One Player is Thriving This Spring in Rays' Possible Position Battle

Which player for the Tampa Bay Rays could have the upper hand in a position battle.

Aug 16, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; A Tampa Bay Rays helmet sits in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays are getting close to the start of the regular season, and a key position battle for the team might be becoming a bit clearer. 

With Opening Day quickly approaching for the Rays, the team is undoubtedly excited about getting back on the field for some meaningful baseball. This was a team that finished eight games under .500 in 2025 but did have a positive run differential. Usually, a positive run differential results in a successful campaign, but Tampa Bay finished eight games under the .500 mark. 

This winter, the team was fairly active in both free agency and the trade market to make some improvements. While there might have been an eye more toward the future with their moves, they will be hoping to be a contender in 2026 as well. 

Following the disappointing campaign in 2025, there were a couple of areas that the team tried to address this winter. However, it was a bit shocking that one of them wasn’t behind the plate. This is a position where the team has not received great offensive production, and it was a bit surprising to see them not address it. Now, the pressure will be on both Nick Fortes and Hunter Feduccia to perform and prove they can provide value at the position. 

Fortes Thriving Offensively 

Tampa Bay Rays catcher Nick Fortes | Dave Nelson-Imagn Images

With offensive production being the most important thing for the Rays to get from with Fortes or Feduccia this coming season, it has been Fortes who has been better to start the spring. So far, he has been able to slash .300/.364/.600 with one home run in five games. While obviously the sample size is small, it is encouraging to see some success early on. 

On the flip side, Feduccia is the one who has been considered to be the better offensive talent, but that has yet to be seen with Tampa Bay. While he has had some success in the minors, he struggled with the Rays last year and is off to a slow start this spring. So far, he has slashed .083/.154/.333, with his lone hit being a home run.

While there is still plenty of spring to go and things can change, it does appear like Fortes could be the early leader to be the starter as of now. Whether it be Fortes or Feduccia, the Rays will be hoping to get some positive production from the position.