Who’s Out There? Rays Outfield Options for 2026

It’s hard not to look at the Tampa Bay Rays’ lineup for the upcoming season and fret over the plethora of holes they have in it. Shortstop was the position discussed in a previous article; now it’s time for the three outfield spots. Because going through each one would feature a lot of repeated discussions, and who wants that?

Each guy in the following list can pretty much play all 3 outfield spots. With a few exceptions, some are better suited for a corner outfield spot.

The list begins with one of the Rays’ bigger offseason acquisitions.

Cedric Mullins

Is he a center fielder, or would he be better served moving to a corner to be a very good defensive left fielder? His 45th percentile arm strength doesn’t inspire confidence in a move to right field.

Cedric Mullins has only accumulated 12 innings of Major League Baseball in left field, and was either above-average or quite bad. Depending on whether you prefer OAA (+4) or DRS (-14). That discrepancy has been pretty consistent throughout his career.

Sometimes it’s better to meet in the middle. So let’s say he’s an average defensive center fielder for the sake of argument, meaning he can stick in center or move over to left, and shift the focus to his bat.

He’s hovered around league-average for his total offensive production since his sterling, six-win season back in 2021. Making him a solid, if not good, player throughout the end of his time in an Oriole uniform.

Likely To Start, but Where?

Being a left-handed hitter provides him with a slight disadvantage, as there are plenty of other lefty options for the outfield. But he’s been a bit more platoon-neutral than expected over the years. Even having a significantly higher OBP versus lefties in 2025.

Mullins has never been a Statcast darling, with quality of contact marks that are mostly at least below-average if not downright bad. But he’s supplemented that lack of monster power (although he’s still managed double-digit home run totals every year since 2021) with that previously mentioned solid defense, fine on-base ability, and underrated base running contributions.

Submitting at least three BSR in his previous three seasons.

So, Mullins is likely to start this season. But the question of whether it will be in center, where he’s spent almost the entirety of his career, or in left, where his average defensive prowess of recent years might play up a bit more.

Who will roam center? Well…

Jonny DeLuca 

JDL was absolutely cooking in his brief beginning to 2025, with a whopping 124 wRC+ and .356 OBP.

Pay no mind to his slugging marks or how hard he was hitting the ball (both not great) if you want to have some hope.

Jonny DeLuca may never have Jose Siri-level power. But the hope is he can be enough of an on-base machine, coupled with his excellent glove and tremendous base-running ability, to be a quality, everyday centerfielder.

His seven OAA mark in 2024 and 87th percentile arm strength, along with his 98th percentile sprint speed, give credence to the notion that he can be just that if given the playing time and a clean bill of health.

The ZiPS projection system at FanGraphs doesn’t inspire hope that he will be, as they have him coming in at a disappointing 0.7 fWAR for the season, but that fails to account for the magic of Rays dust and DeLuca’s charm and charisma (have you seen his interview with Tricia Whitaker from a couple of years ago?).

All jokes aside, DeLuca’s involvement in the Tyler Glasnow deal gives some credence to the Rays’ faith in the right-handed speedster. Hopefully, that faith will be well-founded, and he can prove the doubters wrong.

Ryan Vilade

Speaking of doubters. There are many reading this who might still be confused about the Rays acquiring this 27-year-old utility man. Fairly, it’s hard to blame anyone for being a bit confused.

He takes up a 40-man spot and doesn’t have any options.

So, is this guy going to play, or what?

Well, maybe. If he does, it’s not a given that he sticks solely in a corner outfield spot. Vilade has experience playing across the infield and seems likely to be yet another signature Rays utility guy who fills various roles for the team.

But what’s most enticing is Ryan Vilade‘s bat. As he mashed in AAA for the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals in 2025.

Vilade is understandably and obviously not a household name. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been traded for cash considerations. But he did quietly put together an excellent AAA season offensively.

Wide Range of Outcomes

His quality of contact marks was all superb. With an xwOBA in the 92nd percentile, a 45.4% hard-hit rate, and enough contact and plate discipline to get by. Provided he can continue to hit the ball as well as he did down on the farm.

