DRaysBay Top-30 Rays Prospects for 2022

Last year the Tampa Bay Rays farm system produced a ton of talent, graduating Wander Franco, Shane McClanahan, Randy Arozarena, Drew Rasmussen, and Taylor Walls and still having a strong system behind them.

No doubt the Rays organization took a step back, since they don’t have the best prospect in the land any more, but the farm remains as deep as any in the league.

I wrote up these analyses with consultation from Danny Russell, Homin Lee and Scott Grauer.

1: Shane Baz, RHP

Shane Baz was the 12th overall pick in the 2017 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates and was acquired by the Rays in the infamous Chris Archer for Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows, and PTBNL that ended up being Baz.

Baz started in Montgomery (AA), but saw stops in Durham (AAA) and Tokyo for the USA Olympic Team that won a silver medal before making his MLB debut in September. In 78.2 minor league innings he put up a 2.06 ERA and 2.76 FIP. He struck out 37.9% of batters faced, but the biggest improvement came in the 4.4% walk rate. His very small MLB sample (13.2 innings) was very similar with a 2.03 ERA and 4.07 FIP (2.87 xFIP) with a 36.7% strikeout rate and 6.1% walk rate.

Baz proved he’s ready to be an everyday pitcher at the major league level. The only remaining question is his durability. He threw a career high 92.0 innings in 2022 in affiliated games. This doesn’t count his time with Team USA or his playoff start so the effective innings should be higher, but it’s probably no higher than 120 innings. It’s hard to envision him throwing more than 150 innings even if he stays healthy all year. Due to this I expect he’ll be the sixth starter out of Spring Training and get used like Shane McClanahan did this year who threw 123.1 innings without making the team on Opening Day.

Baz has an electric fastball that averaged 97.0 mph. He threw his 86.7 mph slider (21%) and 82.5 mph curveball (19%) equally as his go to secondary pitches. He mixed in a 88.7 mph changeup, but has only thrown it to lefties so far. The stuff is elite. The biggest question has always been command, but he took a big step forward this year to put the reliever talk to bed. He’s one of the top starting pitching prospects in the game.

2: Josh Lowe, OF

Josh Lowe was the Rays first round pick (13th overall) in the 2016 draft. Lowe had made enough progress every year to get promoted on schedule heading into the 2020 season. Because he was rehabbing from shoulder surgery he was less impacted than many by the missed 2020 minor league season. He was able to return to participate in the practice squad in Port Charlotte.

Lowe hit the ground running in Durham (AAA). He hit .291/.381/.535 and put up a 142 wRC+. He hit 22 homeruns and stole 26 bases. He made a single game cameo for his MLB debut. He collected a walk and a stolen base in two plate appearances. He was a perfect 27/27 on the bases in 2021.

Lowe’s biggest question has always been whether he would make enough contact to be a productive hitter. That’s really the only question that remains to this point. His 26.2% strikeout rate is in the same range that’s it’s been in since A ball. Despite that he’s been able to hit for power and brings speed on the basepaths. He also walks enough (13.0%) that he should be able to bring enough on base skills even if you wish he made a little more contact.

Defensively he’s a natural center fielder and the only reason he wouldn’t be playing centerfield in the majors is the Rays depth at that position. He has the speed to play center and the arm strength to be a positive in center or right field.

3: Vidal Brujan, 2B/OF

Vidal Brujan was an international free agent signing in 2014. Since signing for a meager sum he has bloomed into one of the top prospects in the game.

Brujan played most the season in Durham (AAA). He hit .262/.345/.440 and put up a 110 wRC+ while hitting 12 homers and stealing 44 bases. He was only caught stealing eight times making for a 85% success rate. He has far more speed than Lowe and is far more aggressive on the bases.

Brujan made his MLB debut and received a ten-game cup of coffee. He only hit .077/.077/.077 in 26 plate appearances. It’s a very small sample but he struck out far more than he ever has (30.8%) and didn’t draw a single walk. It looked like he was being far too passive at the plate. He was successful in his lone stolen base attempt. I think he corrects this once he settles in and the numbers look more like his AAA plate discipline numbers where he posted a 11.1% walk rate and 15.4% strikeout rate.

The biggest remaining question is his power. He doesn’t have a ton of homer power at the present. His AAA numbers would represent a 16 homers per 600 plate appearance pace which is my expectation. He’ll post good ISOs by taking advantage of his speed for doubles and triples. If the power comes he could end up being the Rays version of Ketel Marte, but if it doesn’t he could be closer to Whit Merrifield.

