Kevin Cash

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Lore & Background

Cash began his journey with Northside Little League in Tampa, reaching the 1989 World Series as a second baseman. After initially failing to make the Gaither High School team, he played college baseball for Florida State under Mike Martin, where he started 148 games and posted a .923 OPS. On February 26, 1998, he participated in the first-ever Tampa Bay Devil Rays exhibition game against his own team. He earned second-team All-American honors as a catcher in 1999 after leading Florida State to a second-place finish in the College World Series. That summer, he played for the Falmouth Commodores, volunteering as a catcher and earning league All-Star and team MVP honors.

In Their Own Story

Cash's professional path began in August 1999 when he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as an undrafted free agent. Initially playing third base in college, he was told to learn catching immediately. He started his career with the Hagerstown Suns, hitting .245 with 10 home runs in 59 games. In 2001, while with the Dunedin Blue Jays, his presence behind the plate forced Jayson Werth to move to the outfield. Cash reached the majors in September 2002, collecting his first hit on September 11. His tenure included a trade to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Chad Gaudin on December 12, 2004. He later returned to Boston as a backup catcher, acting as the personal catcher for Tim Wakefield and hitting a home run in his only postseason start in Game Four of the Championship Series.

Reader's Guide

Cash's managerial career started after he was hired by the Tampa Bay Rays on December 5, 2014, succeeding Joe Maddon. His first season in 2015 saw him issue 54 replay challenges with a 31.5% success rate, though he improved to a 59.2% overturn rate by 2016. In July 2017, Cash fractured his ankle while running but managed the game that day and remained with the team despite a 12-win improvement over the previous season. He entered the 2024 season as the longest-tenured manager in MLB. His tenure includes leading the Rays to AL Manager of the Year honors in 2020 and 2021, establishing him as a pivotal figure in franchise history.

Did You Know?

• Cash participated in the first-ever Tampa Bay Devil Rays game on February 26, 1998, playing for his college team against the franchise.
• He was one of three catchers on the Boston Red Sox postseason roster in 2007 and hit a home run in his only playoff start.
• In 2015, Cash had more replay challenges (54) than any other MLB manager but held the lowest success rate at 31.5%.
• Cash fractured his ankle on July 2, 2017, yet managed the game that day and stayed with the team for the rest of the season.
• He is the first American League manager to win Manager of the Year awards consecutively (2020 and 2021).