{"id":126041,"date":"2026-01-21T06:53:31","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T06:53:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/126041\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T06:53:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T06:53:31","slug":"2026-tampa-bay-rays-top-fantasy-baseball-prospects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/126041\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Tampa Bay Rays Top Fantasy Baseball Prospects"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Rays perpetually have one of the best farm systems in baseball. Each year, it seems they turn up a new prospect for dynasty managers to fall in love with. While Junior Caminero<\/a> is finding success, few others have found that level of dominance at the major league level. Even keeping this in mind, the Rays\u2019 Farm System is extremely deep. There is dynasty value to be had all the way to the bottom of this top 20 list.<\/p>\n

This article is part of a series focusing on each MLB team\u2019s top 20 prospects for fantasy baseball heading into the 2026 season.\u00a0Stay tuned for prospect breakdowns for all 30 teams throughout January here at Pitcher List, and be sure to check out all our published pieces in the series here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The Top Tier<\/p>\n

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1) Theo Gillen<\/a> \u2013 OF, 20 YO<\/p>\n

2025 Stats (A): .267 AVG | .433 OBP | .387 SLG | 5 HR | 36 SB | 23.1 K% | 19.8 BB%<\/p>\n

Theo Gillen<\/a> has played in fewer than 100 professional games. Drafted 18th overall in 2024, Gillen played eight games in his draft season. He was then limited to only 73 games in 2025 due to a calf injury to start and a finger injury to end his season. While durability is a concern, Gillen\u2019s production on the field was incredible. In just one season with the team, the Rays adjusted and simplified Gillen\u2019s swing. His hands start more loaded, and his swing has added lift to better launch the ball. Standing at 6\u20192\u2033, Gillen\u2019s profile has the projectability that you look for. These swing adjustments make reaching his ceiling all the more likely.<\/p>\n

Turning his raw power into game power is the biggest key to determining how high Gillen\u2019s ceiling will become. However, the rest of his profile is enough to grab the attention of dynasty managers. Gillen is a strong athlete with great speed. This helps him defensively in the outfield as well as on the bases. His 600-PA pace for stolen bases last year was 67 steals. Gillen also demonstrated impressive polish at the plate. Despite being only 19 years old, Gillen showed off an excellent understanding of the strike zone while also posting a strong 74.6% contact rate. Gillen\u2019s hit tool and speed give him a stable floor moving forward. He ranks first here based on the belief that his game power will take a step forward in 2026. There is 20\/30 upside here.<\/p>\n

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2) Brody Hopkins<\/a> \u2013 SP, 24 YO<\/p>\n

2025 Stats (AA): 116.0 IP | 2.72 ERA | 28.7 K% | 12.2 BB%<\/p>\n

Brody Hopkins<\/a> was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft by Seattle out of Winthrop College. After seeing his stuff tick up while working with Seattle\u2019s pitching development team, Tampa swooped in and grabbed him as part of the Randy Arozarena<\/a> trade. In a season and a half with his new organization, Hopkins has continued to put up strong numbers while flashing significant stuff. His stuff was on full display in the MLB All-Star Futures Game, where he pitched a 1-2-3 inning on just nine pitches. Hopkins\u2019 dynasty value seems to be at an all-time high entering 2026.<\/p>\n

The stuff is what grabs the attention of dynasty managers. Hopkins has a fastball that sits in the upper 90s and a sweeper that gets nearly 15\u2033 of horizontal break. Beyond that, he also features a high 80s\/low 90s changeup that keeps lefties off balance and a curveball that works nicely off his slider. Hopkins starts his delivery from the far left side of the rubber. He gets low with a high-effort arm motion and throws from a unique low arm slot that creates some deception. A deep arsenal with deception bodes well for Hopkins\u2019 major league projection, but his control remains a question mark. Hopkins will need to harness his stuff to reach his full potential.<\/p>\n

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3) Carson Williams<\/a> \u2013 SS, 22 YO<\/p>\n

2025 MiLB Stats (AAA): .213 AVG | .318 OBP | .447 SLG | 23 HR | 22 SB | 34.1 K% | 12.4 BB%<\/p>\n

2025 MLB Stats: .172 AVG | .219 OBP | .354 SLG | 5 HR | 2 SB | 41.5 K% | 5.7 BB%<\/p>\n

Starting towards the end of 2023 and throughout most of 2024, Carson Williams<\/a> was rapidly rising up prospect ranking lists. Williams was drafted 28th overall by Tampa in the 2021 draft. The 6\u20192\u2033 projectable righty had all of the athleticism and upside that dynasty managers dream of. His combination of power and speed gave him as much upside as nearly any prospect in baseball. He is also an excellent defender at short, which is what earned him his major league debut last season.<\/p>\n

