Top 20 Prospects: Tampa Bay Rays
1. Taylor Guerrieri, RHP, B+
Guerrieri was a favorite of mine last year coming out of high school with a nasty fastball/breaking ball combination, but he fell to the 24th overall pick in 2011. He has ace level stuff and I was tempted to rank him an A-.
2. Hak-Ju Lee, SS, B+
Lee is very fast and a very good defender at short. He does not have much power, but is a solid enough hitter to where his glove will play very well. Depending on how well he improves his discipline will determine whether he will hit at the top of a batting order or the bottom. I would guess the top at this point, even with his relative struggles in AA thus far.
3. Josh Sale, OF, B
Sale hits bombs. The ball just sounds different when it comes off of his bat. Based on his power bat and potential for a high average and on base percentage, he would be a B+/A-, but the rest of his game is limited, as he is not great defensively. He's limited to left field and has no speed to speak of. It will be his bat that carries him and that bat could be special.
4. Richie Shaffer, 3B, B
Shaffer can flat out hit and hit for power. Like Sale, he has some defensive concerns, which may limit him to first base and he has slowed down a bit since his high school days, when he looked like a potential five tool player. Again, like Sale, Shaffer is ranked this high solely thanks to his bat..
5. Alex Colome, RHP, B
Colome has serious command issues, but he also has serious frontline starter type stuff. He missed a month and a half earlier this year with an oblique injury, but has come back strong. Consistency is what Colome needs to find and if he finds it he could be a number 3 starter, but it is more likely he becomes a dominant back end reliever, possibly a closer.
6. Mikie Mahtook, OF, B
Mahtook got off to a slow start to his professional career this year, but has been on a tear recently, showing why he was a first round pick in 2011. He is a good all around player and knows how to play the game, even though none of his tools stand out.
7. Ryan Brett, 2B, B
Brett can hit and run, flashing gap power at times, but his defense is pretty shaky at second. A position switch would certainly put a dent in his value, but his hit tool would play anywhere.
8. Drew Vettleson, OF, B
Vettleson is another very good hitter with speed and some pop. He is solid defensively in the outfield and can play all three spots
9. Enny Romero, LHP, B-
Romero is one of the most inconsistent pitchers in the minors and can make you scratch your head at times. One day he looks dominant, another, he can’t find the strike zone. Like Colome, if he finds consistency, look out, otherwise look for him out of the bullpen.
10. Jeff Malm, 1B/OF, B-
Malm has been a favorite of mine since high school showing the ability to hit for both power and average. This may be the year that he finally takes his step forward in pro ball to recognizing his high potential with the bat. He has a good approach at the plate, but does have a fair amount of swing and miss to his game. After solely playing first base for his first 2+ years in the minors, Malm has played a little corner outfield this season--enabled by his plus arm--where his bat would become more valuable. He has good makeup and has always been a very polished player.
11. Tyler Goeddel, 3B, B-
12. Tim Beckham, SS, B-
13. Oscar Hernandez, C, B-
14. Derek Dietrich, SS, C+
15. Felipe Rivero, LHP, C+
16. Lenny Linsky, RHP, C+
17. Parker Markel, RHP, C+
18. Jake Hager, SS, C+
19. Nick Barnese, RHP, C+
20. Jeff Ames, RHP, C+
21. Kes Carter, OF, C+
22. Ryan Carpenter, LHP, C+
Guerrieri was a favorite of mine last year coming out of high school with a nasty fastball/breaking ball combination, but he fell to the 24th overall pick in 2011. He has ace level stuff and I was tempted to rank him an A-.
2. Hak-Ju Lee, SS, B+
Lee is very fast and a very good defender at short. He does not have much power, but is a solid enough hitter to where his glove will play very well. Depending on how well he improves his discipline will determine whether he will hit at the top of a batting order or the bottom. I would guess the top at this point, even with his relative struggles in AA thus far.
3. Josh Sale, OF, B
Sale hits bombs. The ball just sounds different when it comes off of his bat. Based on his power bat and potential for a high average and on base percentage, he would be a B+/A-, but the rest of his game is limited, as he is not great defensively. He's limited to left field and has no speed to speak of. It will be his bat that carries him and that bat could be special.
4. Richie Shaffer, 3B, B
Shaffer can flat out hit and hit for power. Like Sale, he has some defensive concerns, which may limit him to first base and he has slowed down a bit since his high school days, when he looked like a potential five tool player. Again, like Sale, Shaffer is ranked this high solely thanks to his bat..
5. Alex Colome, RHP, B
Colome has serious command issues, but he also has serious frontline starter type stuff. He missed a month and a half earlier this year with an oblique injury, but has come back strong. Consistency is what Colome needs to find and if he finds it he could be a number 3 starter, but it is more likely he becomes a dominant back end reliever, possibly a closer.
