Rays Theme Team

92.3 Avg OVR|88.67 Base Meta|26/26 Filled|101.3K Stubs
Rays|MLB The Show 26|5 Diamond Diamond

Starting Lineup

Catcher (C)
Liam Hicks
Liam Hicks99
95.12
2026 Postseason
1st Baseman (1B)
Fred McGriff
Fred McGriff88
76.90
Jolt
2nd Baseman (2B)
Ben Williamson
Ben Williamson99
97.19
2026 Postseason
3rd Baseman (3B)
Ryan Vilade
Ryan Vilade99
97.42
2026 Postseason
Shortstop (SS)
Grady Emerson
Grady Emerson98
91.55
2026 Draft
Left Field (LF)
Chandler Simpson
Chandler Simpson99
101.38
2026 Postseason
Center Field (CF)
Theo Gillen
Theo Gillen99
96.48
Pipeline
Buy:16.4Kstubs
Sell:8.1Kstubs
Right Field (RF)
Victor Mesa Jr.
Victor Mesa Jr.99
98.24
Spotlight
Buy:11.1Kstubs
Sell:6Kstubs
Designated Hitter (DH)
Richie Palacios
Richie Palacios99
106.77
2026 Postseason

Starting Rotation

Starter 1 (SP)
Drew Rasmussen
Drew Rasmussen88
78.75
Jolt
Starter 2
Freddy Peralta
Freddy Peralta99
102.91
2026 Postseason
Starter 3
Nick Martinez
Nick Martinez99
96.81
2026 Postseason
Starter 4
Ian Seymour
Ian Seymour96
87.71
Topps Now
Starter 5
Blake Snell
Blake Snell83
77.00
Rookie

Bullpen

Long RP 1
Bryan Baker
Bryan Baker99
101.43
2026 Postseason
Long RP 2
Cam Booser
Cam Booser99
99.41
2026 Postseason
Mid RP 1
Jose Alvarado
Jose Alvarado92
89.34
Vintage
Buy:4.7Kstubs
Mid RP 2
Garrett Cleavinger
Garrett Cleavinger88
84.09
Breakout
Buy:14.1Kstubs
Sell:8.3Kstubs
Mid RP 3
Kevin Kelly
Kevin Kelly78
71.09
Live
Buy:140stubs
Setup 1
Tyler Wells
Tyler Wells76
70.56
Live
Buy:95stubs
Setup 2
Manuel Rodríguez
Manuel Rodríguez71
64.62
Live
Buy:41stubs
Closer
Steven Matz
Steven Matz68
61.55
Live
Buy:40stubs

Bench

Bench 1
Yandy Díaz
Yandy Díaz97
93.09
2026 All-Star
Buy:16.7Kstubs
Sell:10Kstubs
Bench 2
Junior Caminero
Junior Caminero97
90.92
2026 Home Run Derby
Buy:38.0Kstubs
Sell:22.2Kstubs
Bench 3
Nathan Flewelling
Nathan Flewelling97
88.51
Spotlight
Bench 4
Jonathan Aranda
Jonathan Aranda93
86.47
Spotlight

Captains

Captains are active roster designations, not additional roster spots.

Hitter Captain
Fred McGriff
Fred McGriff88
76.90
Jolt

Active at 1B

Pitcher Captain
Drew Rasmussen
Drew Rasmussen88
78.75
Jolt

Active at SP

Team Category Ratings

Averages from filled lineup, rotation, and bullpen. Scale 0–99.

Contact
106.2
Power
89.9
Speed
74.6
Baserunning
62.3
Fielding
82.6
Arm
82.9
Pitching
88.7
Stamina
51.2

Like this lineup? Open it in the Team Builder to customize your Rays theme team.

About the Rays Theme Team in MLB The Show 26

The Rays theme team fills all 26 playable roster slots — starting lineup, rotation, bullpen, and bench — using exclusively Rays-affiliated cards available in MLB The Show 26 Diamond Dynasty. Captain cards occupy legal active-roster positions and are designated separately. The remaining slots are optimized using position-specific base meta scores while respecting card eligibility and duplicate-player rules.

Top Rays cards in this roster include Liam Hicks (99 OVR, Red Diamond), Ben Williamson (99 OVR, Red Diamond), Ryan Vilade (99 OVR, Red Diamond). As new program cards and series are released throughout MLB The Show 26, this page automatically updates to reflect the best available options.

Use the "Edit in Builder" button to load this lineup into the Team Builder where you can swap cards, compare alternatives, and fine-tune your Rays squad. You can also browse all 30 theme teams to compare rosters across franchises.

Rays Theme Team FAQ

Who is the best Rays player in MLB The Show 26?

Based on overall rating, the top Rays card is Liam Hicks (99 OVR, Red Diamond). Check the position rankings to see how Rays players stack up league-wide.

How much does a Rays theme team cost?

The estimated community market cost is approximately 101.3K stubs based on current Buy Now prices. Costs vary as the market fluctuates and you may already own cards through programs or packs.

Are theme teams competitive in Diamond Dynasty ranked seasons?

Theme teams can absolutely compete in ranked play, especially for marquee franchises. The key is balancing position quality with the roster cost of activating both captain cards, which this optimizer enforces. Use the Team Builder to customize and fine-tune the roster for ranked play.

How do Rays captains work?

Each MLB team has two dedicated captain cards — one hitter and one pitcher. Captains provide attribute boosts to teammates on the same team. The Rays captains shown above are active roster cards: the hitter starts in the batting lineup, while the pitcher occupies the rotation or bullpen. They boost eligible Rays players across multiple tiers. Learn more on the Captains page.