BASEBALL IS BACK…sort of
The Tampa Bay Rays are set to play their first game of the Grapefruit League as they’ll take on the Atlanta Braves at Charlotte Sports Park.
Taking the mound for Tampa Bay is T.J. Nichols, who had a breakout season in 2026 and emerged as one of the Rays top pitching prospects. The 23-year old has been ranked as the Rays 5th best prospect entering the season by Baseball America.
Meanwhile, this how the Rays will lineup:
1. Jacob Melton, LF
2. Junior Caminero, 3B
3. Carson Williams, SS
4. Jonathan Aranda, 1B
5. Richie Palacios, 2B
6. Nick Fortes, C
7. Jonny DeLuca, CF
8. Dominic Keegan, DH
9. Ryan Vilade, RF
The lineup features a pair of the Rays All-Stars from 2025, Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda, both of whom will be leaving the Rays shortly to participate in the World Baseball Classic. Also suiting up for the Rays are two of the team’s top prospects as Jacob Melton will lead off and Carson Williams bats third. Dominic Keegan, who was added to the 40-man roster in November and is one of the team’s top catching prospects, also gets a start.
First pitch is slated for 1:05 and can be seen live for free on MLB.tv