@MLBPipeline

4: Taj Bradley, RHP

Taj Bradley was the Rays fifth round selection in the 2018 draft. His stuff saw a huge jump after the missed 2020 season, as the projected velocity increase came true. He now sits in the mid to upper 90s with a four seam fastball that plays at the top of the zone. His mid 80s slider is plus and is by far his best secondary pitch. He throws a mid 80s splitfinger changeup that will need to be improved if he is to be a top of the rotation pitcher.

He has the build that should be able to handle a starter innings load and looks to be a middle of the rotation pitcher even if the splitfinger doesn’t improve.

5: Greg Jones, SS/OF

Greg Jones was the Rays first round selection (22nd overall) in the 2019 draft. Due to the pandemic his first full season in the minors was delayed until his age-23 season. This isn’t ideal, but he posted solid results in Bowling Green (A+). He had a few minor injuries that made him miss a week here and there but nothing major and ended with a promotion to Montgomery (AA).

Jones hit .291/.389/.527 and put up a 144 wRC+ in Bowling Green. He hit 13 homers and stole 27 bases (caught twice) in 257 plate appearances. He strikes out more than you’d like (29.2%) but does draw walks (11.3%) and hit for power (.236 ISO). He ran a very generous .383 BABIP. In AA his swing and miss was taken of advantage more with a 35.0% strikeout rate and he wasn’t able to walk as much (6.4%). His ISO tanked to .111 along with the BABIP falling to .281. AA is a big jump and we’ll have to see if he can handle it. His speed is plus and has the skills to turn it into extra bases.

Defensively he currently plays shortstop, but due to his speed and the plethora of shorstops in the Rays organization a move to centerfield in the near future is expected. For an historical Rays comparison, his profile is very similar to BJ Upton. That would be a fantastic outcome; due to the swing and miss he’s higher risk than the prospects ranked above him.

6: Curtis Mead, IF

When Curtis Mead was acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in a trade for Cristopher Sanchez, the Rays were able to turn a roster crunch into a future top-100 prospect.

Mead started the season in Charleston (A) and received a promotion to Bowling Green (A+) in the middle of the season. He made a cameo at the end of the season in Durham (AAA). For the season he hit .321/.378/.533 and put up a 141 wRC+. He doesn’t strike out much (15.5%) and draws a few walks (7.4%). He hit 15 homers and 38 doubles so there is some sneaky pop as he’s started to elevate the ball.

Mead was signed as an international free agent out of Australia, so the development path is uncommon. He should be assigned to Montgomery (AA) and would be at an appropriate level for a 21 year old top prospect.

Defensively he has mostly played third base with the occasional first base. His throwing mechanics are unique. He has enough arm strength to play third, but the throwing motion makes it play down. Ideally he’s probably a first baseman.

7: Xavier Edwards, 2B/OF

Xavier Edwards was infamously described as the “slapdick prospect” from the San Diego Padres in the Tommy Pham trade by Blake Snell. He was drafted by the Padres with a first round competitive balance pick (38th overall) in the 2018 draft.

Edwards had a solid season in Montgomery (AA) but continues to lack any power. He hit .302/.377/.368 and put up a 113 wRC+ over 337 plate appearances. He posted an excellent strikeout rate (12.5%) and was able to pair it was a very good walk rate (10.7%). He didn’t hit a homer and has one homer in his minor league career that has spanned nearly 1,000 plate appearances. He is well built so there is some hope he’s able to at least hit the ball with enough authority to take advantage of his speed. On the bases he stole 19 bags but was caught 11 times.

In the majors it’s hard to run a walk rate this high if you aren’t able to threaten extra base power so I expect it will decrease, but we’ll likely also see a lowering of an already very low strikeout rate. His arm strength prevents him from being a shortstop, but he is a fantastic second baseman. With the abundance of middle infielders he might have to move to center field in the near future. At present he reminds me a lot of Dee Gordon.

8: Seth Johnson, RHP

Seth Johnson was the Rays competitive balance pick (40th overall) in the 2019 draft. Johnson’s development path is very similar to Greg Jones in that both were drafted from smaller colleges and had their full season debuts delayed until 2021 thanks to the pandemic, making their plus talent development akin to a well kept secret.

Johnson started out as a shortstop in college before moving to the mound the season before he was drafted. He had the velocity that wowed scouts. His four seam fastball sat in the 95-97 range and he could top out at 100.

