Top 50 graphic design by Michael Packard, @CollectingPack on Twitter

Tampa Bay Rays

AL East
2025 record: 77-85 (4th)

MiLB affiliates
Triple-A: Durham Bulls
Double-A: Montgomery Biscuits
High-A: Bowling Green Hot Rods
Single-A: Charleston RiverDogs

2025 End-Of-Season farm system rank: #8
Jeremy Mahy’s organization take from our 2025 End-Of-Season Farm System Rankings:
The Rays do what the Rays do. They draft well. They develop well, Heck, they even trade well. Brody Hopkins, acquired in the Arozarena deal, took huge steps forward this year. Ty Johnson, acquired in the Isaac Paredes deal, was their Pitching Prospect of the Year. Even superstar Junior Caminero was acquired from the Guardians. The Rays are competitive every year because they just do it better than the rest.

2026 International Signings: Victor Valdez, SS (Dominican Republic) $3.5M, Fabrio Blanco, SS (Venezuela) $1M. Not included in the Top 50 rankings below. Would likely be slotted in Tier 5 and should show up in our next Rays prospects update.

Prospects1500 writers who contributed to this column and rankings: Greg Bracken (@gregbracken07), Scott Greene (@Scotty_Ballgame), Shaun Kernahan (@ShaunKernahan), J.W. Mulpas (@CLEBoxscoreBeat), and Jeremy Mahy (@JMahyfam). The writer’s Twitter handle follows each player write-up or paragraph.

Prospects1500 Tiers:
Tier 1: Players with high expectations of both making the majors and playing at an All-Star level for a number of years
Tier 2: Players with an above-average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 3: Players with an average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 4: Players who have the potential to make the majors; possible sleeper candidates for sustained MLB success
Tier 5: Players of interest, worth keeping an eye on, who may make (or have made) the majors but provide minimal impact

Levels listed for each player are the highest levels player reached in 2025

Tier 1

None

Tier 2

1. Theo Gillen, OF, 20, Single-A
Gillen, selected 18th overall by the Rays in the 2024 draft, made a strong impression in his first full pro season. He showed advanced plate discipline, walking (19.8%) nearly as often as he struck out (23.1%). He also swiped 36 bases with remarkable efficiency. Gillen was the only prospect in the minors to post a 150 wRC+ or higher, steal 35 or more bases, and walk at a rate above 17%. While his power numbers were modest (a .119 ISO), many believe the power will come as he continues to develop. His season was shortened to 73 games by injuries. A calf strain delayed his start and a hand fracture ended things early. Gillen is unlikely to debut in the majors before 2028, but his combination of on-base skills, speed, and power potential makes him one of the more underrated prospects in baseball. (@CLEBoxscoreBeat)

2. Carson Williams, SS, 22, MLB
Williams made his MLB debut in 2025 and hit a 410-foot home run to dead center in his first game. However, his overall numbers with the Rays were less-than-stellar. In 99 at-bats, he hit just .172 with a .573 OPS. That said, Williams has shown big power in the minors. He’s hit over 20 home runs at every level since High-A, but his high strikeout rates and swing-and-miss issues are hard to ignore. He especially struggled with velocity at Triple-A last season. He had just a .262 wOBA against 95+ mph pitches (league average was .335). Still, his defense at shortstop is elite and his range and athleticism make him a potential Gold Glove winner. If Williams can adjust to major league pitching and boost his contact skills, he has the tools to become an impact player. The Rays have to be excited about having Williams and Junior Caminero on the left side of their infield for years to come. (@CLEBoxscoreBeat)

3. Brody Hopkins, RHP, 24, Double-A
After being acquired from the Mariners in the Randy Arozarena deal, our Hopkins took a big step forward in 2025, spending the bulk of the year with Double-A Montgomery and cementing himself as one of the more intriguing arms in the system. The former two-way college standout logged 116 innings with a 2.72 ERA and 141 strikeouts, earning a Futures Game nod and consistently missing bats with his mid-90s fastball and plus slider combination. There’s still some polish needed — the walk rate can creep up at times — but the athleticism and starter traits are very real. Think future mid-rotation arm with upside for more, should continue to refine his command in 2026 before knocking on the door in Tampa Bay. (@Scotty_Ballgame)

