Rays' Jonny DeLuca makes his mark as a good player and as a ‘goofball'

Of all the Rays, injured starter Ryan Pepiot knows Jonny DeLuca the best, going back to being together in the Dodgers' 2019 draft class.

So why not let him describe the Rays' multi-talented, intriguing, eclectic and occasionally entertaining outfielder:

"He's well-rounded. He's just a good teammate. And he's a goofball."

The first two are kind, and somewhat common, compliments around a clubhouse.

But "a goofball?"

Do tell.

"One of the goofiest things was last year in New York, Jonny shows up wearing these super baggy pants. Super wide linen pants. And like a sweater material sleeveless shirt. And whatever shoes he was wearing," Pepiot detailed, excitedly. "Then Yandy (Diaz, their hulking DH) rolls up in one of his Psycho Bunny T-shirts and some bedazzled jeans or something like that. And they switched outfits.

"(Manager Kevin) Cash walks in and he's like, ‘This is the big leagues. What are we doing?' So we're teasing the both of them, and they're walking around the locker room like that. It was really funny."

Off the field, DeLuca typically plays more the part of the laidback Southern Californian that he grew up as, with the fitting spare-time activities: skateboarding, surfing, snorkeling, biking, golfing, guitar playing and knitting (which he demonstrated on camera for a 2024 Rays All Access show while sitting on the beach).

"The look with the little mustache and the hair and the earrings and everything, he is what he is," Pepiot said. "He's a true California surfer boy."

DeLuca tries to maintain that vibe working on the west coast of Florida, living on St. Pete Beach, spending free mornings sipping coffee, soaking up the sun and jumping in the bay.

Actually, DeLuca said, he mostly leads "a boring-ish" lifestyle, designed through his workouts and nutrition to stay as strong, healthy and feeling good as possible, which he and the Rays attribute to his success so far this season.

For example, DeLuca has been trying to be strict with his diet.

"There's not a name for it, and it's not really anything specific," he said. "It's just that I'm trying to eat one-ingredient foods. Basically, the more processed something is, the more ingredients are going to be in it.

"If I can stick to just, like, ‘this is organic and grass-fed and there's only one ingredient,' then that's usually good. I'm kind of staying away from gluten and dairy. But besides that, anything goes, as long as it's whole food."

You might see him at a local Sprouts store buying milk, water with electrolytes and eggs, but he mostly eats at the Trop or out when the team is on the road, specific and somewhat boring in his order - chicken or beef, with rice and potatoes.

"It's usually the same thing every day," DeLuca said. "I'll mix some fruit in there, try to stay away from other sugary stuff."

His idea is to stick with the plan for a year and reassess, given that he has missed time over his three big-league seasons with muscle strains. He was limited to 20 games last season due to right shoulder and left hamstring issues.

So far, it's worked. DeLuca has felt good, been pleased with measurable data such as sprint speed and swing velocity - "more of the stuff I'm in control of," he said - and played well when given the chance.

In starting 13 of the Rays' first 28 games, he hit .283 with two homers, 13 RBIs and a .784 OPS.

"He's a very good player, and he's just been beat up or nicked up with injuries over the last year, last couple seasons," Cash said. "He just hasn't had the consistency to show how good he is. I'm thrilled that he is healthy right now, because he can really help us on both sides of the ball."

As a right-handed hitter sharing time with lefties in centerfield (Cedric Mullins) and rightfield (Jake Fraley), DeLuca typically is going to get fewer opportunities based on pitching matchups.

But with Mullins struggling (hitting .138 with a .453 OPS) and Fraley doing just OK (.245, .775, four RBIs), DeLuca could, and probably should, be in line for more playing time.

The key so far this season, Cash said, has been "consistency with being healthy and being able to be on the field. He's posting right now, playing great defense, getting some big hits for us. I think he's playing with some confidence that he knows he's healthy."

What stands out is DeLuca's broad skill set at the plate. He has the power to hit a 438-foot homer and also the ability to bunt for a hit, the mentality to deliver in key situations (3-for-6 as a pinch-hitter, three score-tying RBIs), the speed to beat out infield hits (four) and steal bases (two).

"A very versatile player in the batter's box," Cash said.

The Rays are even more pleased with DeLuca's defense.

"He's super efficient. … His routes are great. He covers a lot of ground," Cash said. "And he's got a cannon for an arm."

DeLuca said the goal is to be an all-around player.

"I don't want to get caught up in, like, ‘I hit a homer, now I'm a power hitter,' or ‘I made a sick play on defense,'" he said. "I take pride in doing the little things good."

Pepiot obviously enjoys seeing his friend do well. And he really likes seeing how he interacts with the other Rays.

"He's someone you want on your team, you want in your clubhouse," Pepiot said. "He's going to keep it light when we're having a rough time, and when we're playing well, it's even more fun. He's just going to go out there, and he's going to run through the wall for you. As a pitcher, you love everything - he's going to give you full effort. And he's going to make stuff happen at the plate - he can hit for power, he can bunt, he understands the situation.

"He's smart. He might put off the California surfer boy vibe, but there's some more to it. … He's also a gamer. And those are the kinds of guys you want around."

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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 3:58 PM.