2025 DRaysBay Community Prospect List: Vote for No. 20

Cooper Kinney joins the prospect list.

Previous Winner

19. Cooper Kinney, 2B/3B
22 | L/R | 6’1” | 200
A+ | .289/.352/.494 (137 wRC+) 361 PA, 10 HR, 6 SB, 8.9% BB, 22.2% K

2024 finally brought the performance that was expected from the 2021 34th overall pick’s pedigree. Promoted despite a mild year at Low-A in 2023 (after missing all of 2022 to a labrum injury), Kinney was all about the infield (53 G at 2B, 17 at 3B, 9 at 1B, and 24 at DH) but notably no appearances at short stop. He re-injured his shoulder, ending his season early. Cooper’s calling card is hard contact, but he has the barrel control and mind to work his counts at a major league level. Here’s to hoping he can stay healthy.

Cooper Kinney surprised me last year by not ranking in the 2024 Community Prospect List, even though he was an Honorable Mention as one of the candidates. It’s a slow climb for a player with first round pedigree. For this next round I’m adding Rock, Bob Seymour, and Santana. Not added was Bigge, who I just realized exceeded rookie limits.

Candidates

Gregory Barrios, SS
21 | R/R | 6’0” | 180
A+ (MIL) | .325/.367/.429 (128 wRC+) 256 PA, 1 HR, 18 SB, 5.1% BB, 9.4% K
A+ (TBR) | .240/.310/.286 (77 wRC+) 198 PA, 0 HR, 18 SB, 8.6% BB, 14.6% K

This slick fielding Venezuelan prospect was picked up from the Brewers in the Civale trade in early July, and with a glove that should carry him to the Majors in some capacity, the Rays locked him into a short stop role. His results show keen strikezone awareness for his level, and an aggressive but successful approach on the base paths. He’s basically 2023 31st overall pick Adrian Santana, but two years older and one level higher. You can never have too many of those.

Homer Bush Jr., OF
23 | R/R | 6’2” | 200
A+ (SDP) | .272/.362/.347 (111 wRC+) 341 PA, 4 HR, 43 SB, 8.8% BB, 17.3% K
A+ (TBR) | .272/.367/.498 (124 wRC+) 121 PA, 2 HR, 14 SB, 10.7% BB, 23.1% K

Son of a former Blue Jays and Yankees outfielder, Bush Jr. was acquired alongside RHP Dylan Lesko and C J.D. Gonzalez in the Jason Adam trade at the 2024 deadline and has the easiest path to the majors among the three. He might be the toolsiest player in the system, depending on your opinion of Smith’s bat. Bush Jr. is an elite runner and the skills to stick in center at every level. Fangraphs says, “Bush is poetry in motion on the basepaths, running with grace and speed unlike all but a handful of pro baseball players,” and Baseball America flagged him as their sleeper in the Rays system.

Colton Ledbetter, OF
23 | L/R | 6’1” | 205
A+ | .273/.339/.484 (130 wRC+) 446 PA, 16 HR, 34 SB, 8.1% BB, 28.3% K

Ledbetter is one of my favorite bats in the system, with an ability to get a jump on pitches and adjust to meet anything bending; although, the leap to Double-A next season will be the real test. In the meantime, it’s plus exit velos to all fields. He was held in High-A to get the lion’s share of center field reps but projects as a corner, and has 50’s across the board, giving major league projection with power and speed on the bases. In a worse system he’s a top-ten prospect.

Dylan Lesko, RHP
21 | 6’2” | 195
A+ | 6.96 ERA, 6.27 FIP, 84.0 IP (22 G, 19 GS) 25.6% K, 19.2% BB

The key return for RP Jason Adam, Lesko was the Padres 15th overall selection in the 2022 draft despite him needing Tommy John surgery that Spring; his results have not yet materialized. I combined his results for both organizations in one stat line above as the Rays only gave him 6 appearances (3 starts) before the season ended. He has a fastball up to 98 mph and a plus-plus change.

Ben Peoples, RHP
24 | 6’1” | 175
AA | 3.42 ERA, 4.12 FIP, 55.1 IP (12 GS) 24.9% K, 10.0% BB

It’s a small miracle the Rays did not lose Ben Peoples in the Rule 5 draft this off-season, as pitchers with 97 mph cutters do not grow on trees. Given the recent change in starting pitching depth, and some persistent command issues, a relief role seems likely. He flashes a quality vertical breaking ball from a high release point, and should get a long look in Spring Training as a potential high leverage arm for 2025.

