Leader Evan Longoria Evan Longoria is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays. Formerly, Longoria was a star infielder for the Long Beach State University baseball team, the2005 Cape Cod League MVP, and the 2006 Big West Co-Player of the Year. He made his major league debut for the Rays in 2008, and was named to the American League team for the 2008 MLB All Star Game. Longoria was also named the 2008 American League Rookie of the Year on November 10. He was also an All-American Wrestling Champion at Long Beach State University. In that 2008 season, Longoria batted .272 with 27 home runs and 85 RBI en route to leading the Rays to their first World Series appearance. His growth as a pro would only continue, as his batting average rose to .281 in 2009 and .294 in 2010. He's a former Silver Slugger Award winner, a three-time AL All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner and four-time Player of the Week (seems small compared to the others, but those are impressive too). Longoria is one of the best all-around players the game has to offer today and he's only 25 years old. Most guys in the clubhouse would agree that the biggest loss in Longoria was his "pop" in the lineup. He's said to be a stand-up guy and a natural-born leader; if he leads as well as he actually plays, I don't doubt that a bit. Once the Rays can get Longoria's quick reflexes and strong bat back into the lineup, you'll notice that there is no where for them to go but up. Felipe Lopez and Sean Rodriguez have been sharing the third base position since Longoria's injury, but they're batting .222 and .214, respectively. These numbers are clearly not that of Longoria. (From Tampa Bay Rays