Rays Sign One of Their Top Draft Picks To Contract
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The Tampa Bay Rays added 21 new players to the organization during the 2026 MLB Draft to upgrade the talent even more in one of the best farm systems in baseball.
One of those players was right-handed pitcher Ben Blair. He was selected in the second round, No. 49 overall, out of Liberty University. He helped his high school team, Liberty Christian Academy, to a state title as a junior and kept dominating once he reached the collegiate ranks.
That helped him move up the draft board, where the Rays snagged him with their second-round pick. The No. 49 selection carries a recommended signing bonus of $2,033,400, and it will be interesting to see how much Blair signs for.
According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the right-hander has agreed to a contract with Tampa Bay, but no numbers on how much money he has signed for have been revealed yet.
Rays agree to terms with second round pick Ben Blair
His selection is one that likely took many Rays supporters by surprise because of how focused they have been in recent drafts on selecting positional players. Selecting Blair with the 49th pick is the earliest Tampa Bay has selected a pitcher since the 2020 MLB Draft, when Nick Bitsko was picked at No. 24 overall.
Part of what makes Blair such an intriguing prospect is the command that he has of his entire arsenal. He had a minuscule 4% walk rate with Liberty, issuing only 17 free passes in 94.1 innings of work.
That repertoire is already impressive, as he will throw five different pitches at points during the game. He throws both a four-seam and a two-seam fastball and a sinker to drive up his groundball rate.
For off-speed offerings, he has a slider that is a borderline sweeper in the 83-84 mph range that he uses as a wipeout pitch to play off the fastballs that clock in at 97 mph. Blair also has a cutter he will mix in that sits in the mid-80s and is working on a changeup that has real promise.
#Rays just signed RHP Ben Blair, their 2nd round pick in last week’s draft, taken 49th overall
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) July 16, 2026
The unorthodox mechanics that he possesses help make his offerings even more deceiving than they are. He releases the ball from a low slot, making it even more difficult for opposing batters to pick up on.
Blair isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but there is value in his reliability, taking the ball every Friday and producing at a high level with a 3.53 ERA and 113 strikeouts.
The Rays reloaded this offseason, making a number of trades that netted them some high-ranking prospects. Outfielders Jacob Melton and Slater De Brun, catcher Caden Bodine and right-handed pitchers Anderson Brito and Michael Ferrett were the highest-rated acquisitions, along with the draft picks.
But only No. 2 overall pick Grady Emerson has managed to crack the top 10 out of all the prospects mentioned in this piece, including Blair.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. Previously, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.