The Best and Worst Tampa Bay Rays All-Time against the Texas Rangers
Jose Canseo laid waste to Texas pitching during his brief Rays tenure
The Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers will meet up for the 206th time in a regular season contest tonight. The two teams also have some history in the postseason. Regardless of when the game has been played, Texas has usually come out as the victor with a .532 winning percentage against Tampa Bay, plus a 8-3 record in their 11 postseason games, including the disastrous 2023 AL Wild Card round.
Tampa Bay didn’t win their first season series against Texas until 2005 and started out 1-9 over their first nine series. The two teams have been mostly back and forth since the Rays rebranding in 2008. In their latest season series, the Rays lost in four of the six contests.
As for the best (and the worst) individual performers against Texas, well look now further. Below are the Rays statistical leaders (min. 50 PA) all-time against the Texas Rangers.
HOME RUNS
- Best: 15 - Evan Longoria
- Least: 0 - Five tied, Miguel Cairo most PA (110)
HR%
- Best: 10.3% - Jose Canseco
- Least: 0.0% - Five tied, Miguel Cairo most PA (110)
AVERAGE
- Best: .382 - Bob Smith aka Bobby Smith aka Bob E. Smith aka Robert Smith
- Worst: .164 - Brandn Lowe
ON-BASE
- Best: .466 - Jose Canseco
- Worst: .193 - Brandon Lowe
SLUGGING
- Best: .771 - Jose Canseco
- Worst: .244 - Yunel Escobar
Meanwhile, here are the pitchers (min. 50 batters faced)
ERA
- Best: 0.46 - Tyler Glasnow
- Worst: 13.50 - Wade Davis
K%
- Best: 42.6% - Blake Snell
- Worst: 6.3% - Julio Santana
BB%
- Best: 1.9% - Two tied (Cory Lidle & Jeffrey Springs) both faced 54 hitters
- Worst: 18.6% - Grant Balfour
REACHED BASE %
- Best: 17.1% - Tyler Glasnow
- Worst: 45.0% - Julio Santana
HR%
- Best: 0.0% - Two tied (Dan Wheeler & Jake McGee) faced 58 & 56 hitters respectively
- Worst: 8.1% - Matt Andriese
As for the best overall single-game performances:
Position Player: B.J. Upton
Pitcher: James Shields
On September 9th, 2012 the Tampa Bay Rays took on the Texas Rangers at Tropicana Field, The Rays were clinging to playoff hopes, and were looking to put a devastating extra inning defeat from the night before behind them. Enter B.J. Upton and James Shields.
In what most people knew would be one of their final games at Tropicana Field, Upton and Shields both had amazing days. Upton led off the Rays offensive efforts with a homerun in the first. Upton would homer again in the 4th and then a third time in the 7th! Overall, he had three hits (the 3 HR) in five trips to the plate.
Meanwhile, James Shields was masterful as he hurled and delivered one of the best outings of his career. Shields tossed a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits, zero walks, and picked up 8 strikeouts in a Rays 6-0 victory.