Over the last few seasons, the Tampa Bay Rays have had one of the top farm systems in MLB.
Even with the deflection of many top prospects from prospect status to MLB status, the Rays continue to restock the minor leagues and have the sixth-ranked farm system in MLB, according to MLB.com, heading into the 2024 season.
Guys like Taj Bradley, Curtis Mead, and Austin Shenton have graduated from the minors to the big league club, and the Rays have traded prospects Brent Honeywell, Matthew Libertore, and Kyle Manzardo.
Yet, the Rays continue to have one of the top-ranked minor league systems in all of baseball.
As the 2024 season commences, here are the top four prospects for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Junior Caminero INF
Just 19 years of age in 2023, Caminero hit 31 homers at the AA level, earning a call-up to the big league club in September.
In his MLB debut season, Caminero hit .235 with one homer and seven runs batted in. The Rays also kept him on the postseason roster as an extra bat.
He can play SS and 3B, but the Rays have Cabellero and Paredes at those spots right now. There is some talk that the Rays may want to move Paredes before giving the everyday third base job to Caminero.
Caminero aimed to make the final roster and break camp with the Rays, but the organization felt that some more time at the AAA level would serve him well.
Carson Williams SS
Williams will begin the season at AA Montgomery. He has a good arm and won a Minor League Gold Glove Award in 2022.
He was with the Rays in spring training and held his own. Rays scouting director Blake Butera talked about Carson Williams and his overall game. “We’re really pleased. He just continues to get better. Carson is basically like a blank canvas. He’s eager to learn. And there’s so much that he still has yet to learn.”
Williams can be a threat as a base runner, but his hitting needs improvement. Williams struck out over thirty percent of the time over the last two seasons. How he improves his overall hitting will determine if he is just another ordinary SS or an SS with All-Star potential.
Curtis Mead Infielder
The Australian-born Mead continues to grow and improve every season and made the Rays roster this spring, filling one of the last two roster spots.
Over the last two seasons, Mead has appeared in 26 games, hitting .250 with one home run. Despite lacking playing time at the big-league level, Mead started both ALDS games against Texas last season.
Mead is working on improving his defense and glove work to ensure a long-term career with the Rays. Mead is an above-average hitter with some pop in his bat, and the trade of Margot and Luke Raley over the winter opened a spot for Mead and his bat.
Xavier Isaac 1B
Isaac hit 19 home runs in his first season of pro ball at Class A Charleston and impressed the Rays with his power and bat speed.
His defense is average at best but should be serviceable with the glove at first base with continued work. What was surprising about Isaac was his overall speed, as he went 12/12 in stolen bases.
Issac is still a year or two away from making an impact at the big-league level, but the Rays expect big things from him. He is a prospect to watch over the next year or two.