Tampa Bay Rays' Curtis Mead Officially Batting Leadoff For 1st Time in MLB Career

Curtis Mead, coming off an explosive spring, will start at first base and bat leadoff for the Tampa Bay Rays in their Opening Day showdown against the Colorado Rockies on Friday.

Clearwater, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays second base Curtis Mead (25) is congratulated after he scored a run during the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The first Tampa Bay Rays batter to step up to the plate this season won't be one of their veterans, former All-Stars or premier free agent additions.

Instead, Curtis Mead will lead things off for the Rays when they host the Colorado Rockies on Friday.

Mead, who is starting at first base, came in at the top of manager Kevin Cash's lineup card on Opening Day – which was delayed to give the team more time to outfit their temporary home at George M. Steinbrenner Field. It will mark Mead's first career start out of the leadoff position in the big leagues.

The cleanup spot will be the only one Mead hasn't started in after Friday, but his 184 extra-base hits and .505 slugging percentage in 382 minor league games suggest he could fill that role if necessary.

The 24-year-old infielder is a .244 hitter with a .613 OPS and 0.0 WAR since making his MLB debut in 2023. In 16 Grapefruit League games this spring, though, Mead hit .524 with a 1.227 OPS, beating out former Silver Slugger winner Eloy Jiménez and others for a spot on the active roster.

Mead was ranked as the No. 2 prospect in Tampa Bay's farm system and the No. 33 prospect in baseball entering the 2023 season. He dropped to No. 3 and No. 55 on those lists, respectively, by the start of 2024.

Here is the full lineup the Rays will trot out against the Rockies:

1. Curtis Mead, 1B
2. Yandy Díaz, DH
3. Brandon Lowe, 2B
4. Junior Caminero, 3B
5. Christopher Morel, LF
6. Danny Jansen, C
7. Josh Lowe, RF
8. Jonny DeLuca, CF
9. Taylor Walls, SS
SP: Ryan Pepiot, RHP

First pitch from Steinbrenner Field is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET.

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