Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca keeps identity 'rooted in Jesus'

Jonny DeLuca helps Tampa Bay Rays extend World Series, keeps identity ‘rooted in Jesus’

By Cole Claybourn Oct 28, 2026

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca connects for an RBI single in the 12th inning of Game 4, Oct. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Center fielder Jonny DeLuca said last week he hopes the World Series provides a platform for people to see God through how he plays. Thanks in large part to his game-tying base hit in the bottom of the 12th inning of Game 4 on Tuesday, he and the Tampa Bay Rays will have at least one more game to do just that.

Shortly after DeLuca’s RBI single, Ben Williamson chopped a base hit into right field with the bases loaded, scoring Nick Fortes and helping the Rays come back to beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-3, and stave off elimination. Milwaukee leads the series, 3-1.

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After both bullpens hung zeroes for six straight innings, Milwaukee shortstop Cooper Pratt hit a solo home run in the top of the 12th inning to break the deadlock and give the Brewers a 3-2 lead, putting them just three outs away from a sweep and the franchise’s first-ever World Series win. Instead, the two teams will meet Wednesday night for Game 5 again in Tampa as the Rays stay in pursuit of their first World Series title.

“Today, we’ve just been playing so free,” DeLuca told reporters after the game. “Go out there, there’s really nothing to lose. So go out there, balls to the wall and compete. … It’s a special opportunity that we have. We’re going to take it one day at a time and be in the moment.”

JONNY DELUCA TIES THE GAME IN THE 12TH! pic.twitter.com/Urc9nwUt67

— MLB (@MLB) October 28, 2026

With the win, Tampa Bay became just the fifth of 26 teams that fell behind 3-0 in the World Series to win Game 4. The Rays also ended an eight-game winning streak by the Brewers, who were looking to become just the second team to sweep a League Championship Series and the World Series.

DeLuca was just 2-for-11 at the plate in the World Series heading into Game 4, and he had just the one hit in five at-bats Tuesday night. But he made it count. While the bat hasn’t been as hot, he’s played solid defense throughout the series for the Rays.

DeLuca is in his fourth major league season and third with the Rays after playing his rookie year with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 27-year-old batted .266 with 11 home runs, 50 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in a career-high 112 regular-season games this year. He collected four hits, drove in three runs and stole a base against the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series.

Through it all, he’s been guided by God.

“It’s a blessing to be here and I owe it all to Him,” DeLuca told CBN Sports before the World Series started. “I’m trying to give glory to Him as I play. It’s been a foundational part, having my identity be rooted in Jesus. This baseball game is super fun and it’s rewarding, but it’s a very bad god and it’s going to disappoint you every time. So being able to put my faith and trust in Jesus, it gives me a lot of peace. I’m just very blessed and thankful.”

He recently told Travel Chapel that he accepted Christ at age 11, but it took him a while to fully grasp everything about the Christian faith. At age 16, he suffered a serious injury playing baseball and had to have part of his kidney removed. That was a pivotal moment for him to realize that anything can happen and he’s not in control of his life.

Now, his faith “means everything” to him.

“Growing up in a Christian home, being able to go to church and worship God at an early age has been foundational for me,” he told CBN Sports. “Having pastors and teachers and people pouring into my life, praying for me, encouraging me, has been so huge. And obviously that’s the biggest part of my life.”

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No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a World Series, but the Rays will look to keep their hopes alive with a Game 5 win to continue that pursuit.

For DeLuca, winning a World Series would be an incredible accomplishment. Getting the chance to play Major League Baseball and compete on the sport’s biggest stage was always something he dreamed of, just like virtually any other baseball player. But even reaching that pinnacle doesn’t guarantee the fulfillment he once expected.

“There’s still an emptiness of like, ‘Oh, this is it. There should have been more,'” he told Travel Chapel. “So you’re kind of expecting more there. And that’s a perfect lead-in to that Christ will fully satisfy you.”

