Rays announce Minor League award winners

The Tampa Bay Rays have announced the winners of their 2025 Minor League awards:

Minor League Player of the Year: Infielder Bob Seymour

Seymour, 26, hit .263/.327/.553 (106-for-403) with 21 doubles, three triples, a career-high 30 home runs, 87 RBI, 38 walks and 70 runs scored over 105 games for Triple-A Durham in his fifth season as a Rays farmhand.

At the time of his Aug. 15 major-league promotion, Seymour’s 30 home runs were tied with Spencer Jones for the most in the minors, and his 87 RBI ranked third. He also paced the International League (IL) in total bases (223), tied for first in extra-base hits (54), was third in slugging percentage, fourth in runs scored, seventh in OPS (.880) and tied for seventh in hits. Despite making his last appearance for the Bulls on Aug. 13, his 30 home runs still lead the IL and are fourth most among all minor leaguers. He became the fourth Bull since at least 2006 to record a 30-homer season, joining Tristan Gray in 2023 (30) and 2022 (33), Dan Johnson (30), in 2010 and Kevin Witt (36) in 2006.

Seymour slashed .315/.386/.697 (28-for-89) with six doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 26 RBI and 22 runs scored over 22 games in June, setting monthly career highs (min. 40 plate appearances) in slugging percentage, OPS (1.083), extra-base hits (16), RBI and runs scored. He and Tristan Peters (27) both recorded the most RBI by a Bulls hitter in a calendar month since Mike Brosseau (27) in May 2019. Seymour was named IL Player of the Week for June 9-15, his first career weekly award, after going 8-for-21 (.381) with five extra-base hits, including three home runs, and 9 RBI in a six-game series vs. Charlotte.

On July 4 vs. Norfolk, Seymour went 3-for-5 with a season-high 6 RBI in a 9-1 win, tying a career high with three extra-base hits, including a double and two home runs. From July 25-27, he homered in a season-high three consecutive games, tying the longest streak by a Bulls hitter in 2025 and capping a two-month stretch spanning June and July in which he hit 15 home runs in 40 games. On Aug. 12 vs. Nashville in his penultimate game with Durham, Seymour went 4-for-4 with a career-high-tying three home runs, one of two three-homer games by Rays farmhands this season along with Durham’s Tres Barrera on April 4 vs. Sugar Land.

Selected in the 13th round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of Wake Forest University, Seymour had his contract selected on Aug. 15 and made his major league debut the same day at San Francisco. He notched his first career hit on Aug. 17 at San Francisco and his first home run on Aug. 20 vs. New York-AL.

Minor League Pitcher of the Year: Right-handed pitcher T.J. Nichols

Nichols, 23, is 13-3 with a 3.01 ERA (128.2IP, 43ER), 152 strikeouts, 27 walks, a 1.03 WHIP and a .225 (105-for-467) opponent batting average over 24 appearances (23 starts) between Double-A Montgomery (five starts) and Class-A Bowling Green (19 appearances/18 starts) following an Aug. 5 promotion. He leads the Rays system in wins and strikeouts, the latter of which he ranks 10th in the minors.

Nichols went 10-3 with a 3.63 ERA (96.2IP, 39ER), 119 strikeouts and 21 walks over 19 appearances (18 starts) with Bowling Green. He was named Rays Minor League Pitcher of the Month for July after going 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA (22.1IP, 4ER) in four starts. At the time of his Aug. 5 promotion to Montgomery, he led High-A pitchers in wins and strikeouts.

In five starts since his Biscuits debut on Aug. 7 vs. Pensacola, he has gone 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA (32.0IP, 4ER), 33 strikeouts, six walks and a 0.84 WHIP while holding opponents to a .198/.237/.283 (21-for-106) slash line. Over that span, his ERA leads Double-A and ranks fourth among all full-season minor leaguers. He was named Southern League Pitcher of the Week for Aug. 11-17, his first career weekly award, after throwing a career-high-tying seven shutout frames on Aug. 15 at Charlotte, his second Double-A start.

A sixth-round selection by the Rays in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Arizona, Nichols is rated as the Rays No. 20 prospect by MLB.com.

Relief Pitcher of the Year: Right-handed pitcher Alexander Alberto

Alberto, 23, made 42 relief appearances across stints with Class-A Charleston (11 games) and Class-A Bowling Green (31 games), going a combined 2-2 with a 2.59 ERA (48.2IP, 14ER), 64 strikeouts, 21 walks and a 1.17 WHIP. He began the year with Charleston, posting a 1.98 ERA (13.2IP, 3ER), 0.73 WHIP and .130 (6-for-46) opponent batting average. At the time of his May 13 promotion, it marked the third-best WHIP in the Carolina League (min. 10.0 IP). He went 2-2 with a 2.83 ERA (35.0IP, 11ER) in 31 games with Bowling Green, tallying 45 strikeouts against 17 walks. From his May 15 Hot Rods debut on, his 31 appearances were tied for second most among South Atlantic League pitchers.

The right-hander held opponents scoreless in 33 of his 42 outings and kept them hitless in 20 of 42. He did not allow an earned run in nine straight relief appearances from July 22 to Aug. 16.

