Rays’ Trevor Harrison Won’t Fly Under The Radar For Much Longer
The Rays drafted Tampa-area high school righthander Trevor Harrison in the fifth round in 2023, but it wasn’t until this summer that he felt like he truly got the pro ball experience.
Harrison went through fall workouts after the draft and then spring training, followed by two months in the Florida Complex League.
The Rays promoted Harrison to Low-A Charleston on July 4, and he got to watch the holiday game in advance of making his RiverDogs debut.
“Get up there and you’ve got 8,000 people screaming and yelling. It’s really cool,” Harrison said. “It was kind of a ‘welcome to pro ball’ moment seeing all the people. And pitching the next day, it was a surreal feeling for sure.’’
Harrison acclimated quickly. He struck out 48 and walked 18 in 40 innings, while recording a 3.15 ERA. Then he threw five shutout innings in Game 3 of the Carolina League playoffs.
“How far he’s come in just one season is pretty impressive,” Rays assistant GM Kevin Ibach said. “The poise, the maturity on the mound for a teenager, Trevor’s stuff . . . my guess is a year from now he will be talked about as one of the biggest movers . . .
“He’s still flying a little bit under the radar right now.’’
Harrison grew up about 25 minutes from Tropicana Field and used to regularly attend Rays game with friends and family.
“It’s definitely a dream come true,” Harrison said. “I’ve always wanted to play in MLB, but to be able to play for the home team, it’s definitely a bigger deal for me.”
But even better, he said, is playing for an organization that is so good at developing young pitchers and getting the most out of them.
“I came in here pretty raw—decent tools and stuff like that,” Harrison said. “But now putting them to use and getting everything going in motion was probably the biggest thing.”
“To see how it actually works firsthand, it’s great from a development standpoint. The pitcher I was when I got drafted to the pitcher I am now, I think it’s way different.’’
COOL RAYS
— Triple-A Durham lefthander Ian Seymour was named minor league pitcher of the year by the Rays, and Double-A first baseman Tre’ Morgan the top player. Alfredo Zarraga was named the top reliever, Tanner Murray the top defensive player and Chandler Simpson the top baserunner.
— Team MVPs chosen by the Rays were Kameron Misner, Durham; Carson Williams, Montgomery; Brayden Taylor, Bowling Green; Gary Gill Hill, Charleston; Trevor Harrison, Florida Complex League; Jose Tovar and Yereny Teus, Dominican Summer League.
