John Romano: A 'crucial' time for Jonny DeLuca in his first shot at a starting job

John Romano, Tampa Bay Times on Mar 2, 2025

Published in Baseball

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — He is neither a phenom nor an established hitter. He is not a new face and not a darling of the preseason hype. He is not a kid anymore, and he hasn’t yet scored the big contract.

He is, simply, hope.

Hope that the Tampa Bay Rays have less volatility and more consistency in center field. Hope that he is the rare player drafted in the 25th round or later who evolves into a solid major-league hitter. Hope that the combination of power/speed he displayed in the minors was more promise than tease.

Hope that this is just the beginning for Jonny DeLuca.

It isn’t often that a guy who hits .217 with a .609 OPS is rewarded a year later with a spot in the starting lineup. That’s how much the Rays wanted to move on from Jose Siri’s playground approach to being a big-leaguer. And that’s how much the Rays believe in DeLuca’s athleticism and growth as a player.

At age 26, this isn’t exactly make-or-break territory for DeLuca, but he recognizes these opportunities can be rare in an unforgiving game.

“Yeah, I am still young, but this is a very crucial year for me in terms of being able to go out in center and play consistently and have consistent at-bats in the big leagues,” DeLuca said. “Not many guys have the opportunity to do that. That’s why I’m grinding right now, getting everything out in spring training so that I feel confident and ready for the season and so I can be a consistent everyday big-leaguer for the near future.”

Grinding is one way to describe it. Putting in overtime is another.

On a recent spring morning, the Rays had finished their official workout for the day, and players returned to the clubhouse to either get ready for an afternoon exhibition game or to shower and head out if they weren’t scheduled to play. DeLuca, instead, headed into the batting cages, where he spent another hour refining his swing.

It was much like his offseason, when he went home to California and spent time with hitting instructor Doug Latta and worked out with former National League MVP Christian Yelich.

The work ethic and drive to improve have been as much a part of DeLuca’s evolution as the speed and athleticism that got him his chance in pro ball. DeLuca did not exactly tear up the Pac-12 during his time at Oregon. He hit .226 with 11 homers in 429 career at-bats in college. The Dodgers took a flyer on him in the 25th round of the 2019 draft, and DeLuca did not disappoint.

He moved quickly through the farm system, hitting .271 across four different levels while averaging a home run every 17.6 at-bats. That wasn’t going to get him on any top 100 lists of prospects, but it was enough to catch Tampa Bay’s attention.

“You look back at Jonny’s progression as a player from high school to Oregon and Oregon to pro, and he’s consistently gotten better,” said Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander. “Even as the competition has gotten tougher, he has found a way to get better at a faster rate than a lot of the guys around him.

“You look back at his numbers at Oregon and then the way he went through the Dodgers system, and he gained steam as the competition picked up. That’s a testament to the kind of athlete he is and having the makeup, or just a really balanced, durable mentality, to suffer through challenges and disappointments. It’s that athleticism and mentality that allows him to keep showing up and finding ways to get better.”

That was evident during his debut season with the Rays in 2024 after coming over with Ryan Pepiot in the Tyler Glasnow trade. A broken hand in spring training delayed the start of his season, and DeLuca struggled to find his rhythm in the season’s first half.

He was hitting .169 in late July, when the Rays traded Randy Arozarena to Seattle and opened a pathway for DeLuca in leftfield. From that point, he hit .265 with three homers and nine stolen bases in his final 166 at-bats while providing Gold Glove-adjacent defense in the outfield.

“When we acquired him we thought he was a really good defender, and I think he proved that and then some,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Offensively, I don’t want to make excuses for him, but he got a little derailed with the injury, some inconsistent playing time.

“I’d like to think with some more consistent reps you’re probably going to see a little more consistent offensive player who can be productive — not necessarily small ball — but move the ball a little more and letting his legs play a role for the offense.”

He arrived in pro ball as more of an athlete, he’s evolved into more of a ballplayer, and today he is part of Tampa Bay’s hopes for 2025.

“I don’t have any statistically centered goals in mind,” DeLuca said. “I know I’ve got 15-20 homers in the tank, because I’ve done that before in the minors. But more than numbers, I just want to be consistent every single day. That’s my expectation.”

____