2026 DRaysBay Community Prospect List: Vote for No. 1!

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Acquired in return for Danny Jansen at the 2025 trade deadline, Arienamo was promoted straight to Double-A by the Rays, and his success at that level carried over into the Venezuealan winter league, where his 1.112 OPS and 13 HR were each the second highest marks in the league. He’s considered to have a high baseball IQ, strong motor, excellent bat control, and defensive flexibility, any one of which could earn him an entertaining major league debut.

Caden Bodine, C22 | S/R| 5’10” | 200A (BAL) | .326/.408/.349 (133 wRC+) 49 PA, 0 HR, 0 SB, 5 BB, 8 K

Drafted 30th overall in 2025, Bodine was acquired in the Shane Baz trade. He profiles as a relatively safe prospect thanks to near-70 grade bat-to-ball skills, and comfortably-plus blocking and receiving behind the plate. There is some concern that his smaller frame limits him to fringe power, but those concerns are off-set by solid plate discipline from both sides of the plate; his sweeter swing is left handed. All catching prospects will see their value proposition shift with the challenge system, but his defensive actions, leadership, and receiving give him real value, projecting him as a solid major league contributor.

Anderson Brito, RHP21 | 5’10” | 155A+ (HOU) | 3.28 ERA, 2.91 FIP, 49.1 IP (12 GS), 31.1% K, 13.4% BB

Acquired in the Brandon Lowe trade, Brito has three plus pitches with a fastball that touches 100 with cut-ride, and two breakers in a mid-80s curveball with surprising depth and a mid-80s slider he commands best. He also mixes in a developing low-90s cutter and a scattershot but intriguing mid-80s changeup with strong velocity and movement separation, with some added deception from his smaller frame helping limit hard contact. The concern is command, as he’s posted below-average strike rates in A-ball across 2024–25 and lacks consistent feel outside the slider, leaving him to project as a high-leverage reliever for now. Still, with multiple plus pitches, improved durability, and meaningful command gains, he has mid-rotation starter upside, giving him the widest range of outcomes

Slater de Brun, OF18 | L/L | 5’10” | 187

Drafted 37th overall in 2025, through a draft pick traded by the Rays, de Brun was essentially re-acquired in the Shane Baz trade. Like many Rays outfield prospects he’s not expected to develop much power, but compensates with an ability to hit to all fields, and has the benefit of years to develop. His hit tool rates plus thanks to a quick, compact swing, and his double-plus speed elevates both his baserunning and range in center; he has a solid arm and can stick long term. The key to his development will be improving pitch selection to maximize his power potential. Despite not yet playing in a pro game, he’s a good bet to skip the complex league and debut in Charleston this season.

Theo Gillen, OF20 | L/R | 6’2” | 195A | .267/.433/.387 (151 wRC+) 324 PA, 5 HR, 36 SB, 19.8% BB, 23.1% K

Gillen fell to 18th overall in the 2024 draft due to shoulder and wrist injuries, despite being considered by some to be the best teenage bat in the draft. Now healthy, so far he has delivered on that promise, despite a calf injury early in the season and a hand injury while sliding that ended his year early by three weeks. The Rays moved him from short to center after drafting but that has so far not yielded any concerns; the power projection is still unknown. As things stand, Gillen has the floor of a major league contributor and the ceiling of an All-Star, but he has to stay on the field, and has a long way to go.

Brody Hopkins, RHP24 | 6’4” | 200AA | 2.72 ERA, 3.33 FIP, 116.0 IP (25 GS) 28.7% K, 12.2% BB

Hopkins was late to pitching, having done so essentially one season in college before being drafted in 2023, and accordingly has been refining his control throughout his pitching career. This was no different in 2025, as Hopkins saw his performance dramatically improve throughout the Double-A season. He’s a pure power pitcher, a rarity these days, but doesn’t allow much hard contact thanks to a plus-plus curveball, a promising in-development sweeper, a plus cutter, oh and a fastball that touches 100. He’s the type of starter that makes batters say “good luck” to the man in the on-deck circle during their walk back to the dugout. Given the quality of stuff and trajectory of performance, he might be one of the top prospects in baseball by mid-season.

Xavier Isaac, 1B22 | L/L | 6’3” | 240AA | .201/.366/.446 (144 wRC+) 175 PA, 9 HR, 1 SB, 19.4% BB, 29.7% K

Isaac had his season cut short large-in-part due to the discovery of a brain tumor, disrupting an otherwise great start to the season that duplicated his cup of coffee in Double-A as a 20-year old, despite some minor arm injuries along the way. He has the best power projection in the system, and if he can hold his own for a full season in 2026 — particularly against southpaws, which is somewhat of a concern — the former first round pick (29th overall, 2021) could see his status restored near the top of the Rays prospect rankings.

Brought over from Houston in the Brandon Lowe deal, Melton was the Astros top prospect and provides strong value defensively, pairing excellent first-step instincts and above-average range with an arm that, while light, is sufficient for the position. At the plate, his 2025 season provided a clear breakout through a dramatic spike in both hardhit rate and exit velocity. Ongoing mechanical refinements have unlocked more of his natural strength without eroding his contact skills. While this approach leaves some exposure to soft stuff and pitches on the outer third—placing added importance on continued growth in swing decisions—the overall profile fits comfortably as an above-average everyday center fielder with power upside.

Daniel Pierce, SS19 | R/R | 6’0” | 185

The 14th overall pick in the 2025 draft, Pierce is a preternatural defender at short stop, with a top flight glove that could rival any player in the organization. Early reports say he’s already started building muscle as a professional, which is helpful for his projection on offense. He should get the starting role in the Holy City and have plenty of time to develop into his projection of an above average regular.

Carson Williams, SS23 | R/R | 6’2” | 180AAA | .213/.318/.447 (98 wRC+) 451 PA, 23 HR, 22 SB, 12.4% BB, 34.1% KMLB | .172/.219/.354 (54 wRC+) 106 PA, 5 HR, 2 SB, 5.7% BB, 41.5% K

Williams made his MLB debut on August 22nd and proved the be the real deal on defense: an elite athlete with excellent movement and a great arm. It was his performance at the plate that has caused his prospect status to lose some shine, however, at both the MLB and Triple-A levels, particularly due to some trouble with the curve. In the majors he saw 162 breaking balls across 37 plate appearances and got on base only four times (three hits, one walk) with 20 strikeouts, and the results were similar for off-speed pitches as well. It was a strong enough underperformance at the plate that Williams might not make the big league roster out of Spring Training, despite the trade of Brandon Lowe. As a top flight defender at the hardest position, he doesn’t need to be tearing the cover off the ball, but the bat will need to improve for Williams to be a positive contributor moving forward.

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