Below is an analysis of the prospects in the farm system of the Tampa Bay Rays. Scouting reports are compiled with information provided by industry sources as well as my own observations. For more information on the 20-80 scouting scale by which all of our prospect content is governed, you can click here. For further explanation of the merits and drawbacks of Future Value, read this.

All of the numbered prospects here also appear on The Board, a resource the site offers featuring sortable scouting information for every organization. It can be found here.

Editor’s Note: Esteban Quiroz was added to this list after he was received by the Rays as the Player To Be Named later in the Tommy Pham trade.

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C

1B

2B

SS

3B

OF

LF

CF

RF

LHP

RHP

Other Prospects of Note

Grouped by type and listed in order of preference within each category.

Bounce-Back Candidates

Austin Franklin, RHP

Tobias Myers, RHP

Paul Campbell, RHP

Franklin, 22, had a heavy sinker and good curveball before he tore his UCL in mid-2018 and needed TJ, from which he has yet to return. Myers was a trade acquisition who was once a Pick to Click, a late-blooming conversion arm, but his stuff was down last year, a full two ticks since his peak as a prospect. He’s still just 21. Campbell, 24, has what would be the highest fastball spin rate on The Board if his FV merited being on there, at a whopping 2700 rpm. He also has elite curveball spin, though he had a forearm issue this spring.

Thumpers

Oneill Manzueta, LF

Osmy Gregorio, 3B

Garrett Whitley, CF

Stir Candelario, LF

Other than Manzueta, for whom this remains TBD, this entire group has a suspect hit tool. Manzueta, 19, posted big exit velos (averaged 89, maxed 109) in the DSL. He’s a stocky, maxed-out corner outfielder. Gregorio has a big frame and still has power projection at age 21, though it will likely mean he moves to right field and has to hit more than he has so far. Whitley has dealt with myriad injuries since he was a first round prep pick and he’s still a raw bat for a 23-year-old, though his power/speed combo is still dynamic. Candelario hasn’t hit in two DSL seasons but he has 70 raw power projection.

Young Pitchers on the Cusp

Matthew Peguero, RHP

Taj Bradley, RHP

Ben Peoples, RHP

Rodolfo Sanchez, RHP

Franklin Dacosta, LHP

All of these guys have limited physical projection for one reason or another, either due to frame size or physical maturity. Peguero, 20, sits 90-93, touches 95, and flashes an average curve and change. Bradley is maxed out but up to 95, his slurve is the best secondary pitch of this group, and he pitched well in the Appy League last year. Peoples and Dacosta are vertical arm slot types who live in the low-90s. Peoples has an Oliver Drake arm slot and has been up to 93. He was a $350,000 sign on Day 3. Dacosta’s changeup got better last year. He was up to 92 last year and up to 94 in recent bullpens.

Catchers

Roberto Alvarez, C

Rene Pinto, C

Chris Betts, C

Alvarez is a glove/contact prospect who the team has been pushing to levels tougher than is typical for his age (he’s 20), but he regressed athletically last year. Pinto and Betts have rare power for catchers and are both behind the developmental eight ball due to injuries.

“Look” Relievers

Josh Fleming, LHP

Nick Sprengel, LHP

Simon Rosenblum-Larson, RHP

Evan McKendry, RHP

These are all funky slot or tailing fastball relief types. Fleming is a strike-throwing lefty with a heavy sinker, a curve, and a change. He’s pitched his way to the upper levels as a starter. If a velo bump comes in a bullpen move, he’s going to be a big leaguer. Sprengel is that sort, too, a low slot lefty up to 93. Rosenblum-Larson has a multi-arm slot approach that’s cool and unique, and it’s worked up through Hi-A, but I saw him get hit a lot in the AFL. McKendry, 22, is a sinker/changeup righty up to 92.

Variety Pack

Ben Brecht, LHP

Zack Trageton, RHP

Aldenis Sanchez, CF

Daury Del Rosario, SS

Alan Strong, RHP

Brecht, 22, has a sneaky fastball because of its carry, and his changeup is above-average. Sanchez is a speedy 21-year-old with some contact skills. Del Rosario is just 18 and is all body projection on offense, but he’s likely to stay at short. Trageton and Strong are both overachieving pitchability righties.

Pro Department Under the Microscope

Tommy Romero, RHP

Matt Krook, LHP

Jhonleider Salinas, RHP

Sam McWilliams, RHP

Giointi Turner, INF

Brian Shaffer, RHP

Peyton Battenfield, RHP

Hector Figueroa, RHP

Faustino Carrera, LHP

Romero and Battenfield both have big fastball carry that helps their heaters play up. Salinas and McWilliams are huge frames with arm strength. Turner is a plus athlete who was very young for pro ball when the Rays acquired him. Shaffer and Krook have tailing heaters. The next two are former minor league Rule 5 picks. Carrera is up to 97 from a vertical slot; Carrera lives in the upper-80s, has an odd, low-slot delivery, and can really pitch.

System Overview

Yes, this is one of the, if not the, best farm systems in baseball. The team’s ideas about to how to structure the big league club — defensive versatility, platooning, contact-oriented hitters up the middle, a few delivery archetypes on the pitching staff — have now made their way to the farm system, where these types of players are all over the meat of the team’s rosters.

Year after year, the club has had to deal with an overflow of upcoming 40-man adds, which has recently led it to consolidate high-variance prospects into controllable, but older, late-inning relief arms like Fairbanks and Nick Anderson. The way the Rays value prospects in this era of contention is clearly different, and they may have consistent trade partner fits in San Diego and Miami, teams that clearly like the sorts of players Tampa seems more inclined to cash in when their value is high rather than wait and see if they’re for real.