Here are the Rays' first half Minor League MVPs

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 -- One issue for the Rays as they scuffled through the first few months of the Major League season was that their stars weren’t necessarily performing like stars should. That issue has resolved itself recently, with Yandy Díaz posting a 19-game hit streak to tie the franchise record and Randy Arozarena bouncing back in June.

It hasn’t been an issue in the Rays’ Minor League system, either.

For the most part, with their full-season Minor League affiliates halfway through their schedules, the Rays’ top prospects are truly performing like top prospects when they’re on the field.

Third baseman Junior Caminero, the Rays’ No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was crushing the ball for Triple-A Durham before a leg injury sent him to the injured list for a second time. And the guy ranked just below him hasn’t been too shabby, either.

Which leads us to name the …

Minor League Player of the First Half: SS Carson Williams

Williams, the Rays’ No. 2 prospect and No. 14 overall on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list, continues to get better as he advances through Tampa Bay’s system.

The 21-year-old Williams entered the weekend batting .281/.373/.520 with 11 homers, 16 doubles, 30 RBIs and 19 stolen bases in 57 games for Double-A Montgomery. He’s also a slick-fielding shortstop with a cannon of a throwing arm, with the kind of emerging leadership traits you want to see from a premium, up-the-middle defender.

Williams has performed at a high level since being selected 28th overall out of high school in the 2021 MLB Draft, but he’s been even better so far this year. There are still some swing-and-miss concerns, as he’s striking out in 27.8% of his plate appearances, but that’s actually down from 31.4% last year and 32.1% in '22.

Williams will continue to be tested as he experiences the grind of another full season in the upper Minors -- June has been his worst month of the season, statistically, and he dealt with a bone bruise in his right wrist. And there will be more challenges in Triple-A Durham eventually, but he’s got all the tools you want in a future big league shortstop. He’s performing like one, too.

Here are some more first-half MVPs, one at each full-season level.

Triple-A Durham: As usual, a lot of the key players on this roster have spent time in the Majors in previous seasons (like Shane Baz) or this year (Curtis Mead, Austin Shenton and others).

If you want to dig a little deeper, though, keep an eye on left-hander Joe Rock, the Rays’ No. 17 prospect. Acquired late in Spring Training for former first-round pick Greg Jones, Rock has racked up a team-leading 68 strikeouts against 16 walks while posting a 4.11 ERA in 65 2/3 innings over 14 outings, including 12 starts.

Ronny Simon (No. 25) merits a mention for his scorching-hot month of June, which has raised the energetic infielder’s slash line to .306/.359/.492 in 69 games.

Double-A Montgomery: It speaks only to what Williams has done that outfielder Chandler Simpson (No. 10) isn’t the overall first-half MVP, so we must give him credit here. That's because Simpson has been simply incredible, a one-of-a-kind prospect who could not be held in much higher esteem by Rays officials.

Between High-A Bowling Green and Double-A, the 23-year-old speedster has hit .371 with an .840 OPS, more walks (23) than strikeouts (22) and, of course, a staggering 54 stolen bases in 59 games.

We’d be remiss not to mention lefty starter Ian Seymour (No. 18), who has come back strong with a 1.97 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 86 strikeouts and 17 walks in 77 2/3 innings over 14 starts.

High-A Bowling Green: First baseman Xavier Isaac (the Rays’ No. 3 prospect and No. 44 overall) has stood out even in a lineup that includes fellow highly regarded, hot-hitting prospects Brayden Taylor (the Rays’ No. 4 prospect and No. 83 overall) and Tre’ Morgan (Tampa Bay's No. 13 prospect), among others.

Isaac, 20, is hitting .303/.388/.567 with 12 homers, 15 doubles, 52 RBIs and, for good measure, 13 steals in 55 games. The 2022 first-round pick crushed a pair of homers and a double in the Rays’ first Spring Breakout game, setting the tone for his impressive season thus far.

Single-A Charleston: Right-hander Gary Gill Hill (currently unranked) has quickly established himself as one of the organization’s top pitching prospects. A sixth-round pick out of high school in the 2022 Draft, the 19-year-old owns a 2.06 ERA and 0.97 WHIP with 69 strikeouts and only 15 walks in 65 2/3 innings over 13 starts in his first full season.

In his last three starts, he’s worked 19 innings while allowing just two runs, 12 hits and two walks while striking out 22. There's a long way to go, but he’s a legitimate starting pitching prospect to watch.