Friday, May 01

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ST. PETERSBURG -- We're more than a month into the Major League season, but the full-season Minor League affiliates are also in full swing.

The Rays have an interesting system, one that’s light on Top 100 star power yet absurdly deep. As we noted in early March, that depth gives Tampa Bay a ton of breakout candidates and players to watch. It’s only been a couple weeks, but some prospects look poised to deliver on that promise. 

Here’s a look at two ranked prospects at each level who started hot, plus one under-the-radar pitcher to watch with each affiliate. 

Single-A Charleston 

• C Caden Bodine (Rays’ No. 12 prospect): Part of the Rays’ return from the Orioles for Shane Baz, Bodine is probably too advanced for the Carolina League but needs to spend a little more time there as the Rays balance playing-time considerations for him and Nathan Flewelling. Still, his numbers are ridiculous. He hit .381/.432/.607 with three homers, nine walks and only three strikeouts in his first 20 games. And he’s a good defensive catcher. When he starts moving up, he might advance quickly.

• 1B Taitn Gray (No. 29): Now primarily a first baseman after being drafted as a catcher in the third round last year, Gray’s bat speed and power have been as advertised as the 18-year-old has hit .319/.429/.514 with three homers and as many walks as strikeouts (15) in his first 20 professional games.

• RHP Aidan Cremarosa: An eighth-round pick in last year’s Draft, Cremarosa isn’t a ranked prospect but could create more buzz if he keeps this up. In 20 innings over his first four starts, the 6-foot-3 righty had 32 strikeouts compared to only three walks.

High-A Bowling Green 

• OF Theo Gillen (No. 1): Carson Williams’ graduation left Gillen as the Rays’ top prospect, and he’s playing like it. The 20-year-old has always had the hit tool. Now, the power’s showing up. He was hitting .304/.391/.732 with six homers and 17 RBIs after 16 games, and he’s paired that with improved defense in center field and a stronger arm. Still a long way to go, but there’s a lot to like here.

• C Nathan Flewelling (No. 10): The offseason hype for this organizational favorite may not have done him justice. The Canadian catcher won’t turn 20 until November, making him one of the youngest players in his league, and he’s off to a sensational start, batting .303/.390/.591 with five homers through his first 19 games. He’s got some defensive growth ahead of him, despite his talent and poise, but his work at the plate is remarkably professional and advanced for his age.

• RHP Jacob Kmatz: A fifth-round pick out of Oregon State in 2024, Kmatz has seen his fastball velocity tick up to 95-97 mph in the bullpen, complementing his curveball and cutter. The big appeal here? He had 17 strikeouts without a walk in his first seven appearances. 

Double-A Montgomery 

• 1B Xavier Isaac (No. 13): It’s hard to overstate what a remarkable comeback story this is. After having what he called “life-saving” surgery to remove a brain tumor last summer, Isaac looked great physically all spring. Now, he’s back in Double-A and raking. He hit .259/.452/.667 with six home runs and 19 walks in his first 17 games.

• OF Austin Overn (No. 25): It’s all about speed for Overn, another part of the Rays’ return for Baz. He stole 19 bases in his first 20 games, uses his 75-grade wheels well in the outfield and shows some pop at the plate. The question is whether he might benefit from a Chandler Simpson-type approach, slashing the ball around the field and taking his walks rather than sacrificing contact (28 strikeouts in 88 plate appearances) for power.

• RHP Alexander Alberto: The White Sox took Alberto from the Rays in the Rule 5 Draft, so he’s not exactly a secret to those in the industry, even if he didn’t crack Chicago’s big league bullpen. It’s hard to hide guys who throw 100 mph cutters. While his 5.40 ERA doesn’t jump off the page, what stands out is he struck out 12 while walking just one in his first seven appearances. 

Triple-A Durham 

• OF Jacob Melton (No. 3): This comes with a caveat, because Melton will be sidelined for at least a month due to a sprained left ankle. The timing was especially frustrating, because Melton was starting to show encouraging signs offensively -- and he stole 17 bases without being caught in his first 20 games. If he rediscovers his timing and keeps playing great defense, he could help the Rays later this season.

• OF Homer Bush Jr. (No. 24): He started a little late because he injured his thumb while diving for a ball in Spring Training, but he’s back now and likely to get plenty of playing time in center with Melton and Victor Mesa Jr. (hamstring) on the shelf. The 24-year-old is an elite defender who hit .301 with 57 steals over 121 games in Double-A last season.

• RHP Trevor Martin: Is this too obvious, considering Martin just made his Major League debut? Maybe! But he put himself on the big league radar as a non-roster player for a reason, considering what he did during his initial stretch with Durham (11 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings over seven scoreless appearances) and in Spring Training. 

• How did Junior Caminero know he avoided a serious injury after a scary-looking incident in Cleveland? He ate a hamburger. Read more>>

• Nick Martinez was excellent once again on Tuesday. Read more>>

• Steven Matz bounced back in a big way in Monday’s win. Read more>>

• From Drew Rasmussen to Jeffrey Springs to Zack Littell to … Griffin Jax? Stay tuned. Read more>> 

Kudos to Ryan Bass and the entire Rays.TV crew for a viral act of kindness during Monday night’s broadcast at Progressive Field in Cleveland. After Andy Freed and Brian Anderson broke down the scene of a girl losing out on Daniel Schneemann’s home run ball, Bass personally delivered a baseball to the young Cleveland fan, who broke out in tears of joy, and shared high-fives with the family. 

The girl’s mother, Nikki DeVore, posted in the Tampa Bay Rays Fan Club Facebook group afterward that she is forever a Cleveland fan but “will be a Tampa fan on principle alone” after Bass’ act of kindness. 

As BA said on the broadcast, “What a guy.” 

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