DeLuca said that doesn’t mean he wants to stop working hard or making the most of the opportunities God has given him. Rather, his faith reminds him that his ultimate hope isn’t tied to what he can accomplish on a baseball field.

“Obviously, you want to work hard and you want to use what the Lord has given you,” he told Travel Chapel. “But at the same time, the Gospel is completely contrary to that in that the work has been done on the cross, and now we get to have the blessing of receiving Christ in our life and the blessing of not necessarily living an easy life, but having the hope of eternal life with Jesus.”

First pitch for Wednesday’s Game 5 is set for 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field, with the game being broadcast on Fox.

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Tampa Bay Rays ace Drew Rasmussen enters World Series knowing God gives ‘everlasting joy’

By Cole Claybourn Oct 22, 2026

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen, Oct. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

It’s fitting that pitcher Drew Rasmussen will start at some point for the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. After the season and postseason he’s had, he’s become Tampa’s ace. But for him, the reasons for why this is so meaningful go far deeper than just baseball.

He credits his strong faith in God for enduring the arduous, injury-riddled, somewhat roundabout journey between both organizations.

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The Rays drafted him in the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of Oregon State, but he failed his physical and never signed. He suffered an elbow injury in 2016 that required Tommy John surgery, but returned in 2017 to pitch in eight games and make four starts.

That was enough to convince the Rays to select him, but a subsequent physical revealed that his elbow wasn’t quite fully healthy. Instead of starting his pro career, he needed another Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in September 2017. He missed the entire 2018 season while rehabbing and didn’t have a chance to pitch again to help his draft stock.

“I would say 2017 was when it really hit me that everything the world promises to you is temporary. It’s fleeting,” Rasmussen said recently in a video with Travel Chapel. “There’s no long-term joy. When you lean on the things of this earth, you’re just going to find empty promises. They might bring you momentary happiness, but it’s not everlasting joy.”

He was crushed when he had to go back to school, but the next two years allowed him to mature in his faith.

Even though he grew up going to church and youth group every week, he wouldn’t have considered himself a “man of faith” or someone “searching after God” when he arrived at Oregon State. One of the campus leaders for Fellowship of Christian Athletes started pouring into Rasmussen regularly during his freshman year, inviting him to his house and other events, but Rasmussen said he doesn’t remember taking him up on an offer even one time.

But during his sophomore year, Rasmussen got more curious about God and started digging into the Bible at the “ground level.” Then the first injury came.

“I do think God does a lot of His best work in your life when things are going poorly,” Rasmussen told Travel Chapel.

That injury and the second elbow surgery, along with the disappointment about not being able to make the jump to the pros, is what led him to dive even deeper into his faith.

Despite the injury and time away from the mound, the Brewers drafted Rasmussen in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. He returned to the mound and spent all of 2019 in the minor leagues. He then made his MLB debut in August 2020 during the COVID-shortened season, appearing in 12 games and posting a 5.87 ERA with 21 strikeouts across 15.1 innings pitched.

He started the 2021 season in the bullpen, but the Brewers traded him to the Rays in May 2021. It was disorienting for both him and his wife, Stevie, whom he married in 2020. The Brewers were all they knew in pro ball, and they loved the people in the organization.

“It’s funny looking back on things. What can seem so hard in a moment, God is actually using for something significantly better,” Rasmussen said.

He’s since found a home with the Rays. He’s been selected to the American League All-Star team the last two seasons, and this year he’s been Tampa Bay’s ace all year long. He led the team with 16 wins and 174 strikeouts in the regular season — both career highs — and posted a 2.67 ERA. In the postseason, he leads the team with 21.0 innings pitched and 23 strikeouts to go with two wins and a 1.29 ERA. He won’t pitch Game 1, but will be plenty rested for Game 2 or 3.

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But baseball aside, he’s also felt at home in the clubhouse and has connected deeply with team chaplains and his teammates.

