Two weeks after hearing his name called with the No. 2 overall pick in the MLB Draft, Emerson is already settling into life with the Rays - and he’s not trying to hide how badly he wants the next step.
The 18-year-old shortstop from Texas officially signed his record-breaking $9.75 million deal with Tampa Bay on Wednesday, then got to work at the club’s Spring Training facility in Port Charlotte, Fla. By Saturday, he was back at Tropicana Field with his family, taking in a full day around the Rays before and during their game against the Guardians.
“It’s been a lot, I’ll say that, but I’ve enjoyed every moment of it,” Emerson said in the Rays’ dugout Saturday afternoon. “Getting to the complex for a couple days, starting that journey and meeting everybody, it’s been everything I could have imagined. I’m super blessed.”
The visit had a little bit of everything. Emerson was there with his parents, Brandon and Deanna, and his 12-year-old brother Maddox.
The Rays welcomed the family into the experience, introducing them to managing partner Patrick Zalupski, chief executive officer Ken Babby, manager Kevin Cash and several players and coaches during batting practice. Emerson, wearing a No.
2 Rays jersey with his name on it, also threw out a ceremonial first pitch to outfielder Jonny DeLuca.
Cash even pulled Emerson out of the dugout at one point so he could watch Junior Caminero take batting practice near the cage. Caminero also made sure Maddox got a memorable moment of his own, signing the No. 13 Caminero shirt and Devil Rays cap he was wearing before posing for pictures.
“Excited for us. Excited for him [and] all the guys that worked so hard that we were able to get a guy that we really think is going to be a good player,” Cash said.
Emerson’s rise has moved fast. Two weeks ago, he was inside Marty B’s restaurant in Bartonville, Texas, when the Rays took him with the No. 2 pick.
That same weekend, he got a FaceTime call from franchise icon Evan Longoria congratulating him on joining the organization. Two days later, he was on a flight to New York to be recognized at the 2026 ESPY Awards as Gatorade’s top high school male athlete of the year.
Now he’s in the middle of the next phase, working at Tampa Bay’s complex and getting acquainted with the people he hopes to be around for a long time. He may even get a late-season look with Single-A Charleston, just as the Rays gave Theo Gillen a cameo in 2024 after selecting him out of a Texas high school. Gillen is now Tampa Bay’s top-ranked prospect.
Emerson has already made clear that he wants to move quickly. On draft night, he said his goal is to debut at 20 years old, which would mean the 2028 season. But he said the focus is less about any one tool and more about how he handles the grind.
“Obviously, baseball is a kids’ game, and I’m very blessed to play that at a very high level now,” he said. “So it’s just being able to trust the process, know that there’s going to be failures and rely on the people around me to help get there.”
The Rays are not putting a timetable on him, and amateur scouting director Chuck Ricci said after Day 1 of the Draft, “I think he’ll be up here when he’s ready.”
Emerson, though, isn’t backing away from the big target.
“I think that’s what you should do if you’re a high-level player and you want a lot out of yourself. I think the expectations are there,” he said. “Now, obviously, sometimes things don’t work out the way you wanted to, but at the end of the day, it’s just setting those expectations high, chasing them day in and day out, making sure you’re doing everything you can.”
For now, he’s still in the early stages, working out, practicing and learning the organization. But the part he’s waiting for most is obvious.
“I’ve been dying to get there. I haven’t played since May, and I’m like, ‘Man, I’ve been itching,’” Emerson said, smiling.
“They’re doing a good job keeping me slow, making sure I’m taking the right steps and not trying to rush into things. But yeah, I’ve been itching to get out there.”
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