2021 State College Spikes catcher Kenny Piper, who played his way into becoming an 18th-round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Rays while playing in the debut season of the MLB Draft League, made his major league debut on Monday night to become the 76th Spike to the Majors on the Road to the Show presented by HRI Inc.
Piper entered the MLB Draft League out of Columbia (Mo.) College in the NAIA ranks and proceeded to showcase his strong throwing arm while reaching base at a .353 clip and contributing six doubles, two triples, two homers and 13 RBI's over 31 games.
After being selected by Tampa Bay in the 2021 MLB Drafted, Piper made his way through the Rays system, earning accolades along the way. Baseball America rated Piper as a Top 30 prospect in the Rays system in 2024, and the Columbia, Mo. native was invited to Rays spring training in 2025 and 2026.
Piper made the most of his temporary stay with the Rays, who were reshuffling the roster after the trade deadline, going 1-for-3 and drawing a walk while catching all nine innings against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
Although optioned back to Double-A Montgomery after the game, Piper will remain with the Rays for the remainder of their series in Colorado as a member of the taxi squad.
Fans can see more of the future of baseball throughout the Spikes' 20th Anniversary Season this summer, with home games at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park all the way to September 1. Check out the promotional schedule and purchase tickets to each Spikes home game with the Spikes 20/20 Special presented by The Clubhouse at the Nittany Valley Sports Centre, featuring 20% off all single-game tickets with promo code AUGUST20 here at StateCollegeSpikes.com/tickets.