6. Mikie Mahtook, OF, B
Mahtook got off to a slow start to his professional career this year, but has been on a tear recently, showing why he was a first round pick in 2011. He is a good all around player and knows how to play the game, even though none of his tools stand out.
7. Ryan Brett, 2B, B
Brett can hit and run, flashing gap power at times, but his defense is pretty shaky at second. A position switch would certainly put a dent in his value, but his hit tool would play anywhere.
8. Drew Vettleson, OF, B
Vettleson is another very good hitter with speed and some pop. He is solid defensively in the outfield and can play all three spots
9. Enny Romero, LHP, B-
Romero is one of the most inconsistent pitchers in the minors and can make you scratch your head at times. One day he looks dominant, another, he can’t find the strike zone. Like Colome, if he finds consistency, look out, otherwise look for him out of the bullpen.
10. Jeff Malm, 1B/OF, B-
Malm has been a favorite of mine since high school showing the ability to hit for both power and average. This may be the year that he finally takes his step forward in pro ball to recognizing his high potential with the bat. He has a good approach at the plate, but does have a fair amount of swing and miss to his game. After solely playing first base for his first 2+ years in the minors, Malm has played a little corner outfield this season--enabled by his plus arm--where his bat would become more valuable. He has good makeup and has always been a very polished player.
11. Tyler Goeddel, 3B, B-
12. Tim Beckham, SS, B-
13. Oscar Hernandez, C, B-
14. Derek Dietrich, SS, C+
15. Felipe Rivero, LHP, C+
16. Lenny Linsky, RHP, C+
17. Parker Markel, RHP, C+
18. Jake Hager, SS, C+
19. Nick Barnese, RHP, C+
20. Jeff Ames, RHP, C+
21. Kes Carter, OF, C+
22. Ryan Carpenter, LHP, C+
2012 Draft Review: Tampa Bay Rays
Overall Draft Grade: C+
The Rays took quite a few guys that weren't on our radar this year, but the overwhelming trend that comes from this class is a tendency for athleticism. They've shown a penchant for athletes in the past and this group is no different. Shaffer provides a very good college bat at the top and prep products like Spencer Edwards and Bralin Jackson provide some upside, albeit with some risk. There's a lot of potential in this draft, and there aren't too many people who help out at the Major League level anytime soon, but the Rays put their stock into high-risk/high-reward guys here. This makes their draft particularly hard to grade, as it all depends on how well they can develop these hitters. That being said, the Rays have an excellent track record with developing their own talent.
1st Round (25): Richie Shaffer, 3B, Clemson University (JR), 6'3", 210
Shaffer is a solid corner infield power bat with a fluid swing and some good bat speed. He's got solid raw power to all fields and has hit for a good average at Clemson as well. He's a fringy third baseman at this point with a plus arm but below-average actions and instincts. He could move to first, but his bat will play much better at third and he was announced at the hot corner by the Rays.
The Rays took quite a few guys that weren't on our radar this year, but the overwhelming trend that comes from this class is a tendency for athleticism. They've shown a penchant for athletes in the past and this group is no different. Shaffer provides a very good college bat at the top and prep products like Spencer Edwards and Bralin Jackson provide some upside, albeit with some risk. There's a lot of potential in this draft, and there aren't too many people who help out at the Major League level anytime soon, but the Rays put their stock into high-risk/high-reward guys here. This makes their draft particularly hard to grade, as it all depends on how well they can develop these hitters. That being said, the Rays have an excellent track record with developing their own talent.
1st Round (25): Richie Shaffer, 3B, Clemson University (JR), 6'3", 210
Shaffer is a solid corner infield power bat with a fluid swing and some good bat speed. He's got solid raw power to all fields and has hit for a good average at Clemson as well. He's a fringy third baseman at this point with a plus arm but below-average actions and instincts. He could move to first, but his bat will play much better at third and he was announced at the hot corner by the Rays.
2nd Round (89): Spencer Edwards, SS, Rockwall HS (TX), 6'0", 170, R/R
Edwards has plus speed and range at shortstop to go along with a plus arm. He's pretty unrefined at the plate, but shows good bat speed and some power potential. Edwards is a raw talent in all aspects of his game, but he's got some good athleticism and the tools are definitely intriguing.
3rd Round (119): Andrew Toles, OF, Chipola College (FL), 5'9", 175, L/R
Toles' game is centered on his game-changing speed and he often gets compared to Major League speedsters Michael Bourn and Nyjer Morgan. His speed and strong arm definitely allow him to profile in center field, the only question mark is his ability to consistently get on base at the next level. It should be noted that he was dismissed from the University of Tennessee program before transferring to Chipola due to repeated missed classes and team meetings.
