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Rays fourth-round pick Tanner Murray was a walk-on at UC Davis

The shortstop became a staple in the lineup and led his team in nearly every offensive category in 2019.
 
Tanner Murray was a fourth-round pick of the Rays, 125th overall, Thursday in the MLB draft.
Tanner Murray was a fourth-round pick of the Rays, 125th overall, Thursday in the MLB draft. [ TOMAS OVALLE | Associated Press (2019) ]
Published June 12, 2020|Updated June 12, 2020

Tanner Murray’s baseball journey was far from conventional. He was a walk-on at UC Davis before eventually becoming a staple in the Aggies’ lineup.

Now a 20-year-old junior, he was a fourth-round pick of the Rays, 125th overall, Thursday in the MLB draft.

According to the MLB’s Draft Tracker, “Murray has built a reputation for making a ton of contact with excellent plate discipline and terrific hand-eye coordination.”

The Draft Tracker noted that his swing lacks power behind the ball because of his leverage and bat speed.

But “some scouts feel he has a chance to be a very good shortstop defensively.”

As a sophomore, Murray led his team in nearly every offensive category, including runs (37), hits (71), RBIs (31), doubles (16), triples (4) and slugging percentage (.503). He was selected to the All-Big West Conference’s First Team.

As a freshman, Murray was named to the Big West Freshman Field Players of the Year.

Murray stands at 6-feet-2 and weighs 190 pounds.

“Tanner’s ready,” UC Davis coach Matt Vaughn told the Santa Cruz Sentinel’s Jim Seimas. “He’s poised for that next step. And if he gets drafted, I’ll be excited to see him go.”

Contact Mari Faiello at mfaiello@tampabay.com. Follow @faiello_mari.