2017 Tampa Bay Rays Top 10 Prospects Insider
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Talent Infusion: Draft Report Card
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SEASON IN A SENTENCE: The Rays were the one team never in contention in the AL East as they posted a losing record in every month—save a 2-0 October—and ultimately finished with the second-worst record in the American League.
HIGH POINT: In an otherwise lost season, franchise icon Evan Longoria homered on three straight days from Sept. 15-17 to set a new career-high in home runs. Longoria’s second blast gave him 34 longballs to surpass his previous best of 33 set in 2009, and he finished the year with 36.
LOW POINT: The Rays worked their way to just one game under .500 on June 15 at 31-32, but the bottom fell out dramatically. They went 4-25 over their next 29 games, including separate losing streaks of eight and 11 games, to virtually end their season by the all-star break. Rays pitchers had a 5.69 ERA during the miserable 29-game stretch while the offense hit .234 with a .288 OBP.
NOTABLE ROOKIES: Lefthander Blake Snell, the 2015 Minor League Player of the Year, made his MLB debut in April and came up for good in June. He went 6-8, 3.54, struck out 9.9 batters-per-nine innings and had the lowest ERA on the team among starters. Outfielder Mikie Mahtook, who looked good in a 105 at-bat cameo in 2015, hit just .195 with 68 strikeouts in a larger audition. Knuckleballer Eddie Gamboa made his debut in September at age 31 and had a 1.35 ERA in seven outings.
KEY TRANSACTIONS: The Rays resisted a full fire sale but traded lefty Matt Moore to the Giants in exchange for infielder Matt Duffy and two of San Francisco’s top prospects, infielder Lucius Fox and righthander Michael Santos. Outfielder Brandon Guyer was sent to the Indians for two minor leaguers and first baseman/outfielder Steve Pearce was traded to the Orioles in exchange for minor league catcher Johan Heim. The Rays may have given up on underachieving players in outfielder Desmond Jennings, released on Aug. 27, and shortstop Tim Beckham, the No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft. He was sent down Aug. 31—in the midst of a 10-game hitting streak—after a pair of baserunning gaffes and wasn’t brought back to the majors, even after Triple-A Durham’s season ended.
DOWN ON THE FARM: Willy Adames continued to stake his claim as the Rays’ shortstop of the future by showing power, speed, and defensive excellence at Double-A Montgomery. Adames, first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers (.274, 14 HR), and righthanders Brent Honeywell (3-2, 2.28) and Chih-Wei Hu (7-8, 2.59) led the prospect-rich Biscuits to the Southern League playoffs. High Class A Bowling Green and Rookie-level Princeton reached the Midwest and Appalachian League playoffs respectively, while short-season Hudson Valley reached the New York-Penn League championship series.
OPENING DAY PAYROLL: $64,120,323 (29th)
— Kyle Glaser
| BEST TOOLS | |
| Best Hitter for Average | Jake Bauers |
| Best Power Hitter | Casey Gillaspie |
| Best Strike-Zone Discipline | Casey Gillaspie |
| Fastest Baserunner | Jake Fraley |
| Best Athlete | Josh Lowe |
| Best Fastball | Ryne Stanek |
| Best Curveball | Austin Franklin |
| Best Slider | Jaime Schultz |
| Best Changeup | Chih-Wei Hu |
| Best Control | Austin Pruitt |
| Best Defensive Catcher | Nick Ciuffo |
| Best Defensive Infielder | Willy Adames |
| Best Infield Arm | Richie Shaffer |
| Best Defensive Outfielder | Jake Fraley |
| Best Outfield Arm | Eleardo Cabrera |
| PROJECTED 2020 LINEUP | |
| Catcher | Nick Ciuffo |
| First Base | Jake Bauers |
| Second Base | Brad Miller |
| Third Base | Evan Longoria |
| Shortstop | Willy Adames |
| Left Field | Justin Williams |
| Center Field | Kevin Kiermaier |
| Right Field | Josh Lowe |
| Designated Hitter | Casey Gillaspie |
| No. 1 Starter | Chris Archer |
| No. 2 Starter | Blake Snell |
| No. 3 Starter | Brent Honeywell |
| No. 4 Starter | Jake Odorizzi |
| No. 5 Starter | Chih-Wei Hu |
| Closer | Jaime Schultz |
| TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE | ||
| Year | Player, Pos. | 2016 Org |
| 2007 | Delmon Young, of | Did not play |
| 2008 | Evan Longoria, 3b | Rays |
| 2009 | David Price, lhp | Red Sox |
| 2010 | Desmond Jennings, of | Rays |
| 2011 | Matt Moore, lhp | Giants |
| 2012 | Matt Moore, lhp | Giants |
| 2013 | Wil Myers, of/3b | Padres |
| 2014 | Jake Odorizzi, rhp | Rays |
| 2015 | Willy Adames, ss | Rays |
| 2016 | Blake Snell, lhp | Rays |
| TOP DRAFT PICKS OF THE DECADE | ||
| Year | Player, Pos. | 2016 Org |
| 2007 | David Price, lhp | Red Sox |
| 2008 | Tim Beckham, ss | Rays |
| 2009 | *LeVon Washington, of | American Association |
| 2010 | Josh Sale, of | Did not play |
| 2011 | Taylor Guerrieri, rhp | Rays |
| 2012 | Richie Shaffer, 3b | Rays |
| 2013 | Nick Ciuffo, c | Rays |
| 2014 | Casey Gillaspie, 1b | Rays |
| 2015 | Garrett Whitley, of | Rays |
| 2016 | Josh Lowe, 3b | Rays |
| * Did not sign | ||
| LARGEST BONUSES IN CLUB HISTORY | |
| Matt White, 1996 | $10,200,000 |
| Rolando Arrojo, 1997 | $7,000,000 |
| Tim Beckham, 2008 | $6,150,000 |
| David Price, 2007 | $5,600,000 |
| B.J. Upton, 2002 | $4,600,000 |
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