Jayce Ray was the 2014 Pacific Association MVP and the first Stomper player to be signed to an affiliated minor league contract.
Bill Hoban/Sonoma Index-Tribune
Tim Livingston, Director of Media Relations & Broadcasting
After becoming the first former Stomper to be signed by a Major League organization on a minor league contract, Sonoma native and 2014 Pacific Association MVP Jayce Ray has his first assignment from the Boston Red Sox.
The 26-year-old outfielder will make his affiliated pro debut with the Greenville Drive, the organization’s Low-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League.
Ray had been spending the last few weeks at the team’s facility in Arizona playing in Extended Spring Training after bruising his hand near the end of Spring Training in March. He will now get an opportunity to show off his skills to the organization in his first shot at affiliated baseball.
Ray signed with the Red Sox on a minor league deal back in October of 2015 after a terrific season with the Wichita Wingnuts, a top team in the American Association where he helped lead the team to its second consecutive South Division championship and a 59-41 record.
In 402 plate appearances for the Wingnuts, Ray hit .310/.422/.383 with a homer, 35 RBI and 57 runs scored. For the second consecutive season, he had more walks than strikeouts (56/39 BB/K ratio) and also stole 17 bases in 26 attempts.
Wichita had won the American Association championship in 2014 and were looking to reload for 2015, which is why they reached out to Ray, who had just set the Pacific Association ablaze with a sensational season that made him an easy choice for league MVP.
He hit .355/.483/.543 for Sonoma that season with eight homers, 44 RBIs and 61 runs scored. He stole 21 bases in 26 attempts and was the best center fielder in the league defensively, as well.
Ray’s arrival in Greenville comes less than 24 hours after the news of Santos Saldivar signing with the Milwaukee Brewers, becoming the second player behind Ray in franchise history to sign a minor league affiliated contract.
The brand new Stompers website is up and running at StompersBaseball.com, where you can get all the latest news on the team, buy exclusive Stompers gear, and get your tickets for the 2016 season.
The Stompers will begin the 2016 campaign on May 31st when they hit the road to open the Pacific Association League season against the Vallejo Admirals in a three game series. The Stompers will open the home slate at Arnold Field on Tuesday June 7th also against the Vallejo Admirals in a three game set.
Tickets for the opening series, or any games this season are available on stompersbaseball.com. They are also available via our team shop located on 234 West Napa Street in Sonoma. if you have any questions email us at jack@stompersbaseball.com, or by phone at (707) 938-7277.