Taylor Walls homers from each side of the plate to make Tampa Bay Rays history

In a thrilling 12-4 victory over the Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays standout Taylor Walls achieved a historic milestone by homering from both the left and right sides of the plate. At 30 years old, the shortstop became the first switch-hitter in AL history to accomplish this feat twice. Walls' performance came on Tuesday night, as the Rays secured their eighth straight win.

He drove in the game's only runs, both coming as a left-handed hitter who connected against Athletics starter Mason Barnett in the fourth inning and a right-handed hitter who crushed a ball off reliever Brady Basso in the sixth inning. This remarkable accomplishment makes Walls the fifth player this season to homer from both sides of the plate, joining fellow switch-hitters Drew Romo, Willi Castro, Bryan Reynolds, and Josh Bell.

Walls also ended his personal home run drought, which had lasted 105 regular-season games dating back to July 27, 2025. Despite hitting only 24 home runs in 581 major league games, including the postseason, Walls' impressive achievement solidified his status as a key player for the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays.