has done back at Bowling Green is bat .500 (12-for-24) with two homers, two steals and 11 RBIs in his first eight games.
Shortstop Adrian Santana (No. 18) also merits a mention here, as the 19-year-old slashed .333/.378/.452 with two triples and a pair of steals in his first 10 games.
Single-A Charleston: OF Angel Mateo
Angel Mateo launches the RiverDogs' first home run of the season 📈 pic.twitter.com/4IsSaCxclv
— Charleston RiverDogs (@ChasRiverDogs) April 13, 2025
The Rays signed Mateo out of the Dominican Republic for $200,000 in January 2022, and he quickly made his way to Charleston in 2023. He didn’t put up great numbers in Single-A last season, slashing just .224/.323/.344 with 26 stolen bases in 101 games, but he was only 19 years old. Now 20, the outfielder is off to a nice start, with 16 hits, eight RBIs and six steals in his first 11 games. And keep an eye on reliever Alexander Alberto, the 6-foot-8 reliever who went to the Arizona Fall League last year and throws a cutter that can touch triple digits.
MLB's Home Run Derby X Returning to the DBAP in 2025
Major League Baseball today announced that Home Run Derby X, an exciting baseball format built around power hitting and defensive hustle, will make stops in six U.S. cities from July through September, before culminating with a new two-day playoff format featuring the winning squads from each event vying for a
Stripers Thwart Late Bulls Rally With 3-2 Win
Garrett Cooper singled in a pair of two-out runs while the Gwinnett Stripers survived a bizarre game-ending play to defeat the Durham Bulls 3-2 at the DBAP on Friday night. Trailing 3-1 in the ninth, the Bulls (23-14) loaded the bases with one out thanks to three walks and scored
Gwinnett Slips By Durham 3-2
Eddys Leonard drilled a two-run homer in the sixth to lead the Gwinnett Stripers past the Durham Bulls 3-2 at the DBAP on Thursday night. Kenny Piper had just given the Bulls (23-13) a 2-1 lead in the fifth, taking out Gwinnett (15-21) starter Hurston Waldrep (W, 3-2). But Luke
Stripers Snap Bulls' Win Streak With 6-5 Triumph
Eddys Leonard broke a ninth inning tie with a sacrifice fly to snap Durham's eight-game winning streak, leading Gwinnett to a 6-5 win at the DBAP on Wednesday night. The Stripers (14-21) loaded the bases against Garrett Acton (L, 2-1) on two singles and a walk before Leonard drove a
Bulls Walk Off With 8th Straight Victory, 6-5
With a seven-game winning streak down to its final strike, the Durham Bulls scored twice with two outs in the ninth, then won the game in the 10th, defeating the Gwinnett Stripers 6-5 on Tuesday afternoon at the DBAP. The game-tying rally started with a leadoff double from Carson Williams.
Seymour, Bulls Sweep 'Shrimp With 11-2 Win
Bob Seymour homered twice to lead the Durham Bulls to a six-game sweep over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 11-2 on Sunday afternoon at the DBAP. Seymour, who homered five times in 26 at-bats during the series, tied the game 2-2 in the third on a solo shot to right, then
Westbrook's Late-Inning Heroics Lead Durham To Sixth Straight Win
Jamie Westbrook drilled a three-run homer for the second straight night, lifting the Durham Bulls past the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 6-4 before a paid attendance of 9,098 at the DBAP on Saturday night. The Bulls won their sixth straight game, and moved into a second place tie with Jacksonville, just
Nine-Run Fourth Propels Bulls To 11-0 Battering of Shrimp
A nine-run fourth inning catapulted the Durham Bulls to a fifth straight win, 11-0 over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on Friday night before a paid attendance of 8,928 at the DBAP. As part of Durham's (20-11) nine run inning, the Bulls sent 12 hitters to the plate. Tanner Murray singled
Bulls Blast Past Jumbo Shrimp 7-6
Eloy Jimenez smashed a two-run homer in the last of the eighth to lift the Durham Bulls past first place Jacksonville 7-6 on Wednesday night at the DBAP. The Bulls (18-11) never led the game until Jimenez drilled a 438' blast to left-center against Anderson Pilar (L, 0-1) to put
Montes Mashes Bulls To 3-2 Win Over Jacksonville
Coco Montes homered and drove in two to lead the Durham Bulls past the first-place Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 3-2 at the DBAP on Tuesday afternoon. Montes, playing in his first game back with Durham (17-11) after being optioned by Tampa Bay, grounded a single over first base in the fourth
Sounds Slip Past Bulls 8-5
Nashville raced out to a 6-0 lead after two innings, then held off the Durham Bulls 8-5 on Friday night at First Horizon Park. Joe Rock (L, 0-2) surrendered a leadoff homer in the first to Nashville's Daz Cameron, then permitted five runs in the second before being knocked out.
