Southwest Michigan Devil Rays

Southwest Michigan Devil Rays 2005–2006 Battle Creek, Michigan
Team logo Cap insignia
Class-level
Previous	Class A
Minor league affiliations
League	Midwest League
Division	Eastern Division
Major league affiliations
Previous	Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Team data
Previous names	Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
Previous parks	C.O. Brown Stadium

The Southwest Michigan Devil Rays were an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the Midwest League in 2005 and 2006. The club began play in 1995 and was previously known as the Michigan Battle Cats and the Battle Creek Yankees. They played their home games at C.O. Brown Stadium in Battle Creek, Michigan. Following the 2006 season, the team moved to Midland, Michigan and became known as the Great Lakes Loons.

In September 2004, the New York Yankees announced a four-year player development contract with the Charleston RiverDogs of the South Atlantic League, dropping their contract with the Battle Creek Yankees. A few days later, Battle Creek signed a two-year player development contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays; the Devil Rays' previous low-A affiliate had been Charleston. With the announcement, it was obvious that the team's name would need to change. In December, Fun Entertainment, LLC announced that it had purchased the Battle Creek team and renamed it as the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays.

In 2005, the Midwest League comprised 14 teams in two divisions. Its championship was determined by a three-round playoff among eight teams, including the first- and second-half leaders from each division and several wild card teams. In the first half, the Devil Rays finished in fourth place of the six teams in the Eastern Division with a 33–36 record. In the second half they improved to third place with a 39–31 records, four games behind. They qualified for the playoffs, where they lost to the South Bend Silver Hawks, two games to none. Pitcher Andy Sonnanstine went 10–4 with a 2.55 earned run average and 103 strikeouts.