At age-23, he was old for his placement at Charleston (A), but he has only been pitching for a couple years. This reality is both a positive and a negative. There’s less wear and tear on the arm but at the cost of experience.

Johnson’s results were impressive. He put up a 2.88 ERA and 3.71 FIP. He posted a big strikeout rate (29.0%) and an average walk rate (8.3%).

Johnson throws a 95-97 mph fastball that tops out at 100 as his primary pitch. He adds a mid 80s slider and upper 70s curveball as his secondary weapons of choice. He will rarely throw a changeup. His repertoire is very similar to Shane Baz.

9: Carlos Colmenarez, SS

Carlos Colmenarez was the highest profile signing from the 2019 international free agent class. Unfortunately he hasn’t been able to appear in many games. The Rays don’t typically assign their IFA signings to the DSL the summer they are signed. Then in 2020 there wasn’t a minor league season. This year he broke his hamate limiting him to 114 plate appearances in the Dominican Summer League.

Colmenarez hit .247/.319/.289 and put up a 79 wRC+. As expected his power was very limited after returning from a hamate break. This coming year year we should be able to see what he is capable of.

Colmenarez is a shortstop with the hands to stay in the middle infield. He should be assigned to Charleston (A). Of all picks in the top ten this is the most likely to blow up in either direction. He very well could be the top prospect in the system or he could be towards the bottom of this list or even off it, given the years without formal play. But if you were looking to place bets on the next big name to come out of the Rays system, this might be it.

10: Willy Vasquez, SS

Willy Vasquez was signed by the Rays as an international free agent in 2019.

Vazquez played in the Gulf Coast League (Rookie). He put up a .288/.382/.411 line and put up a 116 wRC+. He hit two homers and stole 16 bases. He was promoted to help the Charleston (A) team in the playoffs as the Rays had to move players around. He hit a three-run triple in the deciding game.

Many scouts are talking about Vasquez in the way they talked about Willy Adames after the David Price trade. He’s a team leader that has excellent exit velocities. At this point he has more contact and less power than Adames had. Vasquez is not as far along in the development path as he hasn’t seen play out of complex ball and just turned 20, so there’s a long way to go.

The Adames comps continue on the defensive side. Vasquez has grown since signing with the Rays. He currently can play shortstop but could outgrow the position (6’0” when signed and now stands at 6’3”) and be pushed to third base where his bat will have to take a step forward to justify this ranking.

11: Carson Williams, SS

Carson Williams was the Rays first round pick (28th overall) in the 2021 draft. After the draft he was assigned to the Gulf Coast League (Rookie) where he hit .282/.404/.436 and put up a 130 wRC+ over 47 plate appearances.

There’s not a lot to add from Scott Grauer’s piece from the draft.

12: Cole Wilcox, RHP

Cole Wilcox was acquired by the Rays from the Padres in the Blake Snell trade. The Padres drafted Wilcox with their third round pick (80th overall) in the 2020 draft, where his above-slot bonus of $3.3MM was more in line with the 20th overall pick ($3,242,900). He was generally ranked in the 20-30 range on draft boards, so he was a back end of the first round pick in reality.

At the University of Georgia, Wilcox had a tremendous start to his sophomore season before the pandemic cancelled the rest of the season. He put up a 1.57 ERA over 23.0 innings collecting 32 strikeouts and issuing 2 walks.

The 2021 season started well in Charleston (A). He put up a 2.03 ERA and 2.40 FIP over 44.1 innings. He was too experienced for the level but dominated.

Wilcox throws an upper 90s fastball and has a wipeout slider that sits in the high 80s. The changeup is a solid third pitch, but is the weak link as of now.

The bad news is Wilcox underwent Tommy John surgery in September, so he will miss the 2022 season. In the mean time, he’s formed a podcast with teammate Nick Schnell.

13: Sandy Gaston, RHP

The Rays signed Sandy Gaston as an international free agent in 2018 out of Cuba. He received a $2.61M signing bonus thanks to the ability to hit 100 as a 16 year old.

Gaston split time between the Gulf Coast League (Rookie) and Charleston (A) where he put up a 3.60 ERA and 4.48 FIP over 50.0 innings.

The good news is he still throws gas. He sits in the 95-97 mph range with his four seam fastball. He throws an upper 80s changeup and lower 80s curveball as his primary offspeed and breaking ball options.

The bad news is he lacks control. He did improve in 2021, but that improvement was from a 20.9% walk rate to 16.6%. He gets a ton of whiffs (33.2% strikeout rate), but the control has to improve. This could limit him to a relief role in the future, but time is on his side.