Tier 3

4. Jacob Melton, OF, 25, MLB
5. Aidan Smith, OF, 21, High-A
6. Xavier Isaac, 1B, 22, Double-A
7. Santiago Suarez, RHP, 21, Triple-A
8. Daniel Pierce, SS, 19, High school
9. T.J. Nichols, RHP, 23, Double-A
10. Brendan Summerhill, OF, 22, Single-A
11. Anderson Brito, RHP, 21, High-A
12. Michael Forret, RHP, 21, Double-A
13. Slater de Brun, OF, 18, High school
14. Ty Johnson, RHP, 24, Double-A
15. Jadher Areinamo, SS/2B, 22, Double-A
16. Caden Bodine, C, 22, Single-A

Melton headlines this Tier 3 group and could move quickly after reaching the upper minors, bringing a polished college bat and defensive versatility that should have him knocking on the Triple-A door again in 2026. Smith and Isaac remain two of the more toolsy position players in the system — Smith with his athletic, up-the-middle profile and Isaac with the left-handed power that still offers 25+ HR upside if the hit tool continues trending up. Suarez and Nichols both took steps forward on the mound in 2025, with Suarez flashing advanced feel for his age and Nichols continuing to miss bats in a multi-inning role that could evolve into back-end starter or bulk relief value. Pierce, Summerhill and Brito give this tier a mix of speed and projection, with Pierce’s athleticism, Summerhill’s all-around offensive game and Brito’s long-term upside all worth monitoring as they climb a level. Forret quietly put together a solid year and looks ticketed for upper-minors depth, while de Brun and Johnson bring intriguing offensive traits that make them popular deeper dynasty stashes. Areinamo and Bodine round things out as developmental bats with defensive value, likely opening 2026 in the lower minors but very much on the radar if the approach and consistency take a jump. (@Scotty_Ballgame)

Tier 4

17. Brailer Guerrero, OF, 19, Single-A
18. Tre’ Morgan, 1B, 23, Triple-A
19. Gary Gill Hill, RHP, 21, Single-A
20. Jose Urbina, RHP, 20, High-A
21. Trevor Harrison, RHP, 20, High-A
22. Nathan Flewelling, C, 19, High-A
23. Austin Overn, OF, 22, Double-A
24. Adrian Santana, SS, 20, High-A
25. Dominic Keegan, C, 25, Triple-A
26. Cooper Flemming, SS, 19, High school

Injuries have slowed Guerrero’s development over his first two seasons, and his 2025 Single-A numbers won’t blow you away, but he has elite bat speed, and the hope is that a full season of ABs in 2026 will improve his timing and approach. Morgan makes excellent contact, is an above-average runner, a plus defender at first base, but has below-average power. Hill is a sinker-slider pitcher that really jumped on the scene in 2024, but last season in High-A his K rate dropped significantly, and his HR/9 increased. Urbina is an underrated arm for the Rays and will be one to keep an eye on in 2026 as a late season stint in Double-A as a 20-year-old is not out of the question. Harrison’s pure stuff is better than his results showed last year, he is just 20 years old, so the bumps in the road are to be expected. Flewelling is a plus defender behind the plate, but the bat is behind right now, not at all unexpected for 19-year-old catching prospect. Overn, acquired in the Baz deal, is a good defender in centerfield and if he can improve his approach he could up as a decent big league regular. Santana is a top-tier defender at shortstop with excellent speed and advanced strike zone control evidenced by his 12% K rate last season. Keegan could get a long look this spring as a candidate for the backup catcher for the Rays, just don’t expect significant impact from the bat. In a draft class full of high upside prep shortstops, Flemming might have been the best pure bat in the class and at 6-foot-3, there is room to fill out physically suggesting more future power. (@JMahyfam)