The native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic was signed as an international free agent on Nov. 25, 2019.

Defensive Player of the Year: Outfielder Aidan Smith

Smith, 21, appeared in 86 games for Class-A Bowling Green in center field, eight games in right field and eight games at designated hitter this season. He committed two errors with eight assists on 235 total chances spanning 804.1 innings in the outfield. His .991 fielding percentage was the seventh best among High-A outfielders with at least 650.0 innings.

The native of Tulsa, Oklahoma was named the South Atlantic League Player of the Week for Aug. 25-31, his third career weekly award and first as a member of the Rays system. Tabbed as the Rays No. 6 prospect by MLB.com, Smith was acquired from the Seattle Mariners alongside right-handed pitcher Brody Hopkins and right-handed pitcher Ty Cummings for outfielder Randy Arozarena on July 26, 2024. Smith will play for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League this coming offseason.

Baserunner of the Year: Outfielder Homer Bush Jr.

Bush Jr., 23, swiped an organization-best 57 bases in 67 attempts (85.1 pct.) across 117 games with Double-A Montgomery. He joined Chandler Simpson, the Rays Baserunner of the Year in each of the last two seasons (2023-24), as the only Biscuits since 2005 with a 50-steal campaign. He is one of five full-season minor leaguers to steal 50 bases or more while batting .295 or better in 2025. The outfielder was named Southern League Player of the Week for Aug. 4-10 after going 12-for-23 (.522) with 6 RBI and 10 stolen bases in a six-game series vs. Pensacola.

Bush Jr. was acquired from the San Diego Padres alongside right-handed pitcher Dylan Lesko and catcher J.D. Gonzalez for right-handed pitcher Jason Adam on July 28, 2024. He is ranked as the Rays No. 23 prospect by MLB.com.

Erik Walker Community Champion: Infielder Kamren James

Named after former Rays minor league pitcher Erik Walker, who died tragically in 2006 following his first season in professional baseball, the award annually recognizes a Rays minor leaguer who exemplifies teamwork, sportsmanship and community involvement. James was selected from a field that included nominees from each Rays affiliate. The Rays Baseball Foundation will make a $2,500 donation in James’ name to his chosen charity.

“This season, Kam has exemplified what it means to be a good teammate. In a tough and somewhat thankless role, he has continued to show up with a great attitude and put in hard work each day," said Biscuits General Manager Mike Murphy. "Kam always makes time to talk with fans and sign autographs for kids pre- and postgame. This year, he has been an amazing representative of the Biscuits and the Rays organizations, and I was happy to nominate him for the Erik Walker Community Award."

James has featured at six different positions this season for Double-A Montgomery including left field (17 games), first base (12 games), third base (nine games), catcher (four games), designated hitter (two games) and pitcher (one game).

The 25-year-old was selected in the 16th round of the 2022 First-Year Player draft out of Mississippi State University. Additional nominees for the award included Logan Workman (Durham), Noah Myers (Bowling Green), Theo Gillen (Charleston) and Juanfel Peguero (FCL).

The Rays also announced the Most Valuable Players for each of their seven affiliates:

Triple-A Durham MVP: Outfielder Tristan Peters

Peters, 25, has hit .263 (115-for-437) in 124 games with Triple-A Durham, recording 25 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 67 RBI, 60 walks, 67 runs scored and a .769 OPS. He was named the Rays Minor League Player of the Month for June after slashing .385/.486/.670 (35-for-91) with 11 doubles, five home runs, 27 RBI and a 1.156 OPS in 25 games. He reached base safely in 24 of the 25 games and hit safely in 21 of them. On June 24 vs. Memphis, he tallied a career-high 6 RBI, clubbing his second professional grand slam.

The native of Winkler, Canada had his contract selected and made his major league debut on Aug. 8 at Seattle, becoming the fourth Canadian-born player to play for the Rays and the first since Erik Bedard in 2014. He is currently ranked as the No. 28 prospect in the Rays organization by Baseball America. The outfielder was acquired from the San Francisco Giants for infielder Brett Wisely on Nov. 15, 2022.

Double-A Montgomery Co-MVP: Catcher Tatem Levins

Levins, 26, has slashed .248/.410/.391 (75-for-302) in 98 games for Double-A Montgomery with 20 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 54 RBI, 77 walks and 50 runs scored. He leads the Southern League in on-base percentage, ranks second in walks, third in OPS (.801) and eighth in slugging percentage. The backstop is the only qualified Rays full-season farmhand in 2025 to record a .400 or better on-base percentage and is pacing to become the seventh different Tampa Bay full-season minor leaguer to reach the mark while adding 20 doubles or more since 2021.

Across 37 games in May and June, Levins batted .308 (32-for-104) with eight doubles, three home runs, 19 RBI, 21 runs, a .482 on-base percentage and a .953 OPS. Among Double-A hitters with 125 plate appearances or more during that stretch, he turned in the fourth-best OPS. He was acquired from the Seattle Mariners for catcher Blake Hunt on Nov. 6, 2023.

