Longoria played for the Long Beach State University baseball team, where he was the star CSN Bay Area 2005 Cape Cod League MVP, and the 2006 Big West Co-Player of the Year. He was drafted by the Rays in the first round as the third pick overall in the 2006 MLB draft. After two full seasons in the minors, he made his major league debut for the Rays in 2008, and was named to the American League team for the 2008 MLB All Star Game. Longoria was also named the 2008 American League Rookie of the Year on November 10. Longoria has also made the All-Star team three times, being selected from 2008 to 2010. Longoria had one of the biggest hits in Rays history when he hit a walk off home run in extra innings of the last game of the 2011 season, snapping a tie with the Red Sox in the race for the American League wildcard spot and sending his team into the postseason.\n', '

He is also known for his acrobatic defense, winning three Gold Gloves at third base in 2009, 2010, and 2017. After signing a ten-year, 100 million-dollar contract extension through 2022, he was named by many as the Rays "face of the franchise" and owns many of the franchise\'s records, including the team record for most career home runs, doubles, and RBIs.\n', '

Longoria\'s father is of Mexican descent and his mother is of Ukrainian descent. He attended St. Raymond Catholic School in Downey, California. St. Raymond did not have a baseball team. He graduated from Saint John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California. He was a two-year letterman in baseball and as a senior was a first team All-League selection. Longoria did not receive any scholarship offers to play college baseball. The University of Southern California was the only program to consider him, but eventually backed out of recruiting him. At 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and 170 pounds (77 kg), many[who?] baseball recruiters felt Longoria was too slim by NCAA Division I baseball standards. As a result, he attended Rio Hondo Community College during his freshman season, before Long Beach State offered him a scholarship.\n', '

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