Baseball fans in Tampa Bay are fortunate to have a minor league team to follow. The Tampa Bay Rays have a strong farm system that produces talented players who could potentially make it to the big leagues one day. In this article, we'll take a closer look at some of the top prospects in the Rays' minor league system.
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Wander Franco
Wander Franco is widely regarded as one of the best prospects in all of baseball, not just within the Rays' organization. The 20-year-old shortstop from the Dominican Republic has a smooth swing and impressive plate discipline. In 2019, he hit .327 with nine home runs and 53 RBIs across two levels of Single-A ball. Despite not playing any games in 2020 due to the pandemic, Franco is expected to start at Double-A Montgomery this season.
Vidal Brujan
Second baseman Vidal Brujan is another exciting prospect in the Rays' system. Known for his speed and defensive abilities, Brujan has also shown promise at the plate with a career batting average of .294 in four minor league seasons. He stole 48 bases in 2019 and was named a mid-season All-Star for Class-A Advanced Charlotte. Brujan will likely start at Triple-A Durham this year.
Brent Honeywell Jr.
Pitcher Brent Honeywell Jr.'s career has been plagued by injuries thus far, but when healthy, he's shown great potential on the mound. Honeywell was named MLB Pipeline's Pitcher of the Year back in 2017 after posting an impressive 1.24 ERA across three different minor league levels. He missed the entire 2018 and 2019 seasons due to injuries, but is expected to return to the mound this year.
Shane Baz
Acquired in the trade that sent pitcher Chris Archer to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Shane Baz is a hard-throwing right-hander who has impressed in his brief minor league career. In 2019, he posted a 2.99 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 81.1 innings pitched across two levels of Single-A ball. Baz has been praised for his fastball/slider combination and could be a key piece of the Rays' rotation in the future.
Xavier Edwards
Second baseman Xavier Edwards was acquired from the San Diego Padres as part of a trade for outfielder Tommy Pham. Though he's only played one full season in the minors, Edwards has already shown flashes of brilliance at just 21 years old. In 2019, he hit .322 with an impressive .375 on-base percentage and stole 34 bases across two levels of Single-A ball.
Taylor Walls
Shortstop Taylor Walls was drafted by the Rays in the third round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of Florida State University. Known for his defensive abilities, Walls has also shown promise at the plate with a career batting average of .268 in three minor league seasons. He hit .270 with six home runs and stole 29 bases across two levels of Single-A ball in 2019 and will likely start at Double-A Montgomery this season.