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Baseball America’s top 100 prospects for 2018 includes six Rays

Brent Honeywell ranks highest among Rays prospects

MLB: All Star Game-Futures Game Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Baseball America has announced their top 100 prospects in baseball as we get set for the arrival of spring training.

Their top 100 list is widely considered to be the best when it comes to prospect rankings as the top of their list tend to enjoy success at the major league level.

The Rays have landed six players on the Baseball America top 100, tying for the second most in baseball with three other teams (Yankees, Padres, and Brewers). The Atlanta Braves led the way with eight players being selected.

#14 Brent Honeywell - RHP

Fastball: 60. Curveball: 55. Slider: 55. Change-up: 60. Control: 60. Screwball: 70.

Honeywell ranks as the sixth highest RHP on the list, but remains in the 14th overall slot he was ranked in Baseball America’s mid-season update from 2017.

#19 Willy Adames - SS

Hit: 55. Power: 45. Speed: 50. Fielding: 60. Arm: 60.

According to Baseball America’s initial publishing, Adames’s tools have taken a step back during 2017 (preseason grades — Hit: 60. Power: 55. Speed: 50. Fielding: 55. Arm: 55) despite a nearly identical batting line in his first season at Triple-A. The only step up was his defensive grade, as Adames has firmly cemented himself as a capable plus defender at short. He had ranked No. 13 in the mid-season write up.

#39 Brendan McKay - LHP/1B

Hit: 60. Power 50. Speed: 30. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60

Fastball: 55. Curveball: 60. Slider: 55. Change-up: 55. Control: 55.

The second highest two-way player on the Top-100 (behind Ohtani at No. 2 overall), McKay continues to grade as a major league player on both sides of the ball.

#45 Jake Bauers - 1B/OF

Hit: 55. Power: 55. Speed: 50. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60.

A decently high ranking for Bauers, given the ranking of his peers. Between McKay and Bauers, the Rays have the two highest ranked first basemen in the Top-100.

#49 Jesus Sanchez - OF

Hit: 60. Power: 55. Speed: 55. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50.

Breaking into the Top-50 is the Rays’ high riser from 2017. Sanchez was a dominant force in Class-A Bowling Green as a 19-year old.

#96 Wander Franco - SS

Hit: 55. Power: 55. Speed: 50. Fielding: 55. Arm: 50.

Wander Franco was the top international prospect in the 2017 class. He signed with the Rays for nearly $4 million in July of this year.