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Taylor Walls etched his name into Tampa Bay Rays history Tuesday night at West Sacramento, California, connecting for home runs as both a left-handed and right-handed batter in the team’s 12-4 triumph over the Athletics. The 30-year-old shortstop became the first switch-hitter to achieve the rare feat twice while wearing a Rays uniform, having previously recorded the same accomplishment on April 18, 2023, against Cincinnati.
Walls launched his first blast in the fourth inning off Athletics starter Mason Barnett from the left side of the plate. The shortstop added a second long ball in the sixth inning against reliever Brady Basso while batting right-handed, powering Tampa Bay to its eighth consecutive victory.
The achievement places Walls among an exclusive group of five players to homer from both sides of the plate this season. He joins Chicago White Sox outfielder Drew Romo, Colorado’s Willi Castro, Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds, and Minnesota’s Josh Bell in reaching that milestone.
The home runs marked Walls’ first of the season, snapping a 105-game regular-season drought dating back to July 27, 2025. The shortstop has compiled 24 home runs across 581 major league games when including playoff appearances.
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