Bulls Split Thursday Twinbill With Sounds
The Durham Bulls scored six times in its last at-bat in game two to tie the game, then scored three times in the eighth to beat the Nashville Sounds 9-7 to earn a doubleheader split at First Horizon Park on Thursday night. After its offense was dormant for 13 innings,
Durham Defeats Nashville 4-2 In Ten
Coco Montes singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning to lead the Durham Bulls past the Nashville Sounds 4-2 on Tuesday night at First Horizon Park. After the Bulls (14-8) tied the game with two runs in the eighth, Montes grounded a single to right field to bring
Barrera Blasts Bulls Past RailRiders With 4-3 Walk-Off Win
Bulls catcher Tres Barrera blasted a walk-off home run in the ninth inning to give Durham a 4-3 victory over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Sunday evening at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Bulls center fielder Tristan Peters reached base three times with two hits, including his first home run of the
Three Bulls Pitchers Combine To No-Hit RailRiders in 4-0 Win
Joe Boyle, Cole Sulser and Jacob Waguespack combined to throw the seventh no-hitter in Durham Bulls Triple-A franchise history, blanking the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 4-0 before 8,440 fans at the DBAP on Saturday night. Boyle (W, 1-1) worked six hitless frames against Scranton (11-8) in his first start since tossing five-plus
Scranton Defeats Durham 5-0
Three Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout as the RailRiders defeated the Durham Bulls 5-0 in front of a paid attendance of 8,642 at the DBAP on Friday night. Allan Winans worked three-plus scoreless, with Sean Boyle (W, 2-2) working five shutout frames to lead the RailRiders (11-7) to
Bulls Bash RailRiders 7-1
Tanner Murray and Bob Seymour went back-to-back in the second inning to lead the Durham Bulls past the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 7-1 on Thursday night at the DBAP. After scoring twice in the opening inning against RailRiders starter Jake Woodford (L, 0-1), Murray and Seymour each hit their fourth homers of
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Jamie Westbrook homered to tie the game, then drew a bases loaded walk to propel the Durham Bulls past the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 4-3 at the DBAP on Wednesday night. Trailing 2-0 in the fourth, the Bulls (10-7) began their march back against Scranton (10-6). Bob Seymour hit a solo homer
RailRiders Beat Bulls 9-1
Erick Leal tossed one-run ball over 6 1/3 innings to lead the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders past the Durham Bulls 9-1 at the DBAP on Tuesday afternoon. Leal (W, 1-2), who hadn't pitched in affiliated ball since 2019, earned his first Triple-A win by allowing just four hits and one walk. The
Buffalo Defeats Durham 5-3
Rainer Nunez singled home the tie-breaking run in the Buffalo sixth to lift the Bisons past the Durham Bulls on Sunday afternoon 5-3 at Sahlen Field. The Bulls (9-6) took a 2-0 lead in the third on a two-run homer by Tanner Murray, but were held hitless from the fourth
Bulls Sweep Bisons In Saturday Twinbill
Carson Williams connected on his first Triple-A home run to catapult the Durham Bulls to a doubleheader sweep over the Buffalo Bisons on Saturday afternoon at Sahlen Field. After Durham (9-5) won the opener 4-1 behind a solid start by Logan Workman (W, 2-0) and Tres Barrera home run, Williams
Bisons Best Bulls 8-5
Buffalo scored three times in the eighth to snap a 5-5 tie and defeat the Durham Bulls 8-5 at Sahlen Field on Friday night. After recording the first out of the inning, Bulls reliever Paul Gervase (L, 0-1) permitted the next four batters to reach, including Ali Sanchez, who lashed
Bulls Split Twinbill In Buffalo
Kenny Piper clubbed a three-run homer in the opener of a chilly doubleheader, leading the Durham Bulls to a split with the Buffalo Bisons on Wednesday night at Sahlen Field. After Tuesday's postponement, Wednesday's twinbill started at 4:35 PM in 37 degree conditions, ending at 9:25 PM at 34 degrees.
Bulls Blank Space Cowboys With 6-0 Win
Joe Boyle and three Durham relievers combined on a six-hit shutout as the Bulls defeated the Sugar Land Space Cowboys 6-0 on Sunday afternoon at the DBAP. Boyle tossed four scoreless innings, stranding seven baserunners, then turned the game over to Garrett Acton (W, 1-0), Jonathan Hernandez and Cole Sulser