“The guys in the clubhouse were exactly what I needed, and God knew He had to put me in the Tampa Bay organization to be surrounded by guys like Ryan Thompson, Jalen Beeks, the year later Jason Adam,” Rasmussen told Travel Chapel. “These are all great men of faith and people I aspire to be like. Although they’re teammates, they’re friends. They’re further on in their walk than I am, so He’s put me in a place where I’ve had great role models and people that are living out their faith on a daily basis.

“He took something my wife and I thought was so negative and He’s turned it into the biggest blessing and the biggest positive in our lives.”

Rasmussen pitched well in 2022 and was off to a good start in 2023 until an elbow injury required him to undergo an internal brace procedure, which ended his season after just eight starts. Before that, he could tell he was starting to “drift” spiritually. The forced slowdown of recovering from surgery allowed him and Stevie to grow even stronger in their faith.

“I think God truly used that time to just say, ‘Hey, look, I’m always here,'” Rasmussen said. “I’m not perfect. I’m nowhere near it. Thank God, because He’s accepting, and the gift of salvation is something I don’t deserve. As I started to drift, I think He put some guardrails in my life, and I think He’s done it two or three other times.”

Stevie even got baptized while he was rehabbing.

“Seeing her evolve is also one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen,” he said. “Being here in Tampa has been unbelievable. And just the people we’ve been surrounded by here, it truly has been amazing. It’s been a blessing. Compared to the miracles of the Bible, I don’t know if you could call it that, but it’s a miracle for Stevie and I.”

Rasmussen and the Rays are on the road to start the World Series. Game 1 is set for 8 p.m. ET Friday on Fox.

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Savannah Bananas players host Sandlot Revival worship nights to use platform for Christ

By Jon Ackerman Oct 14, 2026

Coach RAC speaks at a Sandlot Revival night in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 18, 2026. (Photo courtesy of SandlotRevival.org)

The inaugural Banana Bowl championship wrapped up on Saturday, the culminating matchup for the 2026 Banana Ball Championship League. The Savannah Bananas — whose fans-first, entertaining style of play spawned its own league — were in the game, but lost to the Texas Tailgaters, 2-1, in front of 41,000 people at Nationals Park, home of the MLB’s Washington Nationals.

That fact — that the league’s flagship team didn’t win the championship — is the biggest differentiator between this baseball phenomenon and the Harlem Globetrotters, the longtime basketball entertainers so many critics compare the Bananas to. Globetrotters games are scripted for Harlem to win; Bananas games are not scripted — aside from the singing and dancing — and feature actual competition.

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And Banana Ball is continuing its rise. The Bananas first began this style of play by playing against the Party Animals in 2023, then the Firefighters joined Banana Ball in 2024, followed by the Tailgaters in 2025. This year, the Loco Beach Coconuts and Indianapolis Clowns joined the league.

The largest crowd in Banana Ball history — 102,000 — took place May 2 at Kyle Field, the football stadium on the campus of Texas A&M. And just a couple weeks later they played in front of 101,000 at Neyland Stadium, home of Tennessee football. Banana Ball games were also played this year in NFL stadiums and the most iconic MLB venues. In all, the Bananas visited 21 cities — including their home in Savannah, Georgia — and all six teams played 64 games apiece in 2026. The league will announce its 2027 cities on Thursday.

21 cities. 64 games. Infinite memories. What. A. Season. 💛

To every one of you that showed up, sang along, danced with us, and made us feel so at home in cities across the country, thank you. You're the reason we get to do what we love and you made this season one we'll never… pic.twitter.com/MflZ2Dt09C

— Savannah Bananas (@TheSavBananas) October 12, 2026

But what’s happening on the field isn’t as eternally significant as what’s taking place off the field. While the massive popularity of the Bananas and their competitors is bringing newfound fame to many of the players, a large number of those guys are using their platforms to glorify God.

