The Rays’ farm system may have lost a little of its shine in the first half of the 2025 season, but there are still bits of sun breaking through the Minors.
The organization boasted five Top 100 prospects entering the summer, but after MLB Pipeline’s in-season update on Monday, that number has dropped to two -- No. 47 Carson Williams and No. 67 Theo Gillen.
Williams has slipped from his higher standing to the middle of the list due to strikeout concerns at Triple-A, but since June 1, he’s hitting .255/.351/.527 with 14 homers and 11 steals in 52 games. He’s recorded his third straight 20-20 season in the Minors, and his defense at shortstop continues to be potentially Gold Glove quality.
Gillen -- last year’s 18th overall Draft pick -- drew a lot of support after hitting .271/.434/.394 with 34 steals in 70 games at Single-A Charleston this season; he should be challenged by less wild arms at upper levels, but his speed and early unwillingness to expand the zone have garnered attention from many. Xavier Isaac, Tre’ Morgan and Brayden Taylor were the three dropouts due to injury, down performance or a combination of both.
Five players from the 2025 Draft cracked Tampa Bay’s new Top 30, led by 14th overall pick Daniel Pierce. The Georgia native already looks the part at shortstop with plus speed and above-average arm strength, and his quick right-handed swing could help him hit the ground running offensively.
Here’s a look at the Rays’ top prospects:
- Carson Williams, SS (MLB No. 47)
- Theo Gillen, OF (MLB No. 67)
- Brody Hopkins, RHP
- Daniel Pierce, SS
- Xavier Isaac, 1B
Biggest jump/fall
Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the preseason list:
Jump: Jose Urbina, RHP (Preseason: No. 29 | Midseason: No. 12) -- A 2023 international signee out of Venezuela, Urbina caught some attention during his first two seasons stateside in ‘23 and ‘24 but has kicked things up a notch with a 1.94 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 86 strikeouts in 88 innings with Charleston. The 19-year-old right-hander sits at 95-97 mph with his fastball already and gets a ton of swing-and-miss on his mid-80s slider that sweeps across the zone. He could use more of a changeup eventually, but for now, these are impressive ingredients for a young starting pitching prospect.
Fall: Brayden Taylor, INF (Preseason: No. 3 | Midseason: No. 26) -- The 2023 19th overall pick entered the season as a Top 100 prospect with a jack-of-all-trades profile on the dirt. Unfortunately, he still hasn’t come close to mastering Double-A in a repeat of the level. Entering this week, he’s hitting just .168/.276/.274 with five homers and a 70 wRC+ over 82 games with Montgomery. He’s proven particularly allergic to sliders, whiffing on 44 percent of his swings against them this season, according to Synergy.
New to the list
Here are the players added to the Top 30 from outside the organization:
No. 4, Daniel Pierce, SS (Draft, first round)
No. 8, Brendan Summerhill, OF (Draft, Competitive Balance Round A)
No. 14, Dean Moss, OF (Draft, Competitive Balance Round B)
No. 16, Cooper Flemming, SS (Draft, second round)
No. 25, Everson Pereira, OF (Trade, Yankees for José Caballero)
No. 27, Taitn Gray, C/OF (Draft, third round)
Best tools
Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.
Hit: 60 -- Theo Gillen
Power: 70 -- Xavier Isaac
Run: 80 -- Homer Bush Jr.
Arm: 70 -- Carson Williams
Defense: 70 -- Williams (Tre’ Morgan, Bush)
Fastball: 70 -- Yoniel Curet
Curveball: 55 -- Santiago Suarez (Jackson Baumeister)
Slider: 60 -- Brody Hopkins
Changeup: 60 -- Ian Seymour
Control: 55 -- Suarez