Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2013 (4) | 2012 (11) | 2011 (3) | 2010 (1) | 2009 (4)
2013 Affiliate Records
MLB: [92-71] AL East
AAA: [87-57] International League – Durham
AA: [71-69] Southern League – Montgomery
A+: [67-65] Florida State League – Charlotte
A: [82-56] Midwest League – Bowling Green
A(ss): [38-37] New York-Penn League — Hudson Valley
Graduated Prospects
Wil Myers (OF); Chris Archer (RHP); Alex Torres (LHP); Josh Lueke (RHP)
The Run Down
The Tampa farm took a big hit in the high-impact department with the graduation of Wil Myers and Chris Archer, and furthermore when Taylor Guerrieri went down to Tommy John surgery in July. What’s left is an organization that’s seemingly void of top shelf fantasy prospects. Even so, it’s probably unwise to sleep on this group — the Rays have a superb player development system that take its time with prospects, often churning out fantasy relevance from the places we’d least expect. There is plenty of potential in this organization, and even though it’s not the most exciting brand of potential, you can sure as shizz count on Tampa to get the most out of it.
Top Ten Fantasy Prospects
1. Taylor Guerrieri, RHP: Guerrieri was dealt a major developmental setback when injury forced him to undergo Tommy John surgery last summer. The 21-year-old, however, still offers the best fantasy upside in the org. Drafted 24th overall in 2011, he’s yet to get a full season under his belt, but with great athleticism, projectable size, and two plus offerings, the long-term appeal is quite clear. Don’t lose sight of Guerrieri during TJ recovery. ETA: 2017
2. Andrew Toles, OF: Toles’s best asset is speed, and he put that weapon on display in the Midwest League last season, stealing 62 bags in 121 games with Bowling Green. The hit tool also showed significant promise in his first full season of pro ball, as the 21-year-old batted .326/.359/.466 with 53 XBH (2 HR) in 552 PA. There doesn’t figure to be much power in the equation, but if Toles can continue to reach base as he climbs the ladder, he should develop into an exciting player for the fantasy game. ETA: 2016
3. Enny Romero, RHP: From my top 50 for 2014 post, where Romero came in at #46: “Romero will compete this spring for a gig in the Ray’s rotation, and judging by stuff alone, he’d be the favorite to win the job. If he does secure a rotation role, his excellent fastball-curve combo should lead to quality whiff totals. At worst, Romero should find his way into a late-innings bullpen role, where he could still offer some fantasy relevance.” ETA: 2014
4. Alex Colome, RHP: Colome features a filthy FB/CB/CH arsenal that should probably have him projecting better than Romero, but staying on the field has been a struggle for the 25-year-old. 157 IP is his career high, and that came back in 2011. In 2012 and 2013, he turned in IP totals at just 91 and 86, respectively. This is all to say that Colome might be better suited for bullpen work than for a rotation gig. I think we’ll see him in a relief role in Tampa in 2014, but on the off chance that he works his way into the Rays rotation, he still offers solid upside. ETA: 2014
5. Ryan Brett, 2B: Brett batted .340/.396/.490 through 51 games at High-A Charlotte before being promoted to Montgomery and regressing to a .238/.289/.400 line during the last two months of the MiLB season. It’s common to see a player take a step back upon reaching the upper levels, so don’t be too discouraged by the the 22-year-old’s Double-A performance. Brett brings a stick-first profile and plenty of speed to the middle infield, and we all know how valuable that can be for fantasy purposes. Look for much better production at Montgomery in 2014. ETA: 2015
6. Jake Odorizzi, RHP: Odorizzi brings a ton of polish and that makes him the favorite to earn the #5 spot in the Rays rotation to begin 2014. The upside here, though, isn’t spectacular. Without plus stuff, the 23-year-old needs to rely on command and deception, and it’s a rarity that pitchers of this mold end up being more than back-end starters. Still, Odorizzi’s presumed opportunity is reason enough to keep him on your radar. ETA: 2014
7. Hak-Ju Lee, SS: Lee was batting .422/.536/.600 through 15 Triple-A games last April when a nasty collision at second base resulted in a season-ending knee injury. The 23-year-old is a superb defender at short, and much of his prospect status rides on that aspect of his game, but with 30+ SB potential and enough stick to bat in the .270 neighborhood, he should be able to offer enough fantasy relevance to be rostered in mixed leagues. ETA: 2014
8. Richie Shaffer, 3B: Shaffer showed big potential with the bat during his college days at Clemson, leading to a first round selection in 2012, but he’s yet to translate that potential into success at the professional level, hitting .265/.329/.416 with 15 HR through 155 games in his first two seasons. I still believe he has the tools to develop into a useful fantasy piece, but the soon-to-be 23-year-old will need to show us something soon, as he’s set to play Double-A ball this spring. ETA: 2015
9. Ryne Stanek, RHP: The 29th overall pick last June, Stanek features an impressive FB/CB/CH repertoire, but he’s yet to put it on display at the professional level, as the Rays opted to delay his pro debut until 2014. There were some delivery concerns with the 22-year-old, which has some speculating that Tampa held him out of pro ball last summer in order to tweak mechanics. Regardless, we should see Stanek at a full-season assignment this spring. ETA: 2016
10. Nick Ciuffo, C: Ciuffo possesses great receiving ability, and plus grades for his all around defensive tools, but he’s more of a real life prospect than a fantasy prospect. Drafted 21st overall last June, the 19-year-old has plenty of time to prove his worth with the stick, but for the time being, Ciuffo’s value is mostly wrapped up in the fact that he projects to get plenty of big league starts behind the dish. ETA: 2017
2013 Tampa Bay Rays MiLB Preview