As the teams toured through the U.S. in the summer of 2024, a group of Christ-followers began meeting for weekly Bible study. What started with five or six guys sitting in a coffee shop grew to 40 or 50 people meeting in someone’s house. Then God planted the idea of public worship nights outside Grayson Stadium in Savannah, so, led by left fielder RobertAnthony Cruz, they held three nights of worship open to anyone.

That left Cruz — better known as Coach RAC — with a desire to take the worship nights on the road. So this summer, he and a college friend, Mehki Key, launched Sandlot Revival. It’s not affiliated with the Bananas, but is driven by Cruz and some teammates.

“Last year, I feel like God put it on some of our hearts to start hosting public worship nights in addition to our team Bible study that we do behind the scenes,” RAC told Sports Spectrum during the team’s stop in Denver in August. “So we had two worship nights during the summer last year, and then we ended up having one in the fall.

“And this year, God just opened some doors, and a friend of mine, Mehki, he organized these worship nights all over the country in a bunch of different cities. So pretty much every city we go to, we’ll play either Friday, Saturday, Sunday, but the night before we’ll have a worship night partnering with a local church in that city.”

At each stop, Key joins with the church’s band to lead attendees in a time of worship and praise, and then one of the players shares his testimony. Often it’s one of the Bananas players, but guys from other teams share as well.

“I was kind of nervous because it’s the first time I’ve ever shared my testimony,” said Ty Jackson, one of RAC’s longtime teammates. “But [RAC] was like, ‘You know what, just let God speak through you, and it’s your testimony, however the Lord has impacted you.’ And it was such a blessing. It’s the first time I ever did it and it’s hard to talk about. You know, everybody’s testimony is different, and my testimony was very emotional. But at the end of the day, people in the crowd were going through the same things I went through and it brought a smile to my face that they could come talk to me about it. It was truly a blessing.”

Following the testimony, Coach RAC takes the stage to share a message and present the Gospel. While playing baseball at Biola University — a Christian school in La Mirada, California — he was a Christian ministries major with a Biblical studies minor. He had a short stint in rookie ball with the Washington Nationals after college, but is now Banana Ball’s de facto chaplain.

“When I was really little I thought I wanted to be a pastor, when I was 5 years old, but didn’t really think much about it after that,” RAC told Sports Spectrum. “… I don’t think it’s my desire to really necessarily be a pastor of a church. We’ll see what God has planned, but in the meantime though, to be able to articulate the Gospel to the best of my ability every week has been a blessing.”

Following RAC’s sermon, the audience is offered a chance to come up for prayer. Along with some church staff, any players in attendance stand in front of the stage and pray over anyone who asks.

“The prayer time from players is awesome,” said Easton Parrish, who’s in his first year with the Bananas. “I get to see a lot people truly become emotional because of whatever they’re going through, whatever prayer they might receive. It’s been fruitful for me. When we first started doing that, I did not go out and pray over other people because I didn’t feel like I could; I didn’t feel like I was a very good prayer guy. But I’ve probably gotten more out of praying for others than they’ve gotten from me praying over them.”

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Also in his first year on the team is JT Sokolove, who at 23 is the youngest on the team. He was asked to share his testimony twice at a Sandlot Revival, and has been inspired by hearing his teammates or opponents share their stories as well. Since the teams most often play or travel on Sundays, he said the worship nights have been like church services for him and the other players.

“Seeing city to city, thousands of people come together to praise the Lord — that’s our church because most of the time we’re playing on Sundays,” Sokolove told Sports Spectrum. “So being there and getting to go to our church service basically, and just feel the presence of God … alongside your brothers, it’s just special.”

Meanwhile, the Bible study that started this movement is still ongoing. Some players meet with just their own teams, some gather with other teams when they’re on the road together, and the groups can get rather large if all the teams are in Savannah together.

The players are having tons of fun and living a dream in many ways, but just like any believer knows, trials and tribulations still come in this life. So this band of Bananas keeps meeting to hold each other accountable and stay grounded on God’s Word.

