2017 DRaysBay Community Prospect No. 27

After losing our first runoff, Jacob Faria cruised to an easy victory in the very next vote. Brett Sullivan barely avoided his second straight runoff this time. At this point in the voting, decisive victories are rare.

Had there been a runoff, it would have been a vote between three players, which I don’t recall ever happening before.

In lieu of testers, I’d like some additional discussion about what we should do after the top 30 is complete. Normally, I add up all the remaining votes received to form a supplemental ranking to the main list. At least, I’m pretty sure I normally do that. There was an idea that we take all the remaining players and let anyone who wants to rank them all at once to wrap up the list of players you’ve been voting on for so long.

C Chris Betts (L/R, 6'2 215, 20 in 2017)

2016 statistics with Gulf Coast League Rays and short-season Hudson Valley: 145 PA, .179/.345/.250, 6 2B, 18.6 BB%, 24.8 K%

After Tommy John surgery delayed his pro debut by a year, Betts took to the field in 2016 and had a hard time. It's not a surprise that a player who missed as much time as he did would have a hard time getting his timing down. As an amateur, he showed plus power potential with a smooth swing geared for contact. He has the arm strength to catch, but he's raw behind the plate and could eventually prove to be too big for the position.

OF Eleardo Cabrera (L/R, 5'11 195, 21 in 2017)

2016 statistics with rookie-level Princeton: 270 PA, .311/.375/.466, 7 HR, 21 XBH, 8-for-12 SB, 6.3 BB%, 27.0 K%

Cabrera burst onto the domestic-league scene in 2016 with a strong season for Princeton. He led the Appalachian League in hits, tied for the league lead in homers and was among the team leaders in many offensive categories. However, it's his strong arm and outfield defense that are his calling cards. He makes good contact and has some speed, but he has to work on his approach.

SS Jake Cronenworth (L/R, 6'1 185, 23 in 2017)

2016 statistics with Class-A Bowling Green and Class A-Advanced Charlotte: 506 PA, .282/.389/.386, 29 XBH, 14-for-22 SB, 13.2 BB%, 16.4 K%

The Rays surprised many when they drafted Cronenworth in the seventh round of the 2015 draft with the intention of dispatching him as a position player, but he's showed why ever since. He also spent 2016 shortstop full-time for the first time, and he was named the best defensive player at the position in the Midwest League (BA, $). He has a great plate approach and makes a ton of contact with gap-to-gap power. He struggled in a stint with Charlotte, and he'll have to prove it was a fluke in 2017.

OF Johnny Field (R/R, 5'10 180, 25 in 2017)

2016 statistics with Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham: 491 PA, .273/.322/.453, 51 XBH, 12 HR, 16-for-24 SB, 6.1 BB%, 21.6 K%

After losing Tyler Goeddel and Joey Rickard in last year's Rule 5 draft, the Rays risked losing another right-handed-hitting outfielder this time around, but they were able to retain Field. He has already had a lot of success in the upper minors with a .776 OPS in nearly 1,000 plate appearances at Double A and Triple A. He may not stand out tools-wise, but he's a grinder who can fake it in center field and show some gap power.

OF Jake Fraley (L/L, 6'0 195, 22 in 2017)

2016 statistics with short-season Hudson Valley: 239 PA, .238/.339/.364, 7 3B, 33-for-42 SB, 10.9 BB%, 14.2 K%

Fraley's pro career got off to an atrocious start, but a scorching August that saw him collect 12 of his 17 extra-base hits created a much more respectable stat line. Whether he was hitting or not, he was stealing bases whenever he had the chance. He only needed 55 games to lead the entire organizations in steals. His speed also makes him a very good defender in center field. He has to maintain his patient approach at the plate and excel at putting the ball in play to fully utilize his athleticism.

