Top Five Tampa Bay Rays Home Run Leaders

The Tampa Bay Rays organization is the youngest in Major League baseball, with only 13 seasons played since its inaugural 1998 season. While the team has had plenty of growing pains, the Rays have been contenders for the last few years. A pair of sluggers, first baseman Carlos Pena and third baseman Evan Longoria, have propelled the Rays to their recent success and comprise two of the top five Tampa Bay Rays all-time home run leaders.

1. Carlos Pena: 140 home runs

The Tampa Bay Rays all-time home run leader is one of the purest power-hitters in baseball, Carlos Pena. The first baseman signed with the Rays heading into 2007 and broke out as one of the best home run hitters in the American League. He hit 46 homers and drove home 121 RBI in 2007, shattering his previous highs of 27 and 82 respectively. With 39 jacks, he led the AL in homers for the first time in 2009. Pena is a low average hitter who strikes out a ton, but when he makes contact the ball blazes off his bat. Through 530 games with the Rays, Pena has slugged .530 with 589 strikeouts and a .244 batting average.

2. Aubrey Huff: 128 home runs

One of the first ever amateur draft picks by the organization, utility player Aubrey Huff is the second leading home run hitter in Tampa Bay Rays history. Spending time at first, third, and the outfield, Aubrey Huff gave the Rays four straight years of 20-plus home runs from 2002 to 2005. He played his best baseball in Tampa, including two seasons in which he hit better than .300 and two 100 RBI campaigns.

3. Carl Crawford: 99 home runs

Though he is known more for his speed than for power, current left fielder Carl Crawford has climbed to third on the list of Tampa Bay Rays all-time home run leaders. Crawford has stolen 50 bases six times and propelled himself to four All-Star teams in nine years. Much of his power is derived from speed as he has led the AL in triples several times, but he has been reliable for ten to 15 home runs per year since becoming a full-time player. He hit his career high of 18 home runs in the 2006 season, a year in which he led the league in both triples and steals.

4. Fred McGriff: 99 home runs

The Crime Dog Fred McGriff was a member of the expansion Devil Rays in 1998. He played parts of five seasons with Tampa Bay to rank fourth among the Rays all-time home run leaders. During the latter years of his career, McGriff manned first base for the Devil Rays from 1998 until being traded in mid-2001. In 1999 and 2000, he posted seasons of 32 home runs and 27 home runs respectively, driving in more than 100 RBI in each season. For his career as a whole, McGriff finished with 493 home runs, currently good for 26th in Major League history, according to Baseball Reference.

5. Evan Longoria: 78 home runs

Just three years into his Major League career, third baseman Evan Longoria ranks fifth among the Tampa Bay Rays all-time home run leaders. The third overall pick in the 2006 amateur draft, Longoria was an American League All-Star by 2008 as he hit 27 home runs and won the Rookie of the Year Award. He eclipsed the 30 home run mark for the first time in 2009 as he slugged 33 homers with 113 RBI to finish in the top ten in each category. Evan Longoria is a great all-around player who hits for average and power, reaches base at a high clip, and plays Gold Glove defense at third base.