Rays' Chandler Simpson Closing in On Impressive Team Record

Which team record is Chandler Simpson closing in on for the Tampa Bay Rays?

Apr 12, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Chandler Simpson (14) runs to third base against the New York Yankees in the first inning at Tropicana Field. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Following a sweep of the New York Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays are feeling good about how things are going despite a rocky start to the season. Furthermore, in their recent success, they have seen a young player emerge as someone special. 

It certainly was a bit of an uneven start to the year for the Rays. With a nine-game road trip to begin the campaign, it wasn’t easy for the team to get off to a hot start. However, a 4-5 record at the time wasn't bad, and they returned home. 

After winning their series opener in their long-awaited return to Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay ended up dropping their series against the Chicago Cubs. Fortunately, the team was able to make a statement in their weekend series against the New York Yankees by sweeping their division rival. 

With the Yankees being considered as one of the best teams in the league, this was a massive victory for the Rays, and while their pitching staff rose to the occasion, so too did their lineup, with five runs in each game. 

While offensive production was a concern heading into the year, this unit has been pretty good, and a main reason why has been the development of their young outfielder Chandler Simpson. 

Simpson On Fire to Start 

#Rays Simpson leads off 1st with a single, has now reached base in each of team's first 15 games this season, 1st since Tommy Pham in 2019. Team record is 20 by Evan Longoria is 2013 and Jorge Cantu in 2005.

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) April 12, 2026

The young outfielder for Tampa Bay has been off to an incredible start, and with an impressive feat of reaching base in the first 15 games of the season, he is showing no signs of slowing down. 

Currently, he is slashing .411/.441/.482 with 23 hits, four RBI, and seven stolen bases. Even though he might not have a ton of power, he has been able to use his excellent speed to record two triples already this season. 

Improving the outfield was a main goal for Tampa Bay this winter, and Simpson was the one player that they seemingly believed in. So far, that decision has paid off, and he is now the first player since Tommy Pham to reach base in 15 straight games. 

Now, the exciting outfielder will be chasing down Evan Longoria and Jorge Cantu for the record at 20 straight games. With Simpson being red hot to start the campaign, Kevin Cash recently made the wise decision to move him up to leadoff. With his ability to get on base and the speed that he has, this made sense, and his hot start made him deserving of getting moved up.