RHP Kevin Gadea (6'5 188, 22 in 2017)

2016 statistics with the Arizona League Mariners and Class-A Clinton: 68 2/3 IP, 2.36 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 5.0 BB%, 34.2 K%

For the first time in seven years, the Rays made a pick in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft, and their choice was Gadea. He's relatively new to pitching, but he has no problem pounding the strike zone with all of his pitches. He has a mid-90s fastball and complements it with a nice changeup. His breaking ball is improving. Jumping from the Midwest League to the majors is a lot to ask, but he does have the stuff that could make hiding him in the bullpen worth a shot.

OF Nathan Lukes (L/R, 5'11 185, 22 in 2017)

2016 statistics with Class-A Lake County, Class A-Advanced Lynchburg and Class A-Advanced Charlotte: 487 PA, .282/.349/.414, 37 XBH, 15-for-24 SB, 8.2 BB%, 15.2 K%

Lukes was acquired from Cleveland when it traded for HBP King Brandon Guyer. He was only hit by six pitches in 2016, but he does have some other skills. He has enough athleticism to play all three outfield spots and steal some bags, but he wasn't particularly efficient in 2016. There won't be many dingers coming off his bat, but his patient, contact-oriented approach give him value at the plate.

RHP Easton McGee (6'6 220, 19 in 2017)

2016 statistics with the Gulf Coast League Rays: 23 1/3 IP, 3.09 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 8.2 BB%, 14.3 K%

McGee is reportedly decently polished for a high-school pitcher, and his solid walk rate in his brief pro debut bears that out. He already has an average fastball and has the potential to add a few more ticks as he gets stronger, and he'll get ground balls thanks to the downhill plane he works with due to his size. Both his curveball and changeup need some work, but that's the case for nearly every young pitcher.

LHP Travis Ott (6'4 170, 22 in 2017)

2016 statistics with short-season Hudson Valley: 59 1/3 IP, 1.06 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 7.9 BB%, 26.9 K%

Ott owned the New York-Penn League in 2016, and he was rewarded with the start in the league's All-Star Game as a result. In his third full pro season, he still only has 10 1/3 innings in a full-season league, and none since 2014. With an average fastball and breaking ball, he takes advantage of a deceptive delivery to keep hitters off balance.

RHP Austin Pruitt (5'11 165, 27 in 2017)

2016 statistics with Triple-A Durham: 162 2/3 IP, 3.76 ERA, 1.19 WHIP,, 4.1 BB%, 22.7 K%

Despite his short stature and below-average fastball velocity, Pruitt has been successful at every level in his professional career. He gets it done with great control; his walk percentage was 11th in minor league baseball among pitchers with 150-plus innings. With his above-average breaking ball and changeup, he's able to mix up his pitches and keep batters off-balance, but he had a little trouble keeping the ball in the park in 2016.

RHP Michael Santos (6'4 205, 22 in 2017)

2016 statistics with Class-A Augusta: 58 2/3 IP, 2.91 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 2.1 BB%, 18.6 K%

Of the three players the Rays received in the Matt Moore trade, one hardly played with his new organization, and two didn't play at all. Santos is half of that duo due to a line drive that stuck his head while still in the Giants organization. When he's healthy, he throws a lot of strikes with a four-pitch arsenal, led by his above-average fastball. His curveball, slider and changeup are still inconsistent, and he has to build up a workload after missing most of the 2015 season with arm soreness.

SS Carlos Vargas (R/R, 6'3 170, 18 in 2017)

2016 statistics with Dominican Summer League Mariners: 256 PA, .242/.344/.391, 7 HR, 12.5 BB%, 13.7 K%

Seattle signed Vargas for $1.625 million in 2015, and he quickly made an impact in his pro debut. While he may be hard-pressed to stay at shortstop when he gets bigger, he has the power potential to profile elsewhere on the diamond. His swing is geared for power, and adding strength certainly won't hurt. If he's able to maintain a low strikeout rate when he comes to the U.S. in 2017, he'll be a dangerous hitter.