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Tampa Bay Rays Draft History
All tables below are based on the amount of WAR each player produced during their first seven seasons in Major League Baseball. The WAR totals for each draft class include both Pitching and Hitting WAR, but excludes any player that did not sign with their drafting team. The total WAR also reflects the total value the drafted player provided, not just the value to his drafting team.
*Data accurate through 2019 season.
Top Five Draft Classes
Year
Team
WAR
2006
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
59.2
1999
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
54.4
2007
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
35.0
2000
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
32.5
2010
Tampa Bay Rays
29.9
Bottom Five Draft Classes
Year
Team
WAR
2009
Tampa Bay Rays
-0.9
2003
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
0.5
1997
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
2.7
1996
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
4.2
2008
Tampa Bay Rays
5.2
This list excludes any season past 2010, since those draft classes have a multitude of active players.
Top Five Draft Picks
Year Drafted
Round
Overall Pick
Name
WAR
2006
1
3
Evan Longoria
37.8
1999
1
1
Josh Hamilton
26.5
2007
1
1
David Price
24.3
2000
16
466
James Shields
24.0
1999
2
52
Carl Crawford
23.2
List made from top five WAR values alone.
Five Biggest Busts
Year Drafted
Round
Overall Pick
Name
WAR
2003
1
1
Delmon Young
-1.2
2008
1
1
Tim Beckham
4.3
2001
1
3
Dewon Brazelton
-0.8
2005
1
8
Wade Townsend
No MLB Experience
2010
1
17
Josh Sale
No MLB Experience
List made from first round picks that produced less than 5.0 WAR in their first seven seasons and ordered by lowest overall pick.
Top Five Value Picks
Year Drafted
Round
Overall Pick
Name
WAR
2000
16
466
James Shields
24.0
2010
31
941
Kevin Kiermaier
17.5
2004
13
375
Andy Sonnanstine
5.2
1999
17
505
Matt Diaz
4.8
2001
34
1009
Chad Gaudin
4.3
List made from top five WAR values where a player was drafted outside of the first ten rounds.
Top Five Unsigned Draft Picks
Year Drafted
Round
Overall Pick
Name
WAR
2002
23
674
Jacoby Ellsbury
22.2
2005
20
598
Wade Miley
12.3
2000
45
1327
Luke Scott
11.0
2001
19
559
Jason Hammel
10.1
2001
4
109
Dave Bush
10.1
List made from top five WAR values where a player did not sign with the team.