The best of Rays photo day

It’s a lot of work to have your photo taken

One of the annual rites of passage for spring is the team’s official photo day, when a gaggle of photographers collects professional athletes and poses them as if they were still 10-year-olds in Little League. The results of those photos are often just as charming as if they really were of excited children. These are the faces of players on the cusp of a brand new season, when anything is possible, and the enthusiasm (and maybe a bit of amusement over the requested poses) shines through in the pictures.

We’ve compiled a quick gallery of the indoor and outdoor photos captured this year showing goofy grins, stylized poses, and a collection of new and old faces. Find your favorite classic poses, like “Pitcher Throws Ball in Air,” “Prospect Just Happy to be Here,” and “Slugger Angles Bat at Camera.” Or an end-of-day option like “I Am So Done With Having My Photo Taken” or “What Do Smiles Look Like Again?”

This doesn’t even taken into account all the stylized “candids” and themed shoots the players will face over the coming weeks as the Rays social media team collects material for their upcoming photo and video campaigns (last year involved a lot of dripping paint).

Needless to say, it’s a lot of work to have your photo taken over and over again, but the results can be a lot of fun.