3B Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
Background: Longoria is a Dirtbag, mined from the same Long Beach State soil as Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. The Rockies were positioned to draft Longoria with the second overall pick in 2006 but switched gears the night before, zeroing in on pitcher Greg Reynolds.
What’s up: Longoria, as Tulowitzki predicted in spring training, is the leading candidate for American League Rookie of the Year honors. He entered the weekend hitting .275 with 15 home runs and 50 RBIs, 19 of which have either tied the game or put the Rays ahead. He’s become a weekly Web Gems fixture on “Baseball Tonight,” throwing a ball while on his backside last week that even caught Tulowitzki’s eye. “A great play,” Tulo said. There was grousing in Rays’ camp when Longoria was sent down in spring training, viewed as a cost-cutting measure to slow down the kid’s clock for reaching salary arbitration. But Tampa erased those concerns by signing Longoria to a six-year, $17.5 million deal with club options after just six days in the big leagues.
What’s next: He should be an all-star. And in time, he might make us all forget Eva Longoria.
Renck’s take: Longoria, 22, is this year’s Tulowitzki. He has helped change the Rays’ culture. “I love him. This kid is the real deal,” Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley said. “He reminds me of Alex Rodriguez.” At the end of the day, Longoria is a winner. His life revolves around baseball and making his team better. So it’s no surprise that since the third baseman arrived, the Rays are 47-27. When looking for reasons to believe in the Rays, start with the pitching and end with Evan Almighty.
