These Rays prospects are poised for big things in '25

This story was excerpted from Adam Berry's Rays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ST. PETERSBURG -- While it turned out to be a frustrating season for the Rays at the Major League level, there were plenty of encouraging individual and team performances in the Minors.

Here’s a look at Tampa Bay’s past season -- and a glimpse into the future -- down on the farm.

3 players who forced their way onto the radar

1B/OF Tre' Morgan (Rays’ No. 10 prospect)
Leaping from Single-A Charleston to Double-A Montgomery with a long stop in High-A Bowling Green between, the 22-year-old hit a combined .324/.408/.483 with 10 homers, 23 doubles, 68 RBIs and the same number of walks and strikeouts (48) in 100 games. In a system loaded with elite talent, the Rays named Morgan their Minor League Player of the Year and believe he could contribute in the Majors as soon as next season.

OF Chandler Simpson (Rays’ No. 4 prospect)
The speedster didn’t exactly come out of nowhere, as he was the 70th overall pick of the MLB Draft in 2022 and captured plenty of attention by stealing 94 bases in '23. (We even marked him as a potential breakout player in this space last year.) But the 23-year-old surpassed even the Rays’ lofty expectations this season, batting .355 with an .807 OPS and, of course, 104 stolen bases in 110 games for Bowling Green and Montgomery. Throw in the fact that he’s continued to improve in the outfield, and Simpson should be knocking on the door of MLB Top 100 Prospects list.

RHP Gary Gill Hill (Rays’ No. 7 prospect)
Nobody fits the description of this category better than Gill Hill, a sixth-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft who took a massive step forward this year. We didn’t rank the 20-year-old right-hander among the Rays’ top 30 prospects to start the season; he’ll end the year as their top-ranked pitching prospect. That’s a testament to how well the talented but unproven starter put it all together this year, recording a 3.15 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP with 105 strikeouts and 27 walks in 108 2/3 innings over 22 outings (21 starts).

2 breakout players to watch in 2025

OF Aidan Smith (Rays’ No. 9 prospect)
The 20-year-old center fielder is the highest-ranked prospect the Rays received in their Trade Deadline haul, having come over from Seattle in the Randy Arozarena deal, and Smith could keep climbing next season. He has above-average to plus tools across the board, and he hit .288/.401/.473 with 11 homers and 41 steals in 97 games in Single-A this year. He headlined Tampa Bay’s return for a fan favorite and postseason hero, so expectations will be high.

RHP Ty Johnson (Rays’ No. 30 prospect)
Another pre-Deadline pickup, Johnson came over alongside Christopher Morel and Hunter Bigge in the Isaac Paredes trade with the Cubs. While the other two went to the Majors, the 6-foot-6 23-year-old put up some mind-boggling numbers in six outings (three starts) for Bowling Green. Johnson posted a 0.78 ERA and a 0.61 WHIP while striking out 39 and walking only four of the 84 batters he faced over 23 innings. His fastball and slider are legit, and if he can refine his changeup or another third pitch, watch out.

1 big prospect question for next season

When -- and how much -- will the Double-A core make an impact in the Majors?
Looking at Montgomery’s season-ending lineup, it’s hard not to think about the future. Morgan and Simpson were in there. So were Carson Williams (Rays' No. 1 prospect, No. 4 overall), Xavier Isaac (Tampa Bay's No. 2 prospect, No. 36 overall) and Brayden Taylor (Rays' No. 3 prospect, No. 60 overall). So were likely catcher-of-the-future Dominic Keegan (Tampa Bay's No. 13 prospect), organizational Defensive Player of the Year Tanner Murray and Deadline acquisition Matthew Etzel (Rays' No. 24 prospect).

The Rays kept that core together at the end of the season for a reason, even after some might have merited a promotion to Triple-A Durham. They wanted those players to develop chemistry, to learn to play together, to win as a group, to create what assistant GM Kevin Ibach called “a core of what we expect to be a Major League team in the next couple years.”

Could that come as soon as 2025, bolstering an offense in need of internal improvement? And considering the rocky transitions some top prospects have endured over the past few years, how ready will they be to make an impact when they arrive?