“During the year, everyone is going through highs and lows at different times,” RAC said. “So to be able to meet consistently every week and center ourselves and remind ourselves God is on the throne and we are not the ones on the throne, that’s needed for all of us.”

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Catcher Patrick Bailey clutch for Cleveland Guardians, knows game is platform to ‘serve Jesus’

By Kevin Mercer Oct 13, 2026

Cleveland Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey gestures to his team after his home run, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

The Cleveland Guardians wrested early control of the American League Championship Series from the favored Tampa Bay Rays on the road Monday night, capturing Game 1, 7-3. The Guardians fell behind 2-0 in the first inning, but their bats came alive in the final four frames to plate seven runs and surge ahead for the victory.

One of the key plays in Cleveland’s rally came in the seventh inning, when Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey walloped a 436-foot home run to centerfield off Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen. Bailey’s blast tied the contest at 2-2, Rasmussen was soon pulled, and the rout was on.

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Patrick Bailey ties this one up for Cleveland!pic.twitter.com/e4Tkimw9Fl

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 13, 2026

Cleveland would not trail from that point on, adding two more in the eighth before the Rays hit a one-run homer in the bottom half of the inning to cut the deficit to 4-3. Yet the Guardians immediately responded with three more runs in the ninth to provide the final score.

“We’re having so much fun,” Bailey said with a smile in an on-field interview after the final out. “Fun is just the word that comes to mind. We’re settling in. This has been awesome. It’s been awesome.”

Bailey’s home run was his second in three games; he also homered in the fifth inning of a win-or-go-home Game 4 in the ALDS against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.

In addition to helping Cleveland’s elite pitching staff with his work behind the plate, Bailey is leading his team (among those with more than two at-bats) with a .368 postseason batting average through six games, which mark his first trip to the MLB playoffs. The Greensboro, North Carolina, native is a career .225 hitter, but his newfound offensive production is a welcome sight for the AL Central champs. They’ve won their last four games and are getting hot at just the right time.

Bailey was drafted in the first round by the San Francisco Giants out of N.C. State in 2020, and he made his MLB debut with the team in May 2023. The 27-year-old spent three full seasons in San Francisco, winning two Gold Gloves (2024, ’25) before being traded to Cleveland in May of this season.

In March, just a couple of months before that trade, Bailey joined the Sports Spectrum Podcast to talk about baseball, Jesus and the challenge it’s been to find his identity in the latter.

“That’s kind of something God’s been hammering in my heart right now, like, ‘Anything outside of you being My child is not your identity,'” he said on the podcast. “We’ve got 40,000 people watching us every night, and there’s some good, and there’s some bad. It’s definitely very easy to kind of fall into that trap of seeing my self-worth in what I do. And again, obviously, baseball is a gift and it’s a platform that I can serve Jesus and serve others on, but it can very quickly become that idol that I think it’s just so easy to get to.”

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Bailey describes himself as a “believer” and lists the Bible passage Matthew 5:14-16 in his Instagram bio. He said on the podcast that he grew up attending church, but he truly began to discover what it means to follow Christ during high school. In the majors, he’s been spotted wearing a T-shirt with the popular phrase “Jesus Won” on the front.

“Jesus has won the battle. Hell has been defeated. Death has been defeated,” Bailey said on the podcast. “He rose again on the third day and is sitting at the right hand next to God the Father. That’s what I’m trying to put my hope in towards tomorrow.”

With his ultimate hope resting in the firm foundation of Christ, Bailey and his Guardians teammates also hope to continue the momentum from their rousing victory in Game 1. They will be back on the diamond on Tuesday night for Game 2, seeking to steal another win on the road. First pitch is set for 8 p.m. ET.

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Atlanta Braves reserve Brewer Hicklen aims ‘to use every opportunity to share the Gospel’

By Cole Claybourn Oct 7, 2026

Atlanta Braves outfielder Brewer Hicklen celebrates a double, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

It was always Brewer Hicklen’s dream to play for the Atlanta Braves. After somewhat of a journeyman major league career, the Huntsville, Alabama, native is getting to live that out.

