After 16 big league seasons, Evan Longoria called it a career last Saturday in Tampa.
The former Long Beach State Dirtbags third baseman signed a one-day contract with the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing him to retire with the same organization that drafted him 3rd overall back in 2006.
Longoria made his MLB debut during the 2008 season, winning AL Rookie of the Year and starting a streak of three consecutive All-Star appearances to open his career. He played 10 seasons with Tampa Bay before making additional stops with San Francisco and Arizona, but is widely regarded as the best player in Tampa Bay’s franchise history.
After signing his one-day contract, Longoria slipped on a Rays uniform and hat one final time, posing for photos at a pregame press conference before Saturday’s game, where he received a warm welcome from the home fans.
“This always felt like the place for me,” Longoria said. “I always felt comfortable putting on the Rays jersey, and it feels good to put it back on. The jersey still fits.”
Longoria is the franchise’s all-time leader in most offensive categories, including games played (1,435), runs (780), RBIs (892), extra-base hits (618), walks (569) and WAR (51.7). He was also instrumental in the Rays’ first-ever World Series appearance in 2008, helping the young organization reach new heights.
“It’s a memorable day for us to celebrate the most memorable Ray of all, and I imagine that’s going to be like that for decades and decades to come,” said Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg prior to Saturday’s game. “You’re looking at the person who was the most transformative player we have had, by leaps and bounds. We’ve had some great, great players over the years; wonderful people, but nobody put those two together as much as Evan Longoria.”
As for Long Beach State, Longoria remains the highest draft pick in program history, and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2015. He retires as LBSU’s all-time leader in WAR (58.9) at the big league level, winning three Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger during his decorated career.
Elsewhere around the big leagues, there’s been a few former Dirtbags on the move. Utility man Garrett Hampson, who started the season in Arizona, signed on with the Cincinnati Reds and joined their big league roster.
The Reds also made a trade for a Long Beach State alum, getting 2024 draftee Mike Villani from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a deal for reliever Alexis Diaz.
Staying with the former Dirtbags, New York Mets veteran Jeff McNeil is coming off a productive weekend at Coors Field in Colorado. An injury delayed the start of his 2025 season, but he’s found a groove over his last 10 games. During that stretch, he’s recorded a hit in nine of 10 games, with four homers, seven RBIs, three walks, and a stolen base.
His hot streak culminated in a two-homer game on Sunday against the Rockies, bringing his OPS up to .888 on the season. McNeil’s defensive versatility makes him an extremely valuable piece when he’s hitting well; he’s made 22 appearances at 2B and 18 combined appearances across all three OF spots over his first 35 games this year.
A pair of former Lakewood Lancers faced off this past weekend in Anaheim, as J.P. Crawford and the Seattle Mariners visited Travis d’Arnaud and the Los Angeles Angels for a three-game set.
d’Arnaud made his impact felt in game one, collecting a pair of hits including a two-run homer to help lead the Halos to victory. The veteran catcher is currently in a backup role for the Angels, and is off to a terrific start in June, with five hits in his first eight at-bats this month.
Crawford, meanwhile, is putting together one of the best offensive seasons of his career. His .394 on-base percentage is more than 50 points higher than his career number, fueled by an elite 15.3 percent walk rate that currently ranks him seventh in all of baseball.
It’s not just plate discipline, he’s also doing damage with the bat, posting a .280 average and a .784 OPS, with 18 multi-hit games on the season. After hitting just .163 in his first 16 games, Crawford caught fire on Tax Day in Cincinnati, and hit .316 with a .409 OBP and all five of his home runs in the 45 games since. His weighted on-base average (wOBA) of .355 currently ranks fifth-best among all MLB shortstops.
