ST. PETERSBURG — Evan Longoria, the greatest player in Tampa Bay Rays history, was inducted into the franchise’s Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony at Tropicana Field before the Rays’ 6-1 win over the Mariners on Saturday afternoon.

The 40-year-old spent 10 seasons with Tampa Bay after the then-Devil Rays selected him third overall in the MLB Draft 20 years ago. A year after signing a ceremonial one-day contract to retire with the club, Longoria addressed a packed Tropicana Field crowd in a roughly 10-minute speech — though he admitted the moment overwhelmed him despite months of mental preparation.

“I would much rather try to play a baseball game right now than do that again,” Longoria said, laughing.

Manager Kevin Cash, one of two skippers Longoria played under in Tampa Bay alongside Joe Maddon, made clear the honor was about more than statistics. “What he did on the field speaks for itself, but the way he carried himself, the leader that he was, what he meant to the fanbase, to his teammates and coaching staffs, the entire organization — he did it the right way,” Cash said.

The ceremony, hosted by radio broadcaster Andy Freed with speeches from TV broadcaster Dewayne Staats and CEO Ken Babby, drew former teammates Eric Hinske, James Shields, Chris Archer, Alex Cobb and Kevin Kiermaier to St. Petersburg. Fellow Rays Hall of Famer Wade Boggs attended, as did the families of late Rays Hall of Famers Don Zimmer and Dave Wills. A video montage featured messages from fellow Hall of Famers Carl Crawford and Fred McGriff, longtime teammate David Price and former principal owner Stuart Sternberg. Longoria said he had five suites full of guests in town for the occasion.

“He helped transform this club into something much greater,” Babby said. “He helped build a winning culture, established an identity and set a standard of excellence that continues to define Rays baseball today. Evan embraced Tampa Bay, and Tampa Bay embraced Evan.”

Longoria credited Sternberg, former team presidents Matt Silverman and Brian Auld, former executive Andrew Friedman and current president of baseball operations Erik Neander for turning the Rays from an afterthought into “the powerhouse we’ve become.” He recognized 95-year-old Soot Zimmer and her late husband’s influential role in shaping his career, and he thanked Hinske for teaching him how to become a good teammate.

“I always felt like this was my home. My family always felt like this was a place that they could call home,” Longoria said, joined near the stage by his wife, Jaime, his three children and his parents. “Every time we come back, it feels like this is the place that we belong.”

Addressing the fans directly, Longoria grew emotional. “I’ll never be able to put into words the love I felt from you, putting on the Rays’ No. 3,” he said. “From queuing the violins for 10 years to tossing in front of the dugout before every game and finding a fan to toss that ball to, you inspired me every day to bring the best version of myself to the ballpark.”

The Rays will officially retire Longoria’s No. 3 on Sunday at Tropicana Field.