ST. PETERSBURG -- Reflecting on the Rays’ disappointing season less than a week after it ended, president of baseball operations Erik Neander referenced the three standout traits of the organization: promising pitching, “great prospects” and not enough offense.

Indeed, after parting with a handful of veteran contributors in July, the Rays once again claimed the best farm system in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. Their Top 30 Prospects list has changed significantly since Spring Training, due in part to their acquisitions but also to the dramatic improvement of other players.

A lot of their standout hitters finished the season in Double-A. Look no further for proof than Montgomery’s season-ending lineup in Game 2 of the Eastern League Championship Series, with a batting order that included three Top 100 prospects (Carson Williams, Xavier Isaac and Brayden Taylor), four more in the Rays’ Top 30 (Chandler Simpson, Tre’ Morgan, Dominic Keegan and Matthew Etzel) and organizational Defensive Player of the Year Tanner Murray.

“This is a group that we expect big things out of for years to come, and this is going to be a core of what we expect to be a Major League team in the next couple years,” assistant general manager Kevin Ibach said in September.

Tampa Bay’s pitching prospects are perhaps a step behind, but similarly promising with the additions of Brody Hopkins (No. 12), Jackson Baumeister (No. 18) and Ty Johnson (No. 30) along with the development of Gary Gill Hill (No. 7), Santiago Suarez (No. 8), Yoniel Curet (No. 14), Trevor Harrison (No. 25) and Trevor Martin (No. 26).

There are a few to watch in the upper Minors, namely Triple-A lefties Ian Seymour (their No. 17 prospect and the organizational Pitcher of the Year) and Joe Rock (No. 22), both of whom seem likely to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason.

And that’s a useful jumping-off point to consider three young players -- two with Major League experience, one without a single at-bat in Triple-A -- who could impact the Rays’ big league roster next season.

3B Junior Caminero
He’s technically no longer a prospect, having graduated from the top of MLB Pipeline’s list. He’s also only 21 years old, with 213 Major League plate appearances to his name and much more to prove.

Caminero held his own during his late-season cameo, batting .248/.299/.424 with six homers, 18 RBIs and 38 strikeouts in 177 plate appearances over 43 games. His 105 OPS+ shows he was slightly better than a league-average hitter, no small feat considering how difficult the initial transition to the Majors proved to be for many top prospects this year.

Is there room for growth? Of course. But Caminero’s defense at the hot corner was arguably better than advertised. And there were times, especially during a weekend at Dodger Stadium, when his star power shined through. His bat speed was among the best in the game, and he also produced above-average hard-hit and barrel rates.

The ability is clearly there. It’s just a matter of giving Caminero a lane to take the next step, and the Rays seem determined to do so.

LHP Mason Montgomery
If you weren’t paying attention in September, you missed a huge part of the future of the Rays’ bullpen. Montgomery, the former starter who reached new heights after a midseason transition to relief work, was a standout performer in his debut campaign for Tampa Bay.

Montgomery’s stuff took a huge leap forward when he moved to the bullpen, and it showed in the big leagues. The 24-year-old lefty fired a fastball that averaged 97.3 mph with a 43.1% whiff rate and an upper-80s slider with a small-sample-size (but still preposterous) whiff rate of 56%.

In 9 2/3 innings over nine appearances, he allowed two runs on six hits and five walks while striking out 17 of the 37 batters he faced. With that kind of stuff and those results, the former top prospect is going to play a big part in next year’s bullpen.

1B/OF Tre' Morgan
Morgan won’t crack Tampa Bay’s Opening Day roster. He might not even reach the big leagues next season. But he’s a good representative of this year’s season-ending Double-A group, which seems bound to produce at least one contributor next year. Considering how quickly he moved from Single-A to Double-A, Morgan might be the most likely candidate to finish next season with the Rays.

It could be Williams or Simpson, perhaps even Isaac or Taylor. Maybe Keegan eventually fills the Rays’ obvious need behind the plate. But even with a relatively unimpressive finish in Montgomery, it’s hard to bet against Morgan after he hit .324/.408/.483 with the same number of walks and strikeouts (48) over 100 games. There’s a reason the Rays named him their Minor League Player of the Year.