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The Braves signed him last November, and after spending much of the season in Triple-A, the 30-year-old outfielder was recalled to the major league squad July 12. He made a career-high 20 MLB appearances this season and is now a reserve outfielder getting his first taste of the MLB playoffs. He’s appeared in three postseason games, coming in each time as a pinch runner and defensive replacement, and made his first plate appearance in Tuesday’s 3-1 Game 3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He doesn’t have the biggest role on the team by any stretch, but he’s arguably one of the most vocal about his faith in Jesus. Ahead of Monday’s Game 2, he recorded a video inside Dodger Stadium reflecting on the moment of being in the postseason with his childhood team while also trying to remind himself and anyone watching to keep such things in their proper perspective.

He had just read 1 John 2:17, which says, “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

“I can’t help but to think that as a man who’s, in the worldly view, I’m living the dream,” he said. “It’s so important for me to remain steady and make sure my pursuit of my dream never misaligns with the purpose that God has given me, and that’s to love God, to love people and to have fun doing so. And to let everybody know how incredible it is to walk with Christ.

“So don’t forget today to go make a difference in your inner circle. What has God done in your life lately that you can share with others and impact them?”

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Hicklen logged 10 hits in his 20 regular-season appearances this year, including five doubles, and drove in three runs. But his calling card throughout his career has been his speed. In nine pro seasons across all levels, he’s racked up 287 stolen bases. His career high was 44 in 2024 for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, and he also logged 40 steals in 2021 for the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals. He had 30 steals this season for Triple-A Gwinnett before the Braves called him up.

That speed is where the Braves have found the most value for him on the roster — especially as pinch runner. Perhaps his most impactful moment this season was scoring a game-tying run on Sept. 11 against the Philadelphia Phillies in the bottom of the 10th inning. The Braves ended up winning in the 11th to earn a big late-season win against their division rivals.

“Whatever they need, I want to do the best that I can,” he said after that game. “To be able to call my name in that opportunity was really special … to be in that position was incredible.”

Hicklen posted earlier that week about how he hopes to use any opportunities he gets in baseball to point people back to Christ.

“So grateful to live out this dream alongside my family,” he wrote. “After years of obedience, I’m blown away by the doors He has opened and the opportunities He’s given me. Since I know tomorrow is not guaranteed, I’ve held onto this verse: ‘This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.’ My prayer has been to use every opportunity to share the Gospel, spread His love, and point others back to Him.”

During his baseball journey, he was able to baptize several of his teammates in 2024 and 2025. Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 2017, Hicklen made his major league debut on May 26, 2022, and spent six games with the Royals before being traded to the Phillies organization in August 2023. He then signed with the Brewers organization in November 2023 and said in 2024 that God placed him in Nashville for such a time as this, referring to the opportunity to baptize and witness to teammates.

“I just asked God, ‘Place me somewhere where You feel like I could have some influence and have some opportunity to make eternal connections with some teammates,’” Hicklen told Sports Spectrum in 2024.

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He’s now hoping this extended stay with the Braves that has lasted into the postseason is the start of more regular time in the majors, but either way he hopes to use his platform to point people to Christ. On Sept. 20, ahead of a game against the Houston Astros, he shared some thoughts from 1 Peter 2:1-3.

“I think God knows a lot of people are a Christian when it’s convenient,” Hicklen said in the video. “But He’s challenging us to be desperate at all times — to seek after and want to grow in our faith. Like a baby, they can’t grow without milk and the nutrients that it provides. And with the metaphor of milk, like a believer you cannot grow without the Word of God speaking to you and God penetrating your heart.”

He then challenged anyone watching with a question: “Are you a Christian when it’s convenient, or are you in desperation of learning more about the One who uniquely created you for a specific purpose?”

Hicklen and the Braves take the field at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday in a win-or-go-home Game 4 against the Dodgers in Atlanta.

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