Young Rays Outfielder Has Been Outstanding Boost to Batting Order
The Tampa Bay Rays have had somewhat of a mixed bag so far in 2025 when it comes to their record, as they currently sit at 4-4 through eight games, things have looked good at times and bad at others.
This has been the product of a team that has a mix of veteran talents and younger players on the squad as things shake out and injuries clear up over time.
One of the players who has been immensely fun to watch is outfielder Jonny DeLuca, a 26-year old with some of the most exceptional speed in the Major League Baseball. While his advanced statistics say he is due to come down off this strong start to the year over time, the eye-test says his production may be here to stay with how well he has been making contact.
DeLuca was a 25th-round selection in the 2019 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and would finally get his Major League debut in June of 2023, playing 24 games. Ultimately, his time with the team would be short lived, as he was included in the trade that sent Ryan Pepiot to the Rays, with Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot heading to the Dodgers.
He would end up getting substantial playing time for Tampa Bay in 2024, playing 107 games, but his offensive production was less than stellar, slashing .217/.278/.331.
However, he did show flashes of success when he did make contact or got on base, with 16 stolen bases, four triples, and 12 doubles, it was clear he had speed to work with, but just needed to improve his batting.
So far in 2025, it seems that has been the case, as he is now slashing .435/.480/.522 with three runs, four stolen bases, one RBI and one triple. For those interested in WAR, he already has 0.5 this season, compared to 0.6 across all 107 games he played last season. His fielding has also been a part of this, as in 63 innings, he has 16 putouts on 16 chances, with no errors, good for a perfect 1.000 fielding rate.
His speed is quantifiable as well, with Baseball Savant reporting that he is in the 99th percentile across the MLB in sprint speed this year, which is as good as it gets. For reference, Jarren Duran, one of the fastest players in the division and possibly the sport, is 93rd percentile.
DeLuca is most certainly an intriguing player to watch develop, and if he continues on the path he is going down currently, he could end up being an extremely valuable piece to the Rays' future.
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Jeremy Trottier started his writing journey with WBLZ Media, and has worked through multiple publications with 247Sports, USA Today, Fansided, SBNation and others. He is an avid fan of motorsports and most sports in general, and has completed a degree in sports management to further understand the sports industry. During his time with sports media, he has been credentialed for coverage of Boston College sports, and can often be found attending their football and basketball games as well as expected coverage of their men’s soccer team in the near future. Sports are a large part of his life and career, as he looks to pursue a full time role within the industry someday.