Williams played 32 games at the major league level last season. Although a small sample, there were valuable takeaways for dynasty managers. Williams\u2019 hit tool, which was concerning throughout his minor league career, was fully exposed against major league pitching. Williams whiffed 38.3% of the time and chased 29.2% of the time. His pitch recognition, especially against breaking balls, is a major concern moving forward. For all of the concerns that his hit tool has, Williams still ranks third here. Why? Because the upside is too high to overlook. The speed and power are still present in his profile. He has 30\/30 upside if he can hit enough to maintain an everyday role.<\/p>\n

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4) Aidan Smith<\/a> \u2013 OF, 21 YO<\/p>\n

2025 Stats (A+): .237 AVG | .331 OBP | .388 SLG | 14 HR | 41 SB | 31.2 K% | 11.5 BB%<\/p>\n

Heading into 2025, it seemed as though the stars were aligning for an Aidan Smith<\/a> breakout season. After Smith was acquired by the Rays at the 2024 trade deadline, he dramatically reduced his strikeout rate in 20 games with his new organization. This can be the issue with putting too much credibility into a 20-game sample. The toolsy Smith once again struggled with strikeouts in 2025. His contact rate dropped by 5% from 2024 to 2025. This makes 2026 a crucial season for Smith\u2019s development.<\/p>\n

Similar to Carson Williams<\/a> just above him, Smith\u2019s potential remains enticing for dynasty managers. Smith once again stole 41 bases (for the second year in a row) and set a career-high in home runs with 14. Smith has a great feel for getting to his pull side. His physicality, strong bat speed, and powerful swing suggest there is significant game power for him to continue developing. His potential power and speed combination give him enough upside to remain patient despite his struggles last season. For those looking for a silver lining, Smith slashed .308\/.379\/.500 from August 13 forward last season. Here\u2019s to hoping this 20-game sample carries over to 2026.<\/p>\n

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5) Tre\u2019 Morgan<\/a> \u2013 1B\/OF, 23 YO<\/p>\n

2025 Stats (AAA): .274 AVG | .398 OBP | .412 SLG | 8 HR | 8 SB | 19.2 K% | 15.9 BB%<\/p>\n

Tre\u2019 Morgan<\/a> is not your stereotypical first base prospect. Typically, first base prospects are big power hitters who lack elite athleticism but more than make up for it with their ability to belt home runs. Morgan, however, is a great athlete. He is an excellent fielder at first base and has proven capable of being able to handle left field. He runs well for a first baseman and projects to be a threat to steal 10-15 bases at the major league level. The flip side to that is that Morgan lacks elite power. He has never hit more than 10 home runs in a professional season. His underwhelming game power is creating a great buy opportunity for dynasty managers.<\/p>\n

The third round pick from 2023 may not have 30-HR game power. However, Morgan makes up for that with strong production in a variety of other areas. For starters, his glove will keep him in the lineup. Whether at first base or in the outfield, Morgan should be a regular. Second, Morgan has a great hit tool. His left-handed stroke is smooth and easy. He hits a ton of line drives, uses the whole field, and makes contact at an above average rate. He has an excellent understanding of the strike zone and should maintain double-digit walk rates at the major league level. As weird as it may be for a first base prospect, Morgan projects as a prototypical leadoff hitter. He projects to have great on-base skills, hit for a strong average, steal a handful of bases, and score a ton of runs. He has become an underrated prospect in dynasty communities.<\/p>\n

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6) Anderson Brito<\/a> \u2013 SP, 21 YO<\/p>\n

2025 Stats (A+):\u00a049.1 IP | 3.28 ERA | 31.1 K% | 13.4 BB%<\/p>\n

While Jacob Melton<\/a> was viewed by many as the headline prospect heading back to Tampa in the three-team trade earlier this offseason, Anderson Brito<\/a> is the true prize. Brito was signed by the Astros out of Venezuela prior to the 2024 season. He was so dominant in seven DSL appearances that the Astros moved him up to the Complex League, where he made just one start before moving to full-season ball. Part of the reason Brito has moved quickly is his age. Unlike most international signings, Brito is already 21 years old. Do not let the age scare you away. Brito has been dominant everywhere he has pitched. After being limited to only 49.1 innings last season, Brito went to the AFL, where he struck out a whopping 22 batters in only 11.1 innings.<\/p>\n

