Marco Raya

Marco Raya
Raya with the St. Paul Saints in 2025
Minnesota Twins – No. 54
Pitcher
Born: (2002-08-07) August 7, 2002 (age 24)
Laredo, Texas, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
June 27, 2026, for the Minnesota Twins
MLB statistics
(through 2026 season)
Win–loss record0–0
Earned run average3.00
Strikeouts4
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams

Marco Antonio Raya (born August 7, 2002) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He debuted in MLB in 2026.

Amateur career

Raya attended United South High School in Laredo, Texas, where he played baseball. He committed to play college baseball at Texas Tech.

Professional career

The Minnesota Twins selected Raya in the fourth round with the 128th overall selection of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the team for $410,000.

Raya did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and did not play in 2021 due to lingering shoulder issues. Raya made his professional debut in 2022 with the Single-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. He missed a brief period during the season after getting his wisdom teeth removed. Over 19 games (17 starts) with Fort Myers, he went 3–2 with a 3.05 ERA and 76 strikeouts over 65 innings. Raya opened the 2023 season with the High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels and was promoted to the Double-A Wichita Wind Surge in early July. Over 22 starts between the two teams, Raya went 0–4 with a 4.02 ERA and 65 strikeouts over 62+2⁄3 innings.

Raya split 2024 between Wichita and the Triple-A St. Paul Saints, compiling a 3–4 record and 4.05 ERA with 103 strikeouts across 97+2⁄3 innings pitched. Following the season, the Twins added Raya to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He was assigned back to St. Paul for the 2025 season. Over 30 games (20 starts), Raya went 2–8 with a 6.02 ERA and 102 strikeouts over 98+2⁄3 innings.

Raya was optioned to St. Paul to begin the 2026 season. He began pitching as a reliever after being a starting pitcher in past seasons, posting a 4–4 record and 5.54 ERA with 39 strikeouts across his first 25 appearances prior to his first MLB promotion.

On June 24, 2026, Raya was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his MLB debut on June 27 versus the Colorado Rockies and pitched two innings in relief in which he gave up two runs across two hits, two walks, and one strikeout in an 8-5 Twins loss. On July 8, the Twins placed Raya on the injured list with right shoulder impingement. He was activated on July 25 and subsequently optioned to St. Paul. Raya played the remainder of the season with St. Paul, ending the season with a 5–5 record, a 5.32 ERA, and 73 strikeouts over 64+1⁄3 innings. With the Twins, he had a 3.00 ERA and four strikeouts across six innings pitched.

References

  1. ↑ Lott, By Thomas (January 9, 2022). "Mark Raya is writing his own story". Laredo Morning Times.
  2. ↑ Jackson, By Chris (November 14, 2019). "Raya signs with Texas Tech". Laredo Morning Times.
  3. ↑ "Twins sign 2020 Draft picks Soularie, Raya". MLB.com.
  4. ↑ "Twins sign draft choices Alerick Soularie and Marco Raya". Star Tribune. June 19, 2020.
  5. ↑ Gleeman, Aaron (June 24, 2022). "Twins midseason top prospect update: 7 first-half breakouts and what they mean". The Athletic.
  6. ↑ "Former United South pitcher finds early pro success". June 2, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Twins' Marco Raya: Wisdom teeth removed". April 21, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Marco Raya Stats, Fantasy & News".
  9. ↑ "Twins 20-year-old pitching prospect Raya promoted to Double-A". July 6, 2023.
  10. ↑ Tribune, Bobby Nightengale Star (September 19, 2023). "How did the Twins' top 10 minor-league prospects do this season?". Star Tribune.
  11. ↑ "Twins Select Marco Raya, Travis Adams". mlbtraderumors.com. November 19, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Twins make first cuts of camp, fall to Orioles in spring training action. Saturday". si.com. March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  13. ↑ Hayes, Dan (November 19, 2025). "Twins trade for reliever Eric Orze, add Connor Prielipp, five others to 40-man roster". The New York Times. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Plethora of Twins' top prospects among roster cuts". mlb.com. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
  15. ↑ Hayes, Dan (March 6, 2026). "Twins hope veteran relievers pave way for young arms moving to bullpen". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Twins Designate Austin Voth For Assignment, Recall Marco Rays For MLB Debut". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  17. ↑ Wilhorn, Cam (June 28, 2026). "Laredo's Marco Raya makes MLB debut". Laredo Morning Times. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Twins activate and option Marco Raya to Triple-A". NBC Sports. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Marco Raya Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 15, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Marco Raya Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. Retrieved October 15, 2026.