Rays Teammate Heaps Praise on Chandler Simpson’s Play

Sep 17, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Chandler Simpson (14) hits a two rbi single against the Oakland Athletics in the fourth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rays Teammate Heaps Praise on Chandler Simpson’s Play

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Sep 30, 2026 6:00 AM ET

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The Tampa Bay Rays were one of the best teams in baseball all year because they received contributions from up and down the roster.

Different players shined throughout the campaign, helping the team win 97 games in the regular season. That landed them the No. 1 seed in the American League, along with their fifth AL East crown in franchise history.

Now, they await an opponent in the ALDS and will be facing one of their division rivals, either the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox. It will certainly be interesting to see how some of the Rays players respond to their first playoff action.

One of the players who people will be keeping an eye on is outfielder Chandler Simpson. His unique skill set is one that no other player in the MLB possesses, and he puts a ton of pressure on opposing defenses.

Richie Palacios impressed by Chandler Simpson

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It isn’t just fans who enjoy watching his athleticism and speed on display. Simpson is also making quite an impression on his teammates, with the versatile Richie Palacios heaping praise on him. Not one to put the spotlight on himself, Simpson doesn’t have to worry about it because Palacios is willing to do it for him.

“I know he hates to talk about numbers; I'll talk about them for him,” Palacios said of Simpson, via Brian Murphy of MLB.com. “He's [an] amazing guy. That's my guy. He's doing an amazing thing in the season. … I know he hates talking about it. I don't say anything around him about it, but hopefully he can finish that off.”

In his first full season as an MLB starter, Simpson more than held his own. He was the everyday left fielder, playing in 151 games and making an impact in multiple facets of the game.

The part of his game that Palacios was referencing was the work he did at the plate. Simpson’s game on offense is predicated on making as much contact as possible, striking out and whiffing at league-low rates.

Chandler Simpson has settled in nicely with Rays

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He doesn’t hit the barrel and has zero home runs in 612 plate appearances, but he made an impact with the bat. Simpson doesn’t swing very hard either, but he squares the ball up with regularity and puts a lot of pressure on the opposing defense because they know how well he can run.

He had 175 hits this past season, with 16 doubles and six triples. But his singles aren’t like other people’s singles, because he is a threat to get into scoring position quickly, leading the AL with 46 stolen bases.

No matter where manager Kevin Cash has put him in the lineup, Simpson has found a way to get the job done.

This article first appeared on Tampa Bay Rays on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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