Margot ready to take another leap with Rays

When he returned home after the World Series, Manuel Margot found himself in conversations about one topic more often than anything else. He heard so much, from so many people, about his leaping, crashing, flipping catch in right field in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series against the Astros in October. Whether it was sent to him through text messages or social media, he figured he has probably seen the replay 20 times.

“And every single time,” Margot said, “I ask myself, 'How did I make that catch?'”

Margot’s catch is one of many highlights from the Rays’ run to the World Series that will live forever in franchise history. His tumble over the right-field railing at Petco Park is fittingly immortalized on the cover of Tampa Bay’s 2021 Media Guide with other unforgettable moments from last October: Randy Arozarena holding the ALCS MVP Award trophy above his head, Brett Phillips’ airplane celebration, Mike Brosseau pumping his fist after his homer in Game 5 of the AL Division Series off Yankees reliever Aroldis Chapman and the team hoisting the AL championship trophy.

The catch was the high point of an excellent postseason for Margot, who hit .276/.344/.552 with five homers and 11 RBIs in the playoffs. It was, as the versatile outfielder said through interpreter Manny Navarro, a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.” And it was an uplifting ending to a trying year personally.

Last February, Margot had to uproot his career after being traded from San Diego to Tampa Bay. In his first Spring Training with the Rays, he and his family were in a rental car that caught fire and exploded after a bystander pulled them to safety. And in August, he lost his father, Emmanuel, after a bout with COVID-19.

“Hopefully we kind of put our arms around him at the right time when he needed it, and I think he appreciated that,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “And that does make him, you would think, more comfortable coming in knowing his surroundings, knowing how much people care about him.”

“I just can't imagine what he went through, but for him to be resilient and go out there and play the game that he loves to do and, I'm sure, play for his dad and just have that mindset of going out there just playing and being with his teammates, I think, helped a lot,” Rays outfielder Austin Meadows added. “Mad respect to him to be able to just go out and play, and obviously he was really resilient in doing so.”

Margot said he is clearly more comfortable entering his second season with Tampa Bay. He bonded with shortstop Willy Adames as roommates while baseball was shut down last year, cooking meals and trading haircut duties when they couldn’t go out. He was the first player to reach out to right-hander Luis Patiño when the Rays acquired him from the Padres in the Blake Snell trade. Patiño said earlier in Spring Training that Margot wrote him a note soon after the deal went down, praising Tampa Bay's organization and telling the prospect “how good it’s going to be here.”

“I think this year, now that I've got one year under my belt with my teammates, I feel a lot more comfortable talking to [them],” Margot said. “I have more confidence in just being around my team, and I think that's been the plus about from last year to this year.”

Margot is less worried about trying to prove himself to a new front office and coaching staff. And he’s off to a good start this spring, spraying line drives all over the field as he has gone 5-for-12 with two doubles and two RBIs. Cash said hitting coach Chad Mottola was “thrilled” with the way Margot came into camp, and Margot's additional level of comfort with the organization and coaching staff could prove beneficial as they continue to work with him.

Margot hit .269/.327/.352 in 47 games last season, good for a 91 OPS+ that matched the best mark of his career. He adds value in the outfield, whether he’s spelling Kevin Kiermaier in center or playing alongside him with a center fielder’s range in a corner spot. And Margot showed in October that he can catch fire and become a more dangerous hitter than he was during the regular season.

“It's one thing to build a relationship of having a conversation and enjoying yourself. I think it takes a little bit more time to build the relationship where there is trust in the messages of trying to help a player get better,” Cash said. “We can be as welcoming and embracing to all the guys, but there's an added layer when you're talking about trying to impact somebody's career positively. And that took a little while. … He likes being here, and we really like having him because he's a good player.”

Margot said he gained a great deal of experience during the Rays’ postseason run. He also went home with greater hunger and enthusiasm to win it all this year. And, yes, he went home with a highlight he likely won’t stop hearing about anytime soon -- even from those who were there to witness it.

“I couldn't even see him, and I'm like, 'I don't know what happened.' And all of a sudden, he's laying on the ground in the concourse almost and he had the ball,” Meadows said. “The things he can do out there in the outfield, it's really impressive. So we're glad to have him on our side."