Week 22 of full minor league play brought another strong run of numbers for the Rays’ system, with Theo Gillen still sitting at the top of the organizational pecking order by FanGraphs. The outlet, which weighs age and proximity to the majors, has Gillen ranked third among all minor leaguers, and he’s joined near the top by Caden Bodine at No. 7.
On the mound, Aidan Cremarosa continues to hold the title of top Rays pitcher in the system even after missing several weeks on the Injured List. In his first professional season, the 22-year-old has put together a 2.82 ERA and 3.02 FIP with a 29.8 K% and 6.0 BB% across 76.2 innings in Single-A. FanGraphs had him 30th in the Rays’ system in its midseason rankings.
There’s also been a hot streak brewing in High-A, where Ryan Cermak has caught fire since August 26th. The 71st overall pick in the 2022 draft is hitting .389/.463/1.000 with seven home runs over 41 plate appearances during that stretch.
The Rays also resigned Austin Slater.
Jadher Areinamo missed all of August with an injury, but he was activated on September 2nd and promoted to Triple-A on September 5th. That puts him among the youngest players in Triple-A this season. Across Double-A and Triple-A, Areinamo is hitting .252/.296/.434 with 13 home runs and a 90 wRC+ in 313 plate appearances.
Baseball America’s latest DSL rankings included Rays infielder Victor Valdez at No. 16 among the top 35 prospects from the league this season. The site also examined how each first-round draft pick has performed so far.
At the Triple-A level, the Durham Bulls were on the wrong side of history last night when Thomas Pannone threw a perfect game against them for the Nashville Sounds, Milwaukee’s Triple-A club.
For the Rays’ affiliates, the offensive and pitching leaderboards tell a pretty clear story.
In Durham, Blake Sabol leads the club with a .250 average and .397 slugging percentage, while Tatem Levins tops the team in on-base percentage at .336 and wRC+ at 89. Sabol’s also the home run leader with 13, and Homer Bush Jr. leads the team with 36 stolen bases.
On the pitching side, Evan Reifert has been the headliner, pacing the Bulls in ERA at 2.48, FIP at 4.27, strikeout rate at 32.6%, WHIP at 1.18, batting average against at .177, and WHIFF% at 14.8%. Mason Englert leads the staff in walk rate at 4.3%.
Montgomery has seen Austin Overn stand out across the board. He leads the Biscuits in batting average at .309, on-base percentage at .402, slugging at .565, and wRC+ at 151. Will Simpson is the team’s home run leader with 26, while Mac Horvath has swiped 49 bags.
In Bowling Green, Ryan McCoy has been the best on-base and power combination in the lineup, leading the Hot Rods with a .414 OBP, .541 slugging percentage, and 145 wRC+. Tony Santa Maria is batting .291 and leads the team with 55 stolen bases, while Nathan Flewelling is out front with 21 home runs.
Charleston’s offense has been driven by Cooper Flemming and Taitn Gray. Flemming leads the River Dogs with a .298 average and 11 homers, while Gray owns the club’s best on-base percentage at .389, slugging percentage at .462, and wRC+ at 131. Alberth Palma has been the top base-stealer with 41.
Several prospects in the system also showed up in the Top 10 lists. Grady Emerson is hitting .176/.283/.216 with a 21.7 K%, 13.3 BB%, no home runs, two stolen bases, a 48 wRC+, and 60 plate appearances.
Cooper Flemming has put together a .298/.379/.450 line with 11 home runs, 16 steals, and a 126 wRC+ over 518 plate appearances. Taitn Gray has posted a .296/.389/.462 line with eight home runs, 13 steals, and a 131 wRC+ in 312 plate appearances.
In the complex league, he hit .333/.400/.611 with one home run and a 140 wRC+ in 20 plate appearances. He was placed on the 7-day Injured List on June 1, began a rehab assignment on July 14, and was activated from the IL on July 28.
Daniel Pierce is also among those top-10 names.
In Other News...
Rays Suddenly Have A Shortstop Problem They Must Solve Fast
Taylor Walls landing on the 10-day injured list changes the Rays infield picture at a point in the season when every lineup tweak gets magnified. The move, retroactive to September 6, comes after Walls was sidelined by a right hip flexor strain, and Tampa Bay turned to Triple-A Durham for a replacement by selecting infielder Nick Madrigal.
Madrigal brings major league experience mostly at second and third base, which gives the Rays a familiar glove even if the fit at shortstop is not the one they had planned. For now, the emphasis is on keeping the defense steady while Walls works his way back, and the next few days will show how much flexibility Tampa Bay needs to lean on to get through the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Judges Return Creates A New Problem Rays Fans Should Watch
Aaron Judge is back in the Yankees lineup for the first time since May 31, and his return changes the look of a division race that Tampa Bay has been trying to navigate one game at a time. New York activated its star slugger from the injured list and is easing him back in without a minor-league rehab assignment, a clear sign the Yankees are treating the next stretch as part of a larger push toward October.
For Rays fans, the immediate concern is less about one game and more about what Judges gradual ramp-up could mean over the coming weeks. The Yankees are managing his workload carefully as they chase a postseason spot, which means Tampa Bay may have to deal with a version of the lineup that only gets stronger as the summer wears on. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Face A Different Braves Plan For One Key Young Bat
The Braves came into their series against the Rays with a noticeably different look at the top of the lineup, and one of the most interesting shifts involved young catcher Drake Baldwin. After opening in the leadoff spot, Baldwin was moved down to cleanup, marking the first time he has batted there since July 11, as Atlanta tried to reset after a difficult series against the Phillies.
Manager Walt Weiss also rearranged the order around him, with Michael Harris II taking over leadoff duties and Ronald Acua Jr. and Matt Olson slotting in ahead of Baldwin. For Tampa Bay, it changes the early matchup picture against a Braves lineup that is still built around danger, but now asks a different kind of question about how Atlanta wants to deploy one of its emerging bats. [Read more 🡒]