Minor League Roundup: Week 18

2023 1st round pick Brayden Taylor is reportedly being promoted to Double-A

This week’s minor league roundup will only feature the numbers accumulated prior to the start of play on Monday.

We are now 18 weeks into the 2024 minor league campaign campaign and several prospects have certainly continued their ascent up the organizational ladder while others have seen their stock continue to drop.

According to FanGraphs (which factors in age and proximity to the big leagues), the overall top hitter in the Rays farm system continues to be outfielder Chandler Simpson. The 23-year old has started to see his production begin to droop, but still have solid numbers overall. His full statline is listed further below.

Meanwhile, the top pitcher is still 25-year old southpaw, Ian Seymour, who just received a promotion to Triple-A Durham. Over 17 starts in Double-A, Seymour had a 2.36 ERA | 2.81 FIP with a 28.3 K% and 6.3 BB% over 91 ¹⁄₃ innings pitched. Thus far in Durham, Seymour has made two starts and has a 2.79 ERA | 4.33 FIP with a 15.9 K% & 4.5 BB% over 9 ²⁄₃ innings pitched.

Before we get to the statistical breakdowns. Here is some news from around the Rays system.

• Expect to see a wide plethora of moves today with several players receiving promotions and others being released in order to facilitate all of the newcomeres; it is being reported that 2023 first round pick Brayden Taylor is being promoted to Double-A while pitchers Patrick Wicklander and Jeff Hakanson have already been released. There will be an article covering all of the newly acquired players and where they have received their assignments.
• RHP Drew Rasmussen has impressed thus far in his rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham. He has appeared in three games, compiling a 0.00 ERA | 2.01 FIP with a 20.0 K% & 0.0 BB% over 4 innings pitched. Rasmussen is expected to rejoin the Rays as a member of the bullpen in the near future.
• RHP Marcus Johnson is on a rehab assignment. Entering the season, Johnson was among the Rays top starting pitching prospects, but missed the start of the campaign due to elbow surgery to remove loose bodies. Johnson has three appearances so far, compiling a 0.00 ERA | 3.39 FIP with a 25.0 K% & 12.5 BB% over 4 ²⁄₃ innings pitched.

Let’s break it down by team; the offensive players must still be at that level and have at least 200 plate appearances; the pitchers must have at least 150 batters faced, excluding the FCL and DSL which just began play.

Tampa Bay Rays

Top 10 Prospects:

• Shane Baz:
  AAA: 4.12 ERA | 3.94 FIP | 24.7 K% | 12.9 BB% | .257 AVG | 12.1 WHIFF% | 39 ¹⁄₃ IP
  MLB: 3.66 ERA | 3.92 FIP | 22.4 K% | 10.6 BB% | .250 AVG | 9.9 WHIFF% | 19 ²⁄₃ IP

Durham Bulls

Team Offensive Leaders:
AVG: .326, Jake Mangum
OBP: .376, Austin Shenton
SLG: .473, Austin Shenton
HR: 15, Kameron Misner
wRC+: 121, Austin Shenton
SB: 27, Kameron Misner

Team Pitching Leaders:
ERA: 3.55, Justin Sterner
FIP: 3.45, Michael Gomez
K%: 29.3%, Jacob Lopez
BB%: 5.7%, Joe Rock
WHIP: 1.13, Justin Sterner
AVG: .201, Jacob Lopez
WHIFF%: 14.0%, Mason Montgomery

Top 10 Prospects

• Junior Caminero:
  AAA: .265/.323/.488 | 22.0 K% | 7.5 BB% | 10 HR | 1 SB | 104 wRC+ | 186 PA
  CPX: .235/.409/.824 | 9.1 K% | 22.7 BB% | 3 HR | 0 SB | 198 wRC+ | 22 PA.

Montgomery Biscuits

Team Offensive Leaders:
AVG: .339, Chandler Simpson
OBP: .376, Chandler Simpson
SLG: .477, Carson Williams
HR: 14, Carson Williams
wRC+: 142, Carson Williams
SB: 35, Chandler Simpson

Team Pitching Leaders:
ERA: 1.80, Sean Hunley
FIP: 3.29, Cole Wilcox
K%: 31.5%, Alfredo Zarraga
BB%: 4.7%, Sean Hunley
WHIP: 0.78, Sean Hunley
AVG: .170, Sean Hunley
WHIFF%: 20.5%, Austin Vernon