4th Round (152): Nolan Gannon, RHP, Santa Fe Christian HS, 6'5", 195
Gannon is a projectable righty with the potential for two solid pitches at the next level. He has room to fill out his frame a little bit more and currently sits in the 90-92 range with his fastball. He's shown a curve with good 12-6 action and the potential to be an above-average pitch. He's working on his change-up and he could smooth out his mechanics.
5th Round (182): Bralin Jackson, OF, Raytown South HS (MO), 6'2", 185, R/L
Aside from the rare combination of throwing right-handed and hitting from the left side, Jackson brings some raw athleticism to the table. He has above-average speed and the arm for center. His instincts, both at the plate and in the field, leave something to be desired, but the Rays are intrigued by his athletic tools and bat speed.
6th Round (212): Damion Carroll, RHP, King George HS (VA), 6'3", 200
7th Round (242): Marty Gantt, OF, College of Charleston (SR), 5'9", 170
8th Round (272): Luke Maile, C, University of Kentucky (JR), 6'3", 220
9th Round (302): Joey Rickard, OF, University of Arizona (JR), 6'1", 180
10th Round (332): Sean Bierman, LHP, University of Tampa (SR), 6'1", 190
Edwards has plus speed and range at shortstop to go along with a plus arm. He's pretty unrefined at the plate, but shows good bat speed and some power potential. Edwards is a raw talent in all aspects of his game, but he's got some good athleticism and the tools are definitely intriguing.
3rd Round (119): Andrew Toles, OF, Chipola College (FL), 5'9", 175, L/R
Toles' game is centered on his game-changing speed and he often gets compared to Major League speedsters Michael Bourn and Nyjer Morgan. His speed and strong arm definitely allow him to profile in center field, the only question mark is his ability to consistently get on base at the next level. It should be noted that he was dismissed from the University of Tennessee program before transferring to Chipola due to repeated missed classes and team meetings.
4th Round (152): Nolan Gannon, RHP, Santa Fe Christian HS, 6'5", 195
Gannon is a projectable righty with the potential for two solid pitches at the next level. He has room to fill out his frame a little bit more and currently sits in the 90-92 range with his fastball. He's shown a curve with good 12-6 action and the potential to be an above-average pitch. He's working on his change-up and he could smooth out his mechanics.
5th Round (182): Bralin Jackson, OF, Raytown South HS (MO), 6'2", 185, R/L
Aside from the rare combination of throwing right-handed and hitting from the left side, Jackson brings some raw athleticism to the table. He has above-average speed and the arm for center. His instincts, both at the plate and in the field, leave something to be desired, but the Rays are intrigued by his athletic tools and bat speed.
6th Round (212): Damion Carroll, RHP, King George HS (VA), 6'3", 200
7th Round (242): Marty Gantt, OF, College of Charleston (SR), 5'9", 170
8th Round (272): Luke Maile, C, University of Kentucky (JR), 6'3", 220
9th Round (302): Joey Rickard, OF, University of Arizona (JR), 6'1", 180
10th Round (332): Sean Bierman, LHP, University of Tampa (SR), 6'1", 190
Rays Draft Strategy: An Overview
The Rays, with 20 picks in the top 10 rounds last year, stayed pretty balanced between college and high school talent and selected 11 prepsters over that span. At the top, 4 of their first 5 selections were high schoolers and it was clear that they were willing to gamble on some riskier talent. In 2010 and 2009 they were a little more high school heavy with 8 prep products taken out of their top 12 selections in 2010 and 7 out of 10 prep products taken in 2009. The Rays have built themselves through the draft, but besides their top pick the last two years, their drafts have not been particularly heavy on impact talent, as they did not even sign their top two picks in 2009 and Tim Beckham from 2008 has been somewhat of a bust. The Rays still have Andrew Friedman and Matt Silverman running the organization, however, and are definitely still headed in the right direction. They have been more hitting than pitching heavy at the top of drafts recently, selecting four straight hitters last year after taking Taylor Guerrieri, a pitcher, with their first pick. Considering their top level pitching talent, expect the Rays to continue their trend of looking for high potential bats at the top of their draft, although I could see them going for a high upside pitcher with their first pick, like they did with Guerrieri last year. With only $3.871 million to spend on 10 picks over the first ten rounds, it will be tough for them to take too many high schoolers early, unless they overdraft some of them, as they did last year with Jake Hager, Brandon Martin, Blake Snell and James Harris.
Mock Draft Selection: Zach Eflin, RHP, Hagerty HS (FL)
Mock Draft Selection: Zach Eflin, RHP, Hagerty HS (FL)
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