It took a long time to get here. Piper, 28, was selected by the Rays in the 18th round of the 2021 Draft out of Columbia College of Missouri. A strong defensive catcher with some power in his bat, he moved quickly to reach Double-A in 2023. He moved up to Triple-A for parts of 2024 and ‘25, but he had spent this entire season back in Double-A — his fourth year in Montgomery — until this week.