Top 10 Prospects

• Carson Williams:
  AA: .258/.349/.477 | 27.1 K% | 10.6 BB% | 14 HR | 25 SB | 142 wRC+ | 350 PA
• Dom Keegen:
  AA: .273/.361/.396 | 19.3 K% | 11.7 BB% | 5 HR | 0 SB | 124 wRC+ | 332 PA
• Chandler Simpson
  A+: .364/.431/.372 | 10.9 K% | 10.2 BB% | 0 HR | 31 SB | 136 wRC+ | 147 PA
  AA: .339/.376/.397 | 5.8 K% | 6.3 BB% | 1 HR | 35 SB | 128 wRC+ | 207 PA

Bowling Green Hot Rods

Team Offensive Leaders:
AVG: .304, Cooper Kinney
OBP: .39,1 Brayden Taylor
SLG: .545, Xavier Isaac
HR: 15, Xavier Isaac
wRC+: 156, Xavier Isaac
SB: 27, Colton Ledbetter

Team Pitching Leaders:
ERA: 1.69, Alex Cook (On the 7-day IL since 5/22)
FIP: 2.44, Nate Dahle
K%: 30.2%, Nate Dahle
BB%: 4.9%, T.J Fondtain
WHIP: 1.02, T.J Fondtain
AVG: .190, Jake Christianson
WHIFF%: 17.1%, Owen Wild

Top 10 Prospects

• Xavier Isaac:
  A+: .292/.383/.545 | 29.8 K% | 12.2 BB% | 15 HR | 14 SB | 156 wRC+ | 295 PA
• Brayden Taylor:
  A+: .271/.391/.516 | 24.4 K% | 16.0 BB% | 14 HR | 26 SB | 152 wRC+ | 381 PA
• Tre’ Morgan
  A: .320/.398/.440 | 11.3 K% | 8.7 BB% | 2 HR | 9 SB | 149 wRC+ | 115 PA
  A+: .362/.449/.532 | 8.9 K% | 12.4 BB% | 3 HR | 8 SB | 175 wRC+ | 169 PA

Charleston River Dogs

Team Offensive Leaders:
AVG: .262, Noah Myers
OBP: .441, Noah Myers
SLG: .402, Angel Mateo
HR: 6, Angel Mateo
wRC+: 151, Noah Myers
SB: 42, Adrian Santana

Team Pitching Leaders:
ERA: 2.03, Chris Villaman
FIP: 2.28, Chris Villaman
K%: 32.7%, Adam Boucher
BB%: 3.8%, Santiago Suarez
WHIP: 0.84, Chris Villaman
AVG: .197, Chandler Murphy
WHIFF%: 17.1%, Adam Boucher

Top 10 Prospects

• Gary Gill Hill
  A: 2.69 ERA | 3.32 FIP | 26.7 K% | 5.9 BB% | .220 AVG | 13.4 WHIFF% |77 IP
• Santiago Suarez
  A: 4.74 ERA | 3.75 FIP | 26.2 K% | 3.8 BB% | .239 AVG | 14.9 WHIFF% | 79 ²⁄₃ IP

FCL Rays

Team Offensive Leaders (min. 100 PA):
AVG: .330, Brailer Guerrero (out since 6/22 with undisclosed injury)
OBP: .452, Brailer Guerrero (out since 6/22 with undisclosed injury)
SLG: .466, Brailer Guerrero (out since 6/22 with undisclosed injury)
HR: 2, Brailer Guerrero, Jose Perez, & Jose Contreras
wRC+: 155, Brailer Guerrero (out since 6/22 with undisclosed injury)
SB: 14, Miguel Tamares

Team Pitching Leaders (min. 100 TBF):
ERA: 1.48, Maikel Hernandez
FIP: 3.00, Michael Saturria
K%: 30.7%, Jeremy Pilon
BB%: 6.1%, Trevor Harrison
WHIP: 0.89, Maikel Hernandez
AVG: .174, Maikel Hernandez
WHIFF%: 19.6%, Michael Saturria

DSL Rays

Team Offensive Leaders (min. 100 PA):
AVG: .292, Jose Tovar
OBP: .422, Leonardo Pineda
SLG: .446, Alfonzo Martinez
HR: 3, Alfonzo Martinez
wRC+: 137, Leonard Pineda
SB: 16, Willian Trinidad

Team Pitching Leaders (min. 100 TBF):
ERA: 2.25, Yereny Teus
FIP: 3.26, Yereny Teus
K%: 34.0%, Yereny Teus
BB%: 4.1%, Alexander Campos
WHIP: 1.06, Yereny Teus
AVG: .178, Ismael Cabral
WHIFF%: 44.6%, Yereny Teus