Double-A Montgomery Co-MVP: Right-handed pitcher Ty Johnson

Johnson, 23, went 7-5 with a 2.52 ERA (107.1IP, 30ER) and a 0.93 WHIP in 25 games (19 starts) for Double-A Montgomery. Opposing hitters batted .172 (63-for-367) against the right-hander, the lowest mark among qualified Southern League (SL) pitchers. He also ranked highly in the SL in WHIP (2nd), strikeouts (T2nd, 142) and ERA (3rd). His 0.932 WHIP is the third lowest among qualified full-season minor league pitchers and is the second lowest by a full-season Rays minor leaguer over the last five seasons (2021-25), trailing only Taj Bradley (0.929) in 2021 (min. 100.0 IP).

He is currently ranked as the No. 19 prospect in the Rays organization by MLB.com and the No. 20 prospect by Baseball America. The native of Rockwall, Texas was acquired from the Chicago Cubs alongside infielder/outfielder Christopher Morel and right-handed pitcher Hunter Bigge for infielder Isaac Paredes on July 28, 2024.

Class-A Bowling Green MVP: Infielder Émilien Pitre

Pitre, 22, hit .268/.356/.393 (120-for-448) with 23 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 63 RBI, 61 runs and 14 stolen bases in 118 games for Bowling Green. He paced the South Atlantic League in hits, was second in total bases (176), third in batting average and doubles, fourth in RBI, fifth in on-base percentage, tied for fifth in extra-base hits (35) and was sixth in both slugging percentage and OPS (.749). He reached base safely in 101 of his 118 games and hit safely in 75 of them.

The native of Repentigny, Canada put together a 32-game on-base streak from April 11 to May 21, the longest at the High-A level in 2025. He was selected in the second round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Kentucky and is currently ranked as the No. 28 prospect in the Rays organization by MLB.com.

Class-A Charleston MVP: Right-handed pitcher Jose Urbina

Urbina, 19, went 7-2 with a 2.05 ERA (92.1IP, 21ER) and 96 strikeouts in 19 starts for the RiverDogs. He allowed three earned runs or fewer in all 19 starts and tallied eight quality starts. The right-hander finished the season tied for the sixth-most strikeouts in the Carolina League. Between June 1 and July 30, he went 5-0 with a 0.79 ERA (45.2IP, 4ER), a 0.94 WHIP and a .185 (29-for-157) opponent average. Among all full-season minor leaguers with 30.0 innings pitched or more during that span, his ERA was third best and was the lowest in Low-A.

The No. 12 prospect in the Rays organization (MLB.com), Urbina was promoted to Class-A Bowling Green on Sept. 6. He made his lone start with the Hot Rods the following day, going 4.0 innings with two runs allowed on four hits and two home runs with five strikeouts. He was signed as an international free agent on Jan. 15, 2023.

Rookie-level FCL Rays MVP: Infielder Alberth Palma

Palma, 19, went 41-for-129 (.318) in 44 games in the Florida Complex League (FCL) with one double, four triples, 24 RBI, 27 runs, 33 walks, 15 stolen bases and a .462 on-base percentage. He led the FCL in several categories, including batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, triples, stolen bases and walks (T1st). He also ranked highly in RBI (2nd), runs scored (T2nd), hits (T2nd), total bases (3rd, 50) and extra-base hits (T6th, 5). He was named to the FCL’s postseason All-Star team.

The native of Barinas, Venezuela was promoted to Class-A Charleston on July 25 at the conclusion of the FCL season. Palma was signed as an international free agent on Jan. 15, 2023.

Rookie-level DSL Rays MVP: Infielder Emmanuel Cedeño

Cedeño, 17, batted .304 (48-for-158) with four doubles, one triple, one home run, 23 RBI, 48 walks, 14 stolen bases and a .466 on-base percentage in 47 games in his first professional season. He reached base in 45 of 47 games, including a 22-game on-base streak to begin the season streak (June 2–July 5) and a 21-game on-base streak to close the year (July 14–Aug. 19).

A first-time DSL All-Star, he led qualified DSL Rays in walks and on-base percentage while ranking highly in games played (2nd), hits (2nd), runs (2nd, 35), stolen bases (2nd) and RBI (T3rd). He was signed as an international free agent on Jan. 15, 2025.

Rookie-level DSL Tampa Bay MVP: Infielder Andreimi Antunez

Antunez, 18, slashed .369/.447/.517 (65-for-176) with nine doubles, seven triples, one home run, 43 RBI, 38 runs scored, 13 stolen bases and a .964 OPS across 49 games. Among all Dominican Summer League (DSL) players, he ranked highly in average (2nd), triples (T2nd), hits (T6th) and RBI (T8th). He produced a 22-game on-base streak from July 14 to Aug. 18, which included a 12-game hitting streak (July 15–Aug. 7). His .369 batting average was the best by a Rays farmhand in the DSL since 2015.

Antunez was selected for the AL roster at the DSL All-Star Game. He also earned DSL Player of the Week honors for Aug. 4-10 after going 11-for-21 (.524) with one double, one home run, 6 RBI, four runs scored, two stolen bases and a 1.297 OPS in five games. He was signed as an international free agent on Jan. 15, 2024.