DRaysBay Community Prospect List 2026 – Vote for 27th Place

Previous winner

Brayden Taylor, 2B/3B
24 | Left/Right | 6’0” | 180
AA | .173/.289/.286 (77 wRC+) 437 PA, 8 HR, 17 SB, 14% BB, 27.7% K
AFL | .264/.400/.472 (.384 wOBA) 65 PA, 1 HR, 5 SB, 12 BB, 19 K

Taylor entered 2025 as a top-100 prospect after demolishing High-A (154 wRC+), and left 2025 as an afterthought on prospect lists, although he was drafted as an Arizona Fall League “Fall Star” in the middle, where he worked to keep his chase rate low and his hard-hit rate high. The juice must have been worth it, as the Rays decided to invite Taylor to Major League spring training this year.

Brayden Taylor fell from the top, but not entirely off the list, and his fall ended in 26th place. Taylor, an off-season fall star, had a regular season to forget and will look to right the ship in 2026. Adding Dean Moss.

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Candidates

Fabricio Blanco
17 | S/R | 5’11” | 161

The Venezuelan, a leadoff middle infielder, is an elite prospect within the context of the international signing process, and some believe he is the Rays’ best signing this offseason, despite receiving only a $1 million bonus. He can drive from both sides of the plate, but can adapt to a long-term right-handed swing with quick hands. He has the ability and instincts to come up short, with a high IQ approach and fearless demeanor.

Alex Cook, RHP
25 | 6’2″ | 220
AA | 2.30 ERA, 2.29 FIP, 15.2 IP (13 G), 30.5% K, 5.1% BB

The Rays added Cook to the 40-man roster this offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, despite only pitching 20 innings (including four appearances in the complex league) after a slow start to the season. Cook attempted to become a starter in 2024 and succumbed to a shoulder injury, but recovered in the bullpen in 2025 throwing 99 mph, and reported to camp continuing to pitch with confidence. He has more control and command, with things that lean on his low release point, including a cut fastball and a two-plane slider, and an MLB-average cutter to avoid platoon-cutting issues. He should have great leverage for Durham and ride the shuttle in 2026.

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Cooper Flemming, S.S.
19 | Left/Right | 6’3″ | 190

Flemming, one of the best high school bats in the 2025 draft, surprisingly fell to the Rays in the second round. He has an overly quiet swing that lacks the load needed to hit for power, but he has historically made up for that with a high contact rate that would have classified him as first-round material if his defense was projected to hold up. The Rays were able to convince him to forego a Vanderbilt education by outperforming the position ($2.3 million, Comp-A money).

Taitn Grey, 1B/OF/C
18 | S/R | 6’4” | 220

Gray, the Rays’ 86th overall pick in 2025, fell to the third round because of some concern about whether he’ll stick around as a catcher, but that buries the upside. Just 17 years old at the time of the draft, Gray showed up in the Rays organization and proved his rumored power was real, running exit velocities of up to 115 mph from both sides of the plate, although his left-handed swing is sweeter. He has great athleticism, which elevated his bat speed, foot speed and fluidity, despite his size. It will be interesting to see where the Rays use him on defense, but he is a great bat to dream about.

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Victor Mesa Jr., OF
24 | L/L | 5’11” | 195
AAA (MIA) | .301/.368/.510 (136 wRC+) 171 PA, 7 HR, 4 SB, 9.9% BB, 16.4% K
MLB (MIA) | 6 H (1 HR), 5 BB, 5 K (81 wRC+) 38 PA

This powerful Cuban bat already made his major league debut with Miami last year after recovering from a hamstring injury in the spring, and was traded to the Rays in February. He profiles as a fourth outfielder, but he has one option left, so the organization can send him to play regularly and have one last chance for something else in development. If not, he’s a defensive-capable center fielder, which is very useful for a platoon bat. In the race for nicest guy in baseball.

Dean Moss
19 | Left/Right | 6’0” | 180

Signed well above the 2025 draft pick at 67th overall, Moss’ family moved from California to the Tampa Bay area to enroll Moss at IMG, and that earned him a new hometown pick. A jack of all trades, Moss’s hitting tool highlights the best it can thanks to his bat speed. His swing is clean and his power projection over time is Major League average. He will have internal competition to remain under center, but he can get the first nod in the rookie league.

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Austin Overn
23 | Left/Right | 6’0” | 175
A+ (BAL) | .242/.367/.386 (127 wRC+) 341 PA, 8 HR, 43 SB, 15.5% BB, 28.2% K
AA (BAL) | .266/.326/.427 (112 wRC+) 136 PA, 5 HR, 21 SB, 6.6% BB, 25.0% K

Acquired in the Shane Baz trade, Overn was once one of the draft’s top prospects after committing to baseball instead of football at USC, but surprisingly struggled as a draft-eligible sophomore. That didn’t stop Baltimore from drafting him in the third round (97th overall) in 2024. Now a pro, Overn overhauled his swing in the first half of 2025 and earned an early promotion to Double-A for his efforts, where he didn’t look overmatched. His biggest threat is his speed, which elevates his floor and gives him easy projection to a Major League bench thanks to his defensive instincts (BA gave his running and fielding tools 70’s). His offensive profile is boosted by his ability to work the count, but evaluators would like to see him punish fastballs more often to be considered a regular.

Émilien Pitre, 2B
23 | Left/Right | 5’11” | 185
A+ | .268/.356/.393 (122 wRC+) 524 PA, 9 HR, 14 SB, 11.6% BB, 20.4% K

Pitre, the Rays’ 58th overall pick in 2024, has risen up draft boards thanks to a solid performance in the Cape Cod League in 2023, but power was a real question mark on his profile. Now that he has the opportunity to develop as a professional, he would not be the first to add muscle. His running and hitting tools are excellent, with a well-coiled swing and solid contact in and out of the zone. He is too old to return to High-A and that is considered a positive. His power stroke will be the key to his success in 2026.

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Adrian Santana, SS
20 | S/R | 5’11” | 155
A+ | .263/.324/.326 (94 wRC+) 409 PA, 2 HR, 47 SB, 8.6% BB, 12.0% K

Santana, once a top-ten 2024 prospect, fell from our site’s 2025 list after failing to earn an honorable mention. Because? The slick-fielding, switch-hitting shortstop was the Rays’ 31st overall pick in 2023, but has posted less than 100 wRC+ at every stop in his career, though he came closer than ever last season, his third as a pro and his third as a teenager in the Rays’ system. Could expectations be too high for his bat? He has great athleticism, is learning to drive and has “acrobatic” defense at the most difficult position in the game, with 98 stolen bags in the last two seasons. What happens if he survives the Double-A ball-busting test?

Victor Valdez, SS
17 | R/R | 6’1” | 186

A good swing with a low whiff rate earned Valdez a big payday this winter: $3.5 million, with as good a power projection as you can reasonably ask for from a teenage bat, as he was projected for 25+ home runs by Baseball America, who also praise his positive foot speed, bat speed and zone control. Reports say he has increasingly improved his lateral movements on defense, with smooth actions and a strong arm. If everything falls into place, he’s a middle-of-the-order bat on the left side of the infield. By signing, the Rays gave Francisco Lindor compensation. It will be interesting to see if his first pro season can solidify the five-tool profile.