The range of outcomes for Vilade is quite large. He could be a very good everyday starter in right field who helps the Rays compete for a postseason spot, or he could be gone by May.

Regardless, he’s a fun option for the Rays to see what they have.

Chandler Simpson

*Cue Chris Collinsworth voice*

Now here’s a guy who can steal some bases.

Ok, now that that’s over. Chandler Simpson had a very mixed-bag rookie season. Despite the gaudy stolen base numbers and fun batting average.

He still has no power at all, doesn’t walk enough, and is an atrocious defensive outfielder.

The good news is that the Rays have brought in Kevin Kiermaier to help with that last part. Additionally, Simpson still has enough upside and a path to playing time to work on those issues in the majors. Especially if Mullins doesn’t work out or injuries become an issue.

Rays Have Options With Simpson

He’s certainly a candidate to start the season in AAA again, as the Rays could want him to keep working on his centerfield defense. But if not, he could also be a fun pinch runner and fourth outfielder. Competing for playing time with Vilade, among others.

Simpson’s one of those weird cases where he’s simultaneously underrated and overrated. With advanced nerds (with their xwOBAs and wRC+s, yuck) lower on him than they probably should be. Meanwhile, old-school folks are higher on him than they probably should be (hey, defense matters, and he might not be able to hit the ball out of Yankee Stadium).

Regardless, Simpson is a fun player. Possessing enough upside to still be excited about who he could become at the major league level. Especially if he figures out how to properly utilize that blazing speed in center.

Jake Fraley

Jake Fraley was a bit of an odd signing, to put it plainly, as he seems like a redundant player in the Rays’ ecosystem.

He provides similar corner outfield coverage to a guy that hasn’t appeared on this list yet, without the defensive versatility of some others.

He hits righties very well, but is horrendous against lefties, getting there with below-average pop, average contact, and on-base abilities.

He’s not a great baserunner despite having decent speed, and the same can be said about his defense (he mostly played right field in 2025).

Why Sign Him?

What gives? Why did the Rays decide to give this guy a roster spot when they have other players who can basically address these needs?

Well, without sounding too avoidant of the question. He’s a veteran who provides a bit more certainty. While allowing the younger, more promising players with more of a future with the Rays a safer landing spot for 2026.

If Simpson isn’t ready, if JDL struggles or gets hurt, or if Vilade does the same, Fraley can step in and be a below-average long-side platoon option in right field.

So, yeah, he’s not likely to break out into an All-Star. But that’s alright. He’s more of a safety option for this club to throw out there if they feel weird about the youngsters.

Jacob Melton

Jacob Melton provides the Rays with one of the highest upside plays on this list.

Similar to Vilade, there’s a world where Melton tears the cover off the ball and is a big contributor for the Rays in 2026.

His power-speed combination is tantalizing, as is his centerfield defense.

He has a really bright future if he can figure out his contact ability, and he could be considered to be a bit of an older, lower-upside, lefty Carson Williams.

But there’s that big, giant contact problem. There’s also a very good chance he spends all of 2026 in AAA, which would be fine.

His hit tool is not great, as he’s never had an OBP in the minors above .350 when having played in over 40 games.

The idea of him being able to fight through this and contribute right away is possibly far-fetched, but the talent is there for him to be a solid, if not great, player.

Richie Palacios

Finally, Richie P makes the list, but he’s such a utility guy that it might be wiser to pencil him in as a second base option alongside Gavin Lux.

So that’s why he’s last, and getting the shortest blurb, but the big bugaboo with Richie Palacios is just his ability to stay on the field.

When he’s there, he’s an on-base machine who plays with his hair on fire.

He’s athletic enough to make some noise on the bases and do some nice things in a corner outfield spot or at second base.

The former Cardinal just needs a shot, and while he could be a fun option for a corner outfield spot, he also will fit in nicely at second if the Lux experiment goes awry due to underperformance or injury.