Jeremy Pilon, LHP
19 | 6’0” | 200
CPX | 3.28 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 46.2 IP (12 G, 9 GS) 30.7% K, 16.1% BB
A | 3.21 ERA, 3.44 FIP, 14.0 IP (4 G, 3 GS) 35.5% K, 22.6% BB

Tampa Bay drafted Pilon late in 2023 after he pitched at a showcase at the Trop, where they loved his high spin rates. The young Pilon out-performed his age in 2024, thanks to that 12-6 curveball, but he’ll need a third plus pitch to have major league projection. Developmentally, he’s lucky that low velo tends to not hurt a lefty’s profile, and that time is on his side.

Emilien Pitre, 2B
22 | L/R | 5’11” | 185
A | .299/.402/.403 (141 wRC+) 92 PA, 0 HR, 7 SB, 13.0% BB, 12.0% K

It’s mildly surprising to put a second baseman with no pop in contention for a top prospect list, but the Rays were aggressive to grab the Quebecois in the second round of this year’s draft after he proved his contact-forward hitting for Kentucky playable in the wood bat Cape Cod League, despite the lack of power. He’s a plus runner and rangy, giving ample coverage up the middle. In 21 games played after the draft the Rays never tried him elsewhere than second, but it’d be interesting to see if his arm can play at short in a pinch.

Joe Rock, LHP
24 | 6’6” | 200
AAA | 4.58 ERA, 4.14 FIP, 139.2 IP (27 G, 23 GS) 21.6% K, 5.7% BB

Rock popped late in Spring Training thanks to a ringing endorsement from FanGraphs, earning an 11th overall ranking thanks to his deception and strong (for a lefty) velocity, and tabbing his command as his best tool despite an atypical throwing motion. Rock was the return for internally beloved SS/OF Greg Jones, a former first rounder who was traded to the Rockies when his development didn’t sync with the major league side’s openings. It will be interesting to see if Rock’s timing has better luck.

Adrian Santana, SS
19 | S/R | 5’11” | 155
A | .240/.300/.305 (82 wRC+) 455 PA, 0 HR, 51 SB, 7.5% BB, 15.8% K

Don’t let anyone look down on the Holy City’s short stop just because he’s young. He’s fast, he’s swinging hard from both sides of the plate, and he can steal a base. Most of all, 2023’s No. 31 overall pick is here to defend, but that doesn’t mean his bat should be dismissed, given how low the strikeout rates are. His OBP will stay low until his body catches up to the expectations of pro ball, but time is on his side to keep developing and adding muscle.

Bob Seymour, 1B
26 | L/R | 6’3” | 250
AA | .290/.349/.466 (140 wRC+) 292 PA, 9 HR, 2 SB, 7.5% BB, 27.4% K
AAA | .269/.353/.601 (140 wRC+) 218 PA, 19 HR, 3 SB, 11.0% BB, 34.9% K

Seymour hits homeruns like he’s a former collegiate baseball player clubbing moon shots over the fence in a bush league game, with the exception of course being that this is professional baseball, and he’s knocking on the door of the majors. Once the 2019 ACC Player of the Year, Seymour was drafted in the 13th round in 2021 and has shown that his power plays at every level, punishing baseballs into the 110’s in exit velo, and interestingly leads the minors with a .520 xwOBA on contact (min. 100 balls in play). Basically if he hits it, he’s getting on base. Is that enough to earn promotion?

Jose Urbina, RHP
19 | 6’3” | 180
CPX | 4.50 ERA, 4.78 FIP, 48.0 IP (13 G, 8 GS) 21.7% K, 12.1% BB
A | 5.29 ERA, 6.11 FIP, 17.0 IP (4 GS) 18.2% K, 6.1% BB

The Venezuelan was elevated to the Holy City at the end of 2024, continuing the team’s aggressive push with his development. He traded his curveball for an easier to locate slider mid-season, but thus far lacks a plus third pitch. That’s ok when you have a 99 mph fastball with length in your delivery. Concerns with that delivery being repeatable seem overstated at his young age.

Owen Wild, RHP
23 | 6’2” | 230
A | 3.06 ERA, 3.30 FIP, 35.1 IP (7 GS) 26.6% K, 6.3% BB
A+ | 2.72 ERA, 3.08 FIP, 86.0 IP (17 G, 15 GS) 31.9% K, 6.2% BB

Wild has an 80-grade baseball name for a pitcher that hasn’t figured out his fall off the table breaking ball just yet. The 2023 seventh-rounder out of Gonzaga is still throwing in the low-90s, but has a plus fading change up that could be his ticket to the majors. He shouldered 121 innings in his first professional season, with a dip and drive, over-the-top delivery that looks clean, although repeatability is a concern with a truncated arm stroke that can be a little late. He should return to High-A in 2024, but could see promotion quickly if his third pitch locks in.