Rays Officially Hit the Big Time

Yes, they have been in existence for 13 years, and yes, they have played in a World Series, but finally, the Tampa Bay Rays are officially big time. That's because they finally have a player who can be marketed on a national level.

The MLB 2K10 commercial, featuring Evan Longoria, finally started airing nationally, including on ESPN. Longo is one of MLB's bright young stars, and like Marc Topkin wrote about last July, his Q score is quickly going through the roof. Kids across the nation are identifying Evan with the Rays - which is huge. That means more merchandise, more nationally televised games, higher ratings, etc. At this rate, Longo could be heading toward Derek Jeter territory. This commercial is the first step. Take a look - it's pretty cool.