Tier 5

27. Dean Moss, OF, 19, High school
28. Jackson Baumeister, RHP, 23, Double-A
29. Cooper Kinney, 2B/3B, 23, Double-A
30. Homer Bush Jr., OF, 24, Double-A
31. Brayden Taylor, 3B/2B, 23, Double-A
32. Émilien Pitre, 2B, 23, High-A
33. James Quinn-Irons, OF, 22, Single-A
34. Marshall Toole, OF, 22, Single-A
35. Maykel Coret, OF, 18, Rookie (DSL)
36. Taitn Gray, C, 18, High school
37. Mac Horvath, OF/2B, 24, High-A
38. Dylan Lesko, RHP, 22, High-A
39. Owen Wild, RHP, 23, Double-A
40. Will Simpson, 1B, 24, Double-A
41. Gregory Barrios, SS, 21, Double-A
42. Raymer Medina, SS, 18, Rookie (DSL)
43. Angel Mateo, OF, 21, High-A
44. Warel Solano, 3B, 18, Rookie (DSL)
45. Joe Rock, LHP, 25, MLB
46. Narciso Polanco, 3B, 21, Single-A
47. Evan Reifert, RHP, 26, Triple-A
48. Ryan Andrade, RHP, 22, Single-A
49. Dominic Fritton, LHP, 22, College
50. Leonardo Pineda, OF, 18, Rookie (FCL)

Moss showed some intriguing swing-and-miss stuff in 2025 and profiles as organizational rotation depth for now, while Baumeister continues to work his way back into form, looking to translate his raw stuff into more consistent results as he likely returns to the upper minors. Bush Jr. brings athleticism and defensive versatility, but the bat will need to take a step forward to carve out more than a utility projection. Taylor and Pitre, both recent draftees, should spend 2026 settling into full-season ball, with Taylor’s pop and Pitre’s speed-driven profile giving them different developmental paths to watch. Quinn-Irons and Toole offer speed and on-base traits that fit the Rays’ mold, though both still have to prove it against upper-level pitching. Coret and Simpson remain more long-term plays, with Coret’s arm talent and Simpson’s raw power keeping them relevant in deeper formats. Medina has flashed starter traits but needs sharper command to avoid a bullpen outcome, Reifert’s strikeout ability could carry him quickly in a relief role, and Fritton looks like upper-minors depth who could factor into a Triple-A staff at some point in 2026. (@Scotty_Ballgame)

Author


Prospects1500 is your comprehensive dynasty league resource, featuring deep MLB/MiLB top prospect lists, news and rankings.


Greg covers the Toronto Blue Jays organization for Prospects1500. Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, a long-suffering fan of both the Blue Jays and the Toronto Maple Leafs. For more than 15 years now a participant/commish in many dynasty baseball leagues, all with extremely deep minor league rosters. Follow on X @gregbracken07.


President of Prospects1500. Founder of Diamond Duos dynasty fantasy baseball leagues and the MLB Fantasy Playoffs Parlay. Participant and champion in several dynasty/fantasy baseball and football leagues. Sales Manager for Reminder Publishing by day. Huge Bruce Springsteen and pro wrestling fan. Along with his wife and two boys, lives in Longmeadow, MA. Follow on Twitter at @Scotty_Ballgame.


Jeremy covers the St Louis organization and contributes on Prospects of the Week for Prospects1500. Born and raised in the Midwest, he is a lifelong fan of the Birds on the Bat. You can follow him on Twitter @JMahyfam for more baseball content.

“Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.” -Yogi Berra


J.W. resides in Northeast Ohio and is a lifelong Cleveland sports fan. His favorite baseball player of all-time is 2018 Hall of Fame inductee, Jim Thome. He enjoys playing Fantasy Baseball, especially dynasty leagues. He has been a contributor to Prospects1500 since January 2025. You can follow J.W. on X at @CLEBoxscoreBeat.