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Tampa Bay Rays' Jake Mangum, Kameron Misner Gearing Up For Fenway Park Debuts
Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Jake Mangum (28) steals second base against the Texas Rangers in the sixth inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay Rays' Jake Mangum, Kameron Misner Gearing Up For Fenway Park Debuts

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI  |  By Sam Connon  |  Last updated Jun 9, 2025 6:15 PM ET

BOSTON — More than two months into the 2025 regular season, the Tampa Bay Rays finally made the journey up to Boston to take on the Red Sox.

For a handful of new faces, like rookie outfielders Jake Mangum and Kameron Misner, it will mark their first career appearances in Fenway Park – the oldest stadium in the majors. The 113-year-old venue has just as much charm as it does quirks, and the history isn't lost on Mangum.

"This is a dream come true for baseball players," Mangum said. "You get to play at Fenway Park, it's an honor, fired up about tonight. It was really cool to get into the wall, sign your name, couldn't stop smiling."

While he has never played a game at Fenway, Mangum did take the field for a Cape Cod League showcase in college. Still, he made sure to take in the view from the top of the Green Monster when he arrived to get the "wow factor" out of the way.

Mangum is starting in left field for Monday's series opener, while Misner is starting in center. Taking the emotional and historical factors out of the equation, they will still have to deal with how the 37-foot wall impacts their defense.

Manager Kevin Cash noted that Rays prospects get a bit of practice with a similar layout at the Durham Bulls' Athletic Park, so it won't be a brand new sensation for Mangum.

"I think most of the outfielders are comfortable with the wall, the height of it," Cash said. "It's probably learning the seam on the wall and how it maybe comes off the scoreboard where it hits at times. But it is a benefit to us that we do have Durham that is similar to playing shallow and knowing how to cut down some runners trying to get doubles when balls carom off the wall."

Cash, who played for the Red Sox in 2007 and 2008, admitted he didn't remember his first game at Fenway. As it turned out, Cash made his MLB debut in Boston, back when he played for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2002.

Evidently, the game didn't leave much of an impact in Cash's memory, so maybe Mangum and Misner don't have anything to worry about after all. And considering the Rays and Red Sox are division rivals, they are likely to log many more appearances in Boston moving forward.

Mangum enters Monday batting .280 with a .664 OPS, three defensive runs saved and a 0.6 WAR through 30 games. Misner, on the other hand, is batting .220 with a .664 OPS, five defensive runs saved and a 1.0 WAR across 60 appearances.

First pitch between Tampa Bay and Boston is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.

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You can follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.


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

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