Where the Rays' Top 30 prospects are starting season

With the Minor League season opening this week, here's where the Rays’ Top 30 prospects are projected to start:

1. Taj Bradley (MLB No. 19), RHP -- Durham (Triple-A)
2. Curtis Mead (MLB No. 32), 3B -- Durham (Triple-A)
3. Carson Williams (MLB No. 71), SS -- Bowling Green (High-A)
4. Kyle Manzardo (MLB No. 72), 1B -- Durham (Triple-A)
5. Junior Caminero, 3B -- Bowling Green (High-A)
6. Mason Montgomery, LHP -- Montgomery (Double-A)
7. Oslevis Basabe, SS -- Durham (Triple-A)
8. Mason Auer, OF -- Montgomery (Double-A)
9. Cole Wilcox, RHP -- Montgomery (Double-A)
10. Xavier Isaac, 1B -- Charleston (Single-A)
11. Willy Vasquez, 3B -- Bowling Green (High-A)
12. Brock Jones, OF -- Injured (quad)
13. Ian Seymour, LHP -- Injured (Tommy John rehab)
14. Carlos Colmenarez, SS -- Charleston (Single-A)
15. Kameron Misner, OF -- Durham (Triple-A)
16. Greg Jones, SS -- Montgomery (Double-A)
17. Heriberto Hernandez, OF -- Montgomery (Double-A)
18. Chandler Simpson, SS -- Charleston (Single-A)
19. Brailer Guerrero, OF -- Extended spring training
20. JJ Goss, RHP -- Bowling Green (High-A)
21. Tristan Peters, OF -- Montgomery (Double-A)
22. Ronny Simon, INF -- Montgomery (Double-A)
23. Ryan Cermak, SS -- Charleston (Single-A)
24. Cooper Kinney, 2B -- Charleston (Single-A)
25. Dominic Keegan, C -- Charleston (Single-A)
26. Santiago Suarez, RHP -- Extended spring training
27. Colby White, RHP -- Injured (Tommy John rehab)
28. Evan Reifert, RHP -- Injured (shoulder inflammation)
29. Marcus Johnson, RHP -- Charleston (Single-A)
30. Jose Urbina, RHP -- Extended spring training

Team to watch
Triple-A Durham is loaded every year -- see their Triple-A titles in 2021 and 2022 -- and this edition is no different. The Bulls boast four of Tampa Bay’s top seven prospects, including three Top 100 talents in Taj Bradley, Curtis Mead and Kyle Manzardo. Bradley and Mead both return to the International League after debuting there last season, while Manzardo’s promotion is more aggressive after he played only 30 Double-A games in 2022. The 22-year-old first baseman has the advanced approach and budding power to handle the assignment and give Durham yet another premium weapon in its lineup.

Teams on MLB.TV and MiLB.TV
Tampa Bay Rays
Triple-A Durham
Double-A Montgomery
High-A Bowling Green
Single-A Charleston

Players we could see in MLB in 2023
Depending on health, Bradley and Mead will assuredly see St. Petersburg at some point this summer. Bradley’s fastball, cutter and overall control could make him a quick contributor to the Tampa Bay rotation, and Mead’s bat and growing power should wiggle their way into the Rays lineup at some point, even if his exact position remains up in the air. As a first-base-only type, Manzardo may have his arrival complicated by his lack of versatility, but if he hits as expected with Durham, he could be a left-handed bat option by the second half.

New faces
Marcus Johnson and Santiago Suarez both joined the organization last November in a trade with the Marlins that sent Xavier Edwards and JT Chargois the other way. Johnson -- a fourth-round pick last year out of Duke -- will open his first full season at Single-A Charleston. Suarez only pitched in the Dominican Summer League in 2022 and is expected to see his Rays debut later in the coming months.

On the shelf
Second-rounder Brock Jones will see his first full season delayed after suffering a quad injury. Last year’s Arizona Fall League popup star Evan Reifert also didn’t break with a Minor League club out of camp due to shoulder inflammation, but he is not expected to endure a lengthy stay on the injured list.