14: Jonathan Aranda, IF

The Rays signed Jonathan Aranda as an international free agent out of Mexico in 2015.

For four years he posted solid results but nothing that stood out. That changed in 2021. In 411 plate appearances split between Bowling Green (A+) and Montgomery (AA) he hit .330/.418/.543 and put up a 164 wRC+. He started hitting for power with 14 homers and a .213 ISO as more balls started to be hit in the air. He was able to do this with a good walk rate (10.2%) and strikeout rate (18.5%).

Defensively he has played all over the infield. In 2021 he played first base (390.0 innings), second base (264.0 innings), shortstop (90.2 innings), and third base (114.0 innings). It’s very likely he might be limited to first base, but could also fill in all around the infield as needed, but the real value is in his bat.

The bat is real and the Rays believed in it enough to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. I feel like this is going to be the guy we’re furthest off on and feel, if his positional home were more certain, he could be pushing for the top five.

15: Heriberto Hernandez, OF

Heriberto Hernandez was acquired by the Rays in the Nate Lowe trade from the Texas Rangers. While with the Rangers, Hernandez mostly moved from behind the plate to the outfield and even played some first base. In his first season with the Rays he played exclusively in the corner outfield.

Hernandez hit .252/.381/.453 and put up a 125 wRC+ over 320 plate appearances with Charleston (A). He hit 12 homers and stole 7 bases. There is a lot of swing and miss (28.1% strikeout rate) but he brings power (.201 ISO) and a great walk rate (15.3%). He could use to swing more earlier in the count to avoid getting in so many two strike counts to limit the strikeouts as he advances.

Hernandez should be assigned to Bowling Green (A+).

16: JJ Goss, RHP

JJ Goss was selected by the Rays with their competitive balance pick (36th overall) in the 2019 draft.

Goss has three above average pitches and an advanced approach on the mound. His four seam fastball sits in the 94-96 mph range. An upper 80s slider is his breaking ball of choice and a mid to upper 80s changeup is his go to off-speed pitch.

Goss was limited to 10.1 innings due to a shoulder impingement, but was able to make a handful of rehab appearances in the Gulf Coast League (Rookie) at the end of the season.

I’d expect he’ll get assigned to Charleston (A) but it is possible he could start the season with Bowling Green (A+) or see an early season promotion if he’s healthy.

17: Nick Bitsko, RHP

Nick Bitsko was the Rays first round pick (24th overall) in the 2020 draft. Bitsko was one of the big movers as the draft approached due to impressive bullpen data.

Unfortunately Bitsko hasn’t been able to make his professional debut after undergoing shoulder surgery to address a torn labrum in late 2020, an injury that has far less of an established track record to full recovery than elbow surgeries.

Bitsko is expected to make his debut in 2022.

18: Austin Shenton, IF

Austin Shenton was acquired in the Diego Castillo trade with the Seattle Mariners. He was selected by the Mariners with their fifth round pick in the 2019 draft.

Shenton had an impressive year at the plate. He hit .295/.398/.549 and put up a 152 wRC+ mostly at the A+ level but received a late season promotion to AA after the trade. He hits for power with 14 homers and 32 doubles on the season in 372 plate appearances. He has good plate discipline putting up a 12.6% walk rate and 23.4% strikeout rate.

Defensively he has the arm and athleticism to stay at third, but could be a candidate to move to first base.

19: Cooper Kinney, 2B

Cooper Kinney was selected by the Rays with their competitive balance pick (34th overall) in the 2021 draft. Daniel Russell published his notes at the time of the MLB draft.

Kinney played a couple of weeks in the Gulf Coast League (Rookie). He hit .286/.468/.371 and put up a 144 wRC+ over 47 plate appearances. He walked (21.3%) more than he struck out (19.1%).

20: Kameron Misner, OF

Kameron Misner was acquired this winter from the Miami Marlins for All-Star Joey Wendle. He was selected by the Marlins with their competitive balance pick (35th overall) in the 2019 draft.

Misner hit .253/.355/.433 and put up a 118 wRC+ mostly in A+ but received a late season promotion to AA. He has a good idea of the strike zone and is able to drive the ball. The biggest thing holding him back is the 29.4% strikeout rate. He walks a lot (12.3%), but will have to keep the strikeouts in check as he advances to the upper minors.

Misner should be assigned to Montgomery (AA) in his first season with the organization.

Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images

21: Blake Hunt, C

Blake Hunt was acquired in the Blake Snell trade with the Padres. He was the competitive balance pick (69th overall) in the 2017 draft.

