MLB Pipeline unveils Tampa Bay Rays Top-30 prospects for 2021

This year’s list was anchored by returning beat writer Adam Berry.

MLB Pipeline has unveiled their rankings for the top 30 prospects in the Tampa Bay Rays system.

The Tampa Bay Rays had already featured eight prospects among MLB’s top 100 with Wander Franco topping the list once again for the second consecutive year. The 20 year old wunderkind tops a Rays list that was ranked as the best farm system in baseball by MLB Pipeline.

What makes the Rays farm system even more exciting is the proximity of their top prospects to the big leagues. Among their top 30 prospects, the Rays top 6 overall all are estimated to reach the Majors during the upcoming season, and the rest of their top 10 all figure to be in the Show at some point during the 2022 campaign.

MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 Rays Prospects:

1. Wander Franco, SS
2. Luis Patino, RHP
3. Randy Arozarena, OF
4. Vidal Brujan, 2B/SS
5. Brendan McKay, LHP
6. Shane McClanahan, LHP
7. Xavier Edwards, 2B/SS
8. Shane Baz, RHP
9. Taylor Walls, SS
10. Greg Jones, SS
11. Cole Wilcox, RHP
12. Nick Bitsko, RHP
13. Josh Lowe, OF
14. Joe Ryan, RHP
15. Heriberto Hernandez, C/OF/1B
16. JJ Goss, RHP
17. Seth Johnson, RHP
18. Carlos Colmenarez, SS
19. Blake Hunt, C
20. Brent Honeywell, RHP
21. Josh Fleming, LHP
22. Drew Strotman, RHP
23. Alejandro Pie, SS
24. Taj Bradley, RHP
25. Kevin Padlo, 3B/1B
26. Ian Seymour, LHP
27. Osleivis Basabe, SS
28. Alika Williams, SS
29. Ford Proctor, INF/C
30. Jhon Diaz, OF

The Rays farm system is so good that it even entices players to choose to sign with Tampa Bay with former team ace, Chris Archer, noting the depth as a factor in his decision to return to the club, per Adam Berry’s write up:

“It’s just crazy how talented the Rays farm system is. That was part of the draw in coming back, knowing that not only the 25 to 35 guys that we’ll use in the season are good...”
- Rays RHP Chris Archer

With their core mainly in tact from their pennant winning season in 2020 and the game’s best farm system, the Rays have built themselves into a perennial contender for the foreseeable future.