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.
USA Baseball & Durham Bulls Set to Host All-American Women's Baseball Classic
USA Baseball and the Durham Bulls are set to host the All-American Women’s Baseball Classic from August 1-3 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park (DBAP) in Durham, North Carolina, in conjunction with the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) and American Girls Baseball (AGB). The Classic will be an identification
Murray, Bulls Batter Memphis In Rain-Shortened 11-8 Win
Tanner Murray paced an 18-hit attack by going 4-for-5 as the Durham Bulls claimed a rain-abridged, seven inning 11-8 win over the Memphis Redbirds on Thursday night at the DBAP. Murray had three singles and a double, while Jamie Westbrook was 3-4 with a homer, Coco Montes went 3-4 and
Memphis Tops Durham 7-2
Michael Siani homered to lead off the game to lead the Memphis Redbirds past the Durham Bulls 7-2 at the DBAP on Wednesday night. The Bulls (30-23), who dropped their fifth of their last six games, were handcuffed by Memphis (29-22) starter Michael McGreevy (W, 6-1) most of the night.
Redbirds Best Bulls 6-1
Luken Baker homered twice and drove in four to lead the Memphis Redbirds past the Durham Bulls 6-1 on Memorial Day at the DBAP. Baker drilled a three-run homer against Durham reliever Antonio Menendez (L, 1-1) in the third. Baker hit his second of the game in the ninth against
Worcester Defeats Durham 3-1
The Worcester Red Sox scored three times in the second inning en route to defeating the Durham Bulls 3-1 at Polar Park in the series finale Sunday afternoon. The WooSox (25-25) strung three consecutive one-out singles against Joe Rock (L, 1-4) to load the bases before a sac fly from
Bulls Split Twinbill With Red Sox
Durham hit three homers in the nightcap to salvage a doubleheader split with Worcester on Saturday night, winning 7-3 after dropping the opener 2-1 at Polar Park. Brock Jones, Andrew Stevenson and Bob Seymour each homered in game two as the Bulls (30-20) overcame an early 1-0 deficit to pick
Red Sox Top Bulls 5-4, Game 2 of Twinbill Postponed
Vaughn Grisson singled home the winning run with two outs in the seventh inning to lift the Worcester Red Sox past the Durham Bulls 5-4 in game one of Friday's doubleheader at Polar Park. The second game was subsequently postponed due to rain. The Bulls (29-19) led 4-3 with two
Williams, Westbrook Blast Bulls Past Red Sox 7-4 In Ten
Jamie Westbrook hit a game-tying home run in the ninth, then Carson Williams drilled a three-run shot in the 10th to lift the Durham Bulls past the Worcester Red Sox 7-4 at Polar Park on Wednesday night. The Bulls (29-18) were trailing 4-3 in the ninth when the former WooSox
Red Sox Best Bulls 8-2
Brian Van Belle threw seven solid innings to lift the Worcester Red Sox past the Durham Bulls 8-2 in the series opener on Tuesday night at Polar Park. Van Belle (W, 2-1) permitted just one run on four hits to pick up his second win of the season. Joe Boyle
Joe Boyle Named IL Pitcher of the Week For Second Time in 2025
Minor League Baseball on Monday announced their weekly Player and Pitcher of the Week honors for the time frame between May 12-18, with right-hander Joe Boyle being named the International League's Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season. Boyle fired 5.0 scoreless frames of one-hit ball to
Rochester Defeats Durham 7-5 In Series Finale
The Rochester Red Wings scored five unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth to take the final game of the series, 7-5 over the Durham Bulls on Sunday afternoon from Innovative Field. Up 3-0 in the fifth, the Red Wings (12-31) loaded the bases with none out against Bulls
Bulls Stun Red Wings With 7-Run 9th Inning
For the third time this season, the Durham Bulls rallied from a final inning deficit with two out and two strikes, this time scoring seven times to storm past the Rochester Red Wings 9-3 at Innovative Field on Saturday night. Down 3-2 and facing the game's final strike, former Red
Bulls Win Third Straight With 6-2 Victory In Rochester
Tre Morgan reached five times, scoring a career-high four times, leading Durham to its third straight win, defeating the Rochester Red Wings 6-2 on Thursday night at Innovative Field. Morgan walked three times and collected a pair of singles to keep the Bulls (27-15) in second place in the IL.
Lowe's Longball Lifts Bulls to 7-4 Win
A four-run first inning propelled the Durham Bulls past the Rochester Red Wings 7-4 at Innovative Field on Wednesday night. The Bulls (26-15) won their second straight game to open a 12-game road trip over the last place Red Wings (10-29). Durham moved into sole possession of second place, three
Jimenez's Four Hits Lead Bulls To 3-1 Extra-Inning Win Over Red Wings
The Durham Bulls scored twice in the top of the 10th to win the first game of a 12-game road trip, defeating the Rochester Red Wings 3-1 on Tuesday night at Innovative Field. The game between the second place Bulls (25-15) and last place Red Wings (10-28) was scoreless until
Gwinnett Defeats Durham 4-1
Eddys Leonard homered twice to lead the Gwinnett Stripers to a 4-1 win over the Durham Bulls on Sunday afternoon at the DBAP. The game was delayed three hours and 54 minutes before the opening pitch due to rain. When it began, the starting pitchers dominated as has been the
Bulls Walk Off With 4-3 Extra-Inning Win Over Stripers
Eloy Jimenez singled home the winning run off of nine-time all-star Craig Kimbrel to lead the Durham Bulls past the Gwinnett Stripers 4-3 in front of 8,394 fans at the DBAP on Saturday night. The Bulls (24-14) were shutout into the sixth when Bob Seymour drove a game-tying two-out double
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