There was a lot of hype surrounding a swing change just before the trade. He hits for power but the strikeout rate has ballooned to 30.7%. He had a disappointing season in Bowling Green (A+) hitting .225/.307/.427 and putting up a 96 wRC+. Things got worse after being promoted to Montgomery (AA) where he hit .125/.210/.161 over 63 plate appearances.

Defensively he has a cannon for an arm and is a plus defender behind the plate, and is known for his framing. This will give him a large margin for error when it comes with the bat. Currently he looks a lot like Mike Zunino with a tick less power.

Hunt is eligible for the Rule 5 draft and the Rays chose not to protect him at this time. He’s not MLB ready but he is somebody that I wouldn’t be surprised if a team took a shot on.

22: Ian Seymour, LHP

Ian Seymour was the Rays second round pick (57th overall) in the 2020 draft out of Virginia Tech.

Seymour started the season with Charleston (A) but saw time with Bowling Green (A+) and Durham (AAA). Due to an elbow injury that delayed the start to his season he was limited to 55.1 total innings. However once he was healthy he was dominant, posting a 1.95 ERA and 2.98 FIP. He posted a 40.7% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate.

Seymour’s stuff ticked up after the draft adding a couple miles per hour to his fast ball to move it from low 90s to mid 90s. His best pitch is a plus to plus-plus changeup that he challenges hitters within any count. He has a slider that he can manipulate to act like two pitches that can be thrown from low to high 80s.

Seymour throws from the extreme third base side of the mound and comes at an angle that could make him a candidate to move to the first base side and be a nightmare for left handed bats out of the bullpen.

23: Ford Proctor, C

Ford Proctor was drafted by the Rays in the third round (92nd overall). He was originally drafted as a second baseman but has converted to catcher. The progress behind the plate has made him a reasonable option behind the plate in the near future.

Proctor hit .244/.381/.419 and put up a 127 wRC+ for Montgomery (AA). He saw a big increase in power (.175 ISO) as he’s gotten the ball in the air more. It’s come at an increase of almost 10% in strikeout rate posting a 26.2% strikeout rate. He has a great eye at the plate and posted a career best 16.5% walk rate.

Proctor should be assigned to Durham (AAA). He looks very similar to John Jaso at the plate or even better if he is able to keep the power while bringing his strikeout rate down closer to his pre-2021 rate.

24: Colby White, RHP

Colby White was drafted by the Rays in the sixth round of the 2019 draft. White rocketed through the minors in 2021. He started the season in Charleston (A) but made stops in Bowling Green (A+), Montgomery (AA), and ended the season in Durham (AAA).

White was mostly used as a traditional reliever with the occasional two inning stint. Over 62.1 innings he posted a 1.44 ERA and 2.09 FIP. He posted a ridiculous 45.0% strikeout rate and 6.5% walk rate.

White throws a firm fastball in the upper 90s that sits 95-97 mph and will occasionally touch 100. He throws a fastball that has elite spin efficiency that plays up in the zone. His upper 80s slider is his secondary weapon of choice, but lags his fastball in quality. He’s the best relief prospect the Rays have had since Diego Castillo.

This saw the biggest range in our individual rankings. He made my personal top ten as a near MLB ready impact reliever, but didn’t make two of the four lists.

25: Tommy Romero, RHP

Tommy Romero was acquired in the Alex Colome and Denard Span trade from the Seattle Mariners.

Romero has performed at every level he’s been assigned. In 2019 he posted a sub 2.00 ERA for Port Charlotte (A+). He didn’t miss a beat during his time with Montgomery (AA) and Durham (AAA). In 110.1 innings he posted a 2.61 ERA and 2.85 FIP. His strikeout rate (33.3%) was impressive and he limits walks (7.1%).

Romero doesn’t have a standout pitch but throws a 93-95 mph fastball, a 79-82 mph curveball, and 84-86 mph changeup.

Romero’s development path looks similar to Yonny Chirinos and should be one of the first options when a starter gets injured. The Rays had many options for this role and chose to protect Romero from the Rule 5 draft.

@DurhamBulls

26: Jacob Lopez, LHP

Jacob Lopez was acquired by the Rays in a trade for Joe McCarthy from the San Francisco Giants. Lopez was the Giant’s 26th round selection in the 2018 draft.

Lopez had a projectable frame that has turned into stuff. He put up a 2.41 ERA and 3.03 FIP over 59.2 innings split between Bowling Green (A+) and Montgomery (AA). He posted a 39.5% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate.

