A Minor Review of 2017: Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays have an incredibly toolsy system with lots of potential littered throughout the minors. I could see quite a few Rays prospects breaking out into legit Top 100 prospects in 2018 — with another large contingency contributing at the big league level.

First Taste of The Show: Jose Alvarado, LHP: This fire-balling left-hander would probably be getting more press if he was in the Yankees or Dodgers system. His fastball sat at 98 mph in his MLB debut. He threw it 75% of the time but the mix of velo and sink makes him an incredibly overpowering arm. His curveball gives him a second potentially-plus pitch. Alvarado showed solid control in The Show with fewer than three walks per nine innings but he averaged close to six in the minors. If he made adjustments that will stick, Alvarado is a ninth-inning boss. If his control takes a step back in 2018 then he’s move of a seventh-inning guy.

The Stud: Brent Honeywell, RHP: One of the top pitchers in the minors, Honeywell is also one of the most unique. He has a good fastball but he also comes at hitters with a plus screwball, a cutter and a changeup. There is also a curveball in the back pocket. There may be some concern about his long-term longevity given the unknown factor with throwing such a rare pitch in the screwball but he’s been healthy to date. After spending most of 2018 in triple-A, Honeywell could be ready for a big league role this spring and he has the ceiling of a No. 2 or 3 starter.

The Draft Pick: Brendan McKay, 1B/LHP: Brent Honeywell above is unique but McKay is even more special. He’s a top college performer — and was selected fourth overall in the draft — as both a pitcher and a hitter, and all indications suggest he’ll continue to do both in pro ball. It’s a fun story but hard to imagine both abilities developing at the same rate — especially given the split focus. I’m guessing the offensive potential — including plus power and strong on-base skills — will be too hard to ignore by the time he reaches double-A and he’ll give up pitching for the most part. Fielding wise, he’s best suited to first base but his arm would be wasted there so the outfield could be his ultimate landing spot.

The Riser: Jesus Sanchez, OF: An impressive but raw athlete, Sanchez could end up with five above-average tools. I could see him having 25+ homer potential in his prime. He has the speed to steal 20 bases and play above-average defence in center but he needs a lot of work in both of those areas to be truly impactful at the highest level. Like a lot of young hitters, Sanchez needs to be more patient but he does a nice job of keeping the strikeouts in check. Expect to hear a lot more about him in 2018 as he moves up to high-A ball and up the ranks in top prospect lists.

The Sleeper: Justin Williams, OF: Williams, 22, already has five minor league seasons under his belt after signing out of high school as a 17 year old. He had an underrated season in double-A in 2017 while trimming his strikeouts and increasing his walk rate (a long-standing need). He also stung the ball for a line-drive rate of more than 22% — and hit a career high 14 home runs, which much more in the tank to come. He’s a natural hitter who has batted close to .300 in every season. Like Jesus Sanchez, Williams has a chance to truly breakout in 2018 but he’s also much more advanced and should reach the Majors this year.