METHUEN – Like he’s done probably hundreds of times on a chilly winter morning, Dom Keegan spent his Christmas Eve in the cage here at Batter Up, drilling, learning and swinging with legendary coach Dave Bettencourt.
It’s different now for the 25-year-old Central Catholic grad.
It just is.
About to embark on his fifth season as a pro in the Tampa Bay Rays organization, Keegan saw the stakes rise substantially back in November when the Rays elevated the catcher to their 40-man roster.
“In terms of going into camp, it’s a little different, sure. Having that opportunity to be on the 40-man and just giving it my best,” said Keegan, who is healthy and ready to make a big impression when he returns to Florida in a couple weeks.
“It is different, but you try not to think about it. You go into spring training just trying to get yourself ready to play throughout the year, and let the cards fall where they may.
“I’m going to approach it the same way I always have, just try to learn from the guys that have been out there, the guys that have experience and take whatever I can to propel me forward and put the Rays in the best position to win.”
For the first time in his career, Keegan could potentially help the Rays in the present – not just the future.
He will hit the field in Port Charlotte, Fla., next month as one of three catchers on the 40-man roster.
There is no true incumbent starter, at least not yet. And as bad as 2025 might have started – with an elbow injury that kept him out until May – what transpired on the field at the Triple-A affiliate in Durham (NC) over the next few months has left Keegan energized.
“I started slow and picked it up at the end,” Keegan said. “Coming back from an injury, being able to go out there and play 70 games had me feeling good about it again.”
A fourth-round pick by the Rays in 2022 after four seasons at Vanderbilt University, Keegan unleashed an offensive flurry last summer that had people in baseball talking.
In 69 games Triple-A games played, Keegan hit .241 with 10 homers and 36 RBIs, good for a .735 OPS.
At one points, the former Vandy standout was simply shredding the baseball, including a two-homer game. He’s hoping for more of that in the near future.
“I had the little hit streak. For me, it was just good to know I’m back (after the injury),” said Keegan. “I feel good again, and I’m playing every day. When it’s going good like that, you’re not thinking too much. You’re just sticking to your routine every day and problem-solving what you have to face on the mound that day, whoever is on the mound.
“Whatever I was doing at that point was working for me, and just trying to get back to that as often as I can.”
According to a story from “Through the Fence Baseball,” Rays manager Kevin Cash spoke extremely highly of Keegan, even invoking comparisons to Red Sox legend, Jason Varitek at the recent MLB winter meetings.
“We are excited about (Keegan), and we put him on the roster,” said Cash. “He battled some arm injuries in camp last spring, but there is a lot to be excited about. You talk to our player development people and Jeff Smith, our catching coordinator, who raves about Dom Keegan, the player and the person.”
“(Varitek) was a great leader and the way he carried himself and presence in the clubhouse. That’s how Dom is and how he cares so much.”
Currently the highest rated catcher in the Ray system and the No. 20 prospect overall, Keegan is flourishing in what has become a state-of-the-art development program that much of the rest of baseball has strived to emulate.
“When they drafted me, they said they were going to have me catch, that, ‘We’re going try to make you a (big league) catcher. We know you can hit, but we think there is a lot of value behind the plate, having that bat as a catcher,’” said Keegan. “They’ve thrown all their resources, all their coaches, everything at me. I’m super-appreciative of them just giving me that shot behind the plate and trusting me and believing in me.”
Keegan is knocking on the door of the big leagues, and he’s growing up, both as a player and person.
All the work, all the swings, all those frigid April afternoons battling MVC foes on diamonds throughout the Valley, could pay off in the grandest way, maybe even as soon as this spring.
But remaining level and not thinking about joining the ranks of Haverhill’s Carlos Pena and Andover’s Ryan Hanigan – each of whom came out of the Merrimack Valley Conference and ultimately play in the bigs in Tampa (along with other MLB teams) – is part of Keegan’s daily regimen.
“I try to be where my feet are, take everything day by day and I think everything will play out the way it’s supposed to be. I just have to stay healthy and stick to what I do best,” he said.
“It’s always been a dream. There are points along the way where you look back. Every experience I’ve gone through has gotten me to where I am. I am grateful to have grown up around here with the coaches that I have around here. I’m grateful for playing in high school against some of the best players in the country during summers, and obviously at Vanderbilt, one of the best baseball colleges in the country. I feel like everything I’ve been through, all the experiences I’ve gone through have gotten me to where I am. So, I’m super grateful.”