Unfortunately Lopez underwent Tommy John surgery late in the year and will miss the 2022 season. Prior to the injury he was looking like a must to protect from the Rule 5 draft, but was left unprotected. It wouldn’t surprise me if a team took a shot knowing he will miss the entire season and use him out of the bullpen in 2023.

27: John Doxakis, LHP

John Doxakis was the Rays second round selection (61st overall) in the 2019 draft.

Doxakis had a positive full season debut split between Charleston (A) and Bowling Green (A+). Over 102.0 innings he posted a 3.97 ERA and 3.30 FIP. He gets his fair share of strikeouts (27.6%), but where he shines is limiting walks (4.6%).

Doxakis has a repertoire that is similar to Ryan Yarbrough. His fastball sits in the 90-92 mph range. His best pitch is a 82-84 mph changeup. He adds a 86-88 mph slider that gets action more like a cutter.

Doxakis was far more experienced than the batters he faced and he should be looking for a more aggressive promotion to Montgomery (AA) to start the 2022 season.

28: Brendan McKay, LHP

Brendan McKay was the Rays fourth overall pick in the 2017 draft. He’s thrown 49.0 MLB innings so will graduate once he completes one more inning.

Injuries have derailed a promising career. The stuff looked like a middle of the rotation starter when he made his MLB debut in 2019. However he missed the entire 2020 season and threw only 12.2 mediocre minor league innings in 2021. There’s no way to sugar coat it. The stuff has not returned after suffering multiple arm injuries. It’s looking like he will end up going down a similar path to Brent Honeywell Jr. at this point.

It’s possible the Rays might have to look into moving him back to the field full time to salvage any useful production.

29: Jayden Murray, RHP

Jayden Murray was a 23rd round selection in the 2019 draft by the Rays. As a college senior he signed for next to nothing, but has put up impressive results.

In his first full season in the minors he posted a 2.16 ERA and 3.86 FIP over 96.0 innings split between Bowling Green (A+) and Montgomery (AA). He posted solid strikeout rates (26.4%) and a very good walk rate (4.7%).

Murray’s fastball sits in the 93-95 mph range and plays well up in the zone. The 84-86 mph slider is his secondary pitch of choice that will flash plus. His 83-85 mph changeup is a work in progress.

Murray doesn’t have much upside but has the stuff that could play in the back of the rotation if he’s able to improve his changeup.

Murray should be assigned to Montgomery (AA) to start the season and see a promotion to Durham (AAA) during the season.

30: Osleivis Basabe, 2B/SS

Osleivis Basabe was acquired by the Rays in the Nate Lowe trade with the Texas Rangers.

Basabe started the season in Charleston (A) and saw a late season promotion to Bowling Green (A+) for the playoffs. He hit .282/.347/.388 and put up a 102 wRC+. He is a contact hitter (13.8% strikeout rate) that does a good job balancing his aggression at the plate with a 8.6% walk rate. At this point there is very little impact contact, but could see improvement as he matures physically.

Basabe has split time between second base and shortstop. He does not currently have the arm to be an everyday shortstop, but would make an excellent second baseman.

***

DRaysBay Preseason Top-30 Rays Prospects for 2022

1. Shane Baz, RHP
2. Josh Lowe, OF
3. Vidal Brujan, 2B/OF
4. Taj Bradley, RHP
5. Greg Jones, SS/OF
6. Curtis Mead, IF
7. Xavier Edwards, 2B/OF
8. Seth Johnson, RHP
9. Carlos Colmenarez, SS
10. Willy Vazquez, SS
11. Carson Williams, SS
12. Cole Wilcox, RHP
13. Sandy Gaston, RHP
14. Jonathan Aranda, IF
15. Heriberto Hernandez, OF
16. JJ Goss, RHP
17. Nick Bitsko, RHP
18. Austin Shenton, IF
19. Cooper Kinney, 2B
20. Kameron Misner, OF
21. Blake Hunt, C
22. Ian Seymour, LHP
23. Ford Proctor, C
24. Colby White, RHP
25. Tommy Romero, RHP
26. Jacob Lopez, LHP
27. John Doxakis, LHP
28. Brendan McKay, LHP
29. Jayden Murray, RHP
30. Oslives Basabe, 2B/SS

Just missed: Ruben Cardenas, Calvin Faucher, Antonio Jimenez, Michael Mercado, Victor Munoz, Rene Pinto, Ryan Spikes, Alika Williams