Brito\u2019s success comes on the back of phenomenal stuff. His fastball sits in the upper 90s with the ability to hit triple digits at times. He gets good late life on the pitch with at least average iVB. His sweeper is his money strikeout pitch. The pitch dives away from righties and generated a 60% whiff rate in the AFL this past year. He also features a curveball, which complements the sweeper nicely, and a changeup, which is currently more of a show-me offering but has flashed plus potential. Standing at only 5\u201910\u201d, size and durability are the biggest concerns moving forward. Brito could see his dynasty value reach new heights with the Rays\u2019 organization in 2026.<\/p>\n

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7) Santiago Suarez<\/a> \u2013 SP, 21 YO<\/p>\n

2025 Stats (A+\/AAA):\u00a051.2 IP | 3.14 ERA | 25.7 K% | 3.8 BB%<\/p>\n

Ho-hum, another successful season for Santiago Suarez<\/a>. Suarez played just one season with the organization that signed him back in 2022 (Miami) before being traded to Tampa Bay. Since joining the Rays, Suarez has flourished into an extremely underrated dynasty prospect. In three seasons, Suarez has posted walk rates of 4.7%, 4.7%, and 3.8%. Suarez\u2019s command and control are incredible. There is nothing special to Suarez\u2019s wind-up. The 6\u20192\u2033 righty\u2019s delivery is smooth, consistent, and easily repeated. He generates nearly 7\u2032 of extension on his pitches, allowing them to play up against opposing batters. Suarez finished 2025 at Triple-A and seems poised to make his major league debut in 2026.<\/p>\n

Suarez\u2019s primary pitch is his four-seam fastball. The pitch sits in the mid-90s with about 15\u2033 of iVB. He locates the pitch exceptionally well all over the zone with good arm-side run. Off of that, he mixes a cutter, slider, and curveball. The three pitches tunnel extremely well together, all working just slightly off of each other. He has good feel and command for all three and can locate them in any count. A mediocre strikeout rate has suppressed his dynasty value, but his floor is about as high as any prospect in the Rays\u2019 system<\/p>\n

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Prospects Dynasty Managers Should Know<\/p>\n

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8) Brendan Summerhill<\/a> \u2013 OF, 22 YO<\/p>\n

2025 Stats (A): .333 AVG | .429 OBP | .444 SLG | 0 HR | 5 SB | 11.9 K% | 14.3 BB%<\/p>\n

In three years at the University of Arizona, Brendan Summerhill<\/a> proved to be one of the best pure hitters in all of college. Summerhill has a pretty left-handed swing. He controls the barrel and strike zone extremely well. He makes contact at a high rate, uses the whole field, and hits a ton of line drives. Although he did not run much in college, Summerhill is a plus runner and an elite center field defender. His ranking here is based on the hope that the Rays can get Summerhill to tap into some more of his 6\u20193\u2033 raw pop. If they can do that, the sky is the limit for Summerhill\u2019s dynasty value.<\/p>\n

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9) Cooper Flemming<\/a> \u2013 SS, 19 YO<\/p>\n

2025 Stats: DNP<\/p>\n

The Rays selected Cooper Flemming<\/a> 53rd overall in last year\u2019s draft. A prep shortstop out of California, Flemming has all of the tools to turn into one of the game\u2019s top prospects quickly. He stands at 6\u20193\u2033 and is a great athlete. Flemming makes all the plays at shortstop and projects to be a plus runner. Currently, his frame is projectable but lacks the muscle necessary to hit for plus game power. However, he is only 19 years old and has time to grow into that. Flemming starts at ninth on this list, but could move up quickly in 2026.<\/p>\n

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10) Jacob Melton<\/a> \u2013 OF, 25 YO<\/p>\n

2025 MiLB Stats (AAA): .286 AVG | .389 OBP | .556 SLG | 6 HR | 12 SB | 20.0 K% | 14.7 BB%<\/p>\n

2025 MLB Stats: .157 AVG | .234 OBP | .186 SLG | 0 HR | 7 SB | 37.2 K% | 7.7 BB%<\/p>\n

A surprise acquisition from Houston this off-season, Jacob Melton<\/a> will have the chance to earn an everyday role with Tampa this off-season. Melton has significant raw power and has flashed plus athleticism throughout his professional career. He has the upside that fantasy managers desire, but he will need to hit consistently enough to earn regular playing time. There is platoon risk here in an organization that loves to platoon its hitters.<\/p>\n

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11) T.J. Nichols<\/a> \u2013 SP, 23 YO<\/p>\n

