Mound Talk

1. Evan Longoria, 3B, AAA. It’s hard to find something negative to say about Longoria. He has good power, a good stroke, great bat speed, quick hands, and plays average defense. If pressed, his negative is speed but that’s hardly anything to fret about. Longoria split time between Double- and Triple-A (we won the Southern League MVP) and fared well in both leagues. Look for him to get his shot in Tampa this season.
2. David Price, LHSP, NCAA. A good fastball with nice movement complimented by a hard slider in the mid-80s and a good secondary breaking ball make Price a very formidable pitcher. Now throw in an improving changeup and Price has the potential to be an ace pitcher. He needs to improve his command and develop a smoother, more repeatable motion but that should come sooner rather than later.
3. Jacob McGee, LHSP, AA. McGee struck out 145 batters in 117 High-A innings this year before earning a promotion to Double-A. He has great speed on his fastball sitting 92-95. He offers a changeup that was much improved over the course of the season. Likewise, his curve develop nicely this season. He still has work to do but McGee could easily have three plus pitches if he develops a little consistency and improves command a touch.
4. Wade Davis, RHSP, AA. Splitting time between A+ and AA, Davis compiled some very nice stats this season at 21 years old. Davis is a power pitcher reaching mid- to upper-90s on his fastball with good command. His curveball has good bite to it and is his second best pitch. Davis needs to improve his secondary offerings, a cutter and change, before he’s ready to excel against advanced hitters. Questions exist about his ability to work deeper into games but those should be put to rest soon.
5. Reid Brignac, SS, AA. Brignac has decent bat speed but doesn’t show anything too special. He tries to pull the ball too much and has trouble goind the other way. He needs to be more patient and isn’t very quick. On the positive side, he has good power that could be plus power if he refines his hitting style and mentality. His defense is questionable and while some think he will have to move off of short, that isn’t a forgone conclusion.
6. Desmond Jennings, OF, A. There aren’t enough positives to describe Jennings potential fully. He has a very good eye, makes great contact, has blazing speed, a little power, and incredible defense. That being said, his season was cut short when he had knee surgery in early August. Nonetheless, he shoudl come back and continue to display a very quick bat and continue to excel in High-A.
7. Jeff Niemann, RHSP, AAA. Niemann was taken with Tampa’s first pick in the 2004 draft out of Rice. Since then, he’s battled several injuries including a surgery to his shoulder and collarbone. Niemann threw with some success in Triple-A this year striking out 8.45 batters per nine and walking a career low, 3.16 per nine. His 131 innings pitched represents the most he’s thrown in a season since turning professional.
8. Eduardo Morlan, RHRP, AA. Morlan has three good pitches including a 100 MPH fastball. His curveball is probably his best pitch at the moment but his fastball could easily be that with a little more improvement. Needs to also reduce home runs.
9. Jeremy Hellickson, RHSP, A. Hellickson has serious potential with three potentially plus pitches. His low-90s fastball has very good movement and good command, his curveball has pinpoint accuracy and his change could use a bit more deception but has great life to it. Negatively, Hellickson has struggled with some injuries. Tampa will be cautious with Hellickson and let him progress as needed without trying to strain his arm too much.
10. John Jaso, C, AA. Health has always been the concern with Jaso whose defense has always been adequate. His offense had been quite steady coming into this season hovering around a .300 average and a .370 on-base with some power. This year Jaso racked up a .316/.408/.484 line in Double-A at the age of 23. He added 24 doubles and 12 home runs and for the first time in his career, walked more than he struck out (59:49).
Flier. Glen Gibson, LHSP, A-. Very good fastball/curveball combination. He’s only 20 and has a lot of projection.

The Rays are loaded. No doubt about it, they have the best system in baseball. With incredible star potential at the top and depth throughout, the Rays have once again stockpiled prospects galore. Between the already graduated guys like Scott Kazmir, Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli, B.J. Upton and Johnny Gomes; the guys they’ve traded prospects for like Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett; and the Major League ready guys like Longoria, Price, Niemann, Morlan and Jaso, the Rays might be looking at their second season ever finishing out of the cellar. With McGee, Davis, Jennings and more (presumably Pedro Alvarez) coming, this is a team that looks very, very good for the future…but that’s been said before.