2025 Stats (A+\/AA):\u00a0133.2 IP | 2.90 ERA | 29.8 K% | 5.7 BB%<\/p>\n

T.J. Nichols<\/a> deserves way more recognition than he is getting. A sixth-round pick from 2023, Nichols has put up stellar numbers since moving to professional ball. His career-high strikeout rate is backed up by stuff that should grab the eyes of dynasty managers. His fastball sits 95-97 mph with good arm-side run. Where Nichols really stands out is with his big sweeping slider and a changeup, which disappears down. Nichols\u2019 continuing success in the upper levels of the minor leagues is the next step in his development, which should come in 2026.<\/p>\n

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12) Colton Ledbetter<\/a> \u2013 OF, 24 YO<\/p>\n

2025 Stats (AA): .265 AVG | .337 OBP | .378 SLG | 7 HR | 37 SB | 23.9 K% | 9.5 BB%<\/p>\n

In Colton Ledbetter<\/a>\u2019s first professional season, he hit 16 home runs and stole 34 bases. That power disappeared last year, leaving his long-term outlook clouded. Ledbetter still has good speed, plus power potential, and a consistent swing that produces a ton of line drives. However, Ledbetter also struggles against lefties and needs to hit for power consistently to produce for dynasty managers. He still ranks 12th here, but 2026 is a make-or-break season.<\/p>\n

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13) Xavier Isaac<\/a> \u2013 1B, 22 YO<\/p>\n

2025 Stats (AA): .201 AVG | .366 OBP | .446 SLG | 9 HR | 1 SB | 29.7 K% | 19.4 BB%<\/p>\n

Drafted 29th overall in 20222, Xavier Isaac<\/a> was hailed as the next great first base power prospect. He flashed that power in 2023 and parts of 2024, although a high strikeout rate was always a red flag. Isaac\u2019s hit tool struggles caught up to him in 2025. He continued to struggle with strikeouts and failed to show any improvements against lefties (he hit just .063 against them last season). Isaac is a high-upside prospect with significant long-term risk.<\/p>\n

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14) Daniel Pierce<\/a> \u2013 SS, 19 YO<\/p>\n

2025 Stats:\u00a0DNP<\/p>\n

The team\u2019s first-round pick from 2025 checks in at 14th overall on this list. This is not meant as a slight to Pierce, who is a strong real-life prospect with a bright future ahead of him. However, Pierce\u2019s value is defined by his defense. He has great instincts and is a plus athlete, but lacks the projectable upside that some of the prospects above him possess. He is a plus runner and plus defender who does not project to have much power. This caps his fantasy outlook moving forward.<\/p>\n

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15) Caden Bodine<\/a> \u2013 C, 22 YO<\/p>\n

2025 Stats (A): .326 AVG | .408 OBP | .349 SLG | 0 HR | 0 SB | 16.3 K% | 10.2 BB%<\/p>\n

Caden Bodine<\/a> was the key piece in the trade this past December that sent Shane Baz<\/a> to Baltimore. Bodine, a first-round pick in 2025, was one of the more polished college bats selected with plus plate discipline and contact skills. The concern is with how this translates to fantasy value. Bodine does not hit for much power and is not a runner. He is a below-average athlete and projects as a better real-life player than fantasy asset.<\/p>\n

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The Next Five<\/p>\n

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Although these prospects do not crack the top 15, dynasty managers should keep their eye on these five players:<\/p>\n

Slater de Brun<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 18 YO \u2013 A smaller outfielder with a strong hit tool, good speed, and great defense who projects to be a better real-life player than fantasy asset.<\/p>\n

Michael Forret<\/a> \u2013 21 YO \u2013 Recently acquired right-handed pitcher with intriguing stuff but some skepticism over how his fastball will play in the upper levels of the minor leagues.<\/p>\n

Ty Johnson<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 24 YO \u2013 Right-handed pitcher who pitches exclusively from the stretch but has the fastball\/slider combination to grab the attention of dynasty managers.<\/p>\n

Brayden Taylor<\/a> \u2013 23 YO \u2013 First-round pick from 2023 who has good speed and decent pop, but has struggled to hit consistently since transitioning to pro ball.<\/p>\n

Cooper Kinney<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 22 YO \u2013 Second base prospect who struggles to hit lefties and has a suspect hit tool.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Rays perpetually have one of the best farm systems in baseball. Each year, it seems they turn…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":126042,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[135,137,136],"class_list":["post-126041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126041"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126041\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/126042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=126041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=126041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}