Unsurprisingly, especially given their two extra picks (giving them five of the first 86), it was a very deep, very strong, and very interesting Tampa Bay Rays draft class this year. Led by a ton of high-end prep talent up top, actually marking four of those first five picks, it's a class that mixes ultra high ceilings with strong, all-around ballplayers. While the draft tends to be a crapshoot, it's a near certainty that at least a handful of these picks turn into meaningful big league contributors in some capacity. While each of the first five picks were position players, the Rays leaned on pitching deeper into the draft and at one point selected ten straight in rounds six through fifteen.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. For example, "2-50" would indicate that a player was taken in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.
1-14: SS Daniel Pierce, Mill Creek HS [GA]
Slot value: $5.31 million. Signing bonus: $4.31 million ($1 million below slot value).
My rank: #14. MLB Pipeline: #13. Baseball America: #24.
I am a huge fan of this pick, especially given that the Rays picked up Daniel Pierce for a million dollars below the slot value for the #14 pick, just above the slot value of the #20 pick, to pull him from a Georgia commitment. Pierce is a true jack of all trades. He entered his senior season a known commodity as a heady baseball player with a broad set of skills, but showed up in the spring looking bigger, faster, and stronger to suddenly vault himself from a likely third division regular to a potential all-around star. The son of his school's head baseball coach, the baseball IQ still shows up in Pierce's game on both sides of the ball with strong instincts and a hard-nosed, gritty style of play. His loose, rhythmic right handed swing makes plenty of contact to all fields, and now that he has begun to fill out his 6'1" frame, there is increasing authority behind the swing as he works his way towards average power. It will always be a hit over power approach with the potential to post high on-base percentages at the major league level, but now that could come with about 15 home runs annually. If he begins to elevate more, that home run output could creep higher. A great athlete, the Atlanta-area product is a plus runner that makes things happen on the bases and in the field. His hands and playing style work well in the dirt, and he has the arm strength to stick on the left side of the infield. With continued progress, he has a shot to be an average big league shortstop defensively, no small feat given the fierce competition at that position. One minor down side is age, as Pierce turned 19 less than a month after the draft. A career similar to fellow Atlanta product Dansby Swanson may not be too far off, though Pierce has a shot to be a better pure hitter.
CBA-42: OF Brendan Summerhill, Arizona
Slot value: $2.33 million. Signing bonus: $2 million ($333,500 below slot value).
My rank: #21. MLB Pipeline: #16. Baseball America: #22.
While Brendan Summerhill was probably over-ranked by most outlets including on my own list, this remains tremendous value outside of the top forty picks especially given the discount. Summerhill played sparingly as a freshman and showed an advanced bat if also a lack of impact, but lurched forward with a big sophomore season in 2024 before showing very well against top pitching in the Cape Cod League (.286/.358/.441 in 24 games). Heavily considered in the top half of the first round and a potential target for the Rays first pick at #14 entering the season, he actually increased all three legs of his slash line from 2024 to 2025 – .324/.399/.550 to .343/.459/.556 – while dropping his strikeout rate (12.9% to 11.6%) and increasing his walk rate (11.1% to 17.4%). However, a broken hand (I believe from punching a locker) and a subsequent hamstring tweak limited him to 44 games despite Arizona's deep College World Series run and questions around his overall impact weren't quite answered, so he slipped quite a bit farther than many expected him to. Still, Summerhill is a great prospect and at pick #42 represents a much better ballplayer than you would expect to find outside the first round, especially at a discount. His left handed swing is geared for contact and he makes a ton of it, rarely ever whiffing while growing more and more disciplined at the plate. Most guys who run mid 80's contact rates and sub-12% strikeout rates like he does do so with a slappy approach, but Summerhill stands 6'3" and has flashed very solid exit velocities in the past. The power didn't really show up in 2025 and looked below average at times, and the fact that he'll walk away from a career at very hitter-friendly Hi Corbett Field with just 14 home runs in 124 games may point to a guy who will always be contact-over-power. The Rays see the projection in that lanky frame and know what he's capable of when he really gets behind a baseball, and they'll work to mold that ultra-accurate swing to tap more power and possibly outgrow what is currently a 10-15 home run projection and push it closer to 20 annually. The Chicago native is also an above average runner who has shown well in the outfield, with a shot to play center field if he can continue to progress with the glove. There is a chance he is pushed to a corner by a more explosive defender, and given the power questions, center field would certainly look better. Still, the on-base ability and power projection should play for an every day role at any position and if he wound up in left field, he would be above average there to boot. There are a ton of building blocks here and for that reason many still thought he belonged in the first round.
2-53: SS Cooper Flemming, Aliso Niguel HS [CA]
Slot value: $1.8 million. Signing bonus: $2.3 million ($494,000 above slot value).
My rank: #78. MLB Pipeline: #82. Baseball America: #102.
After saving over $1.3 million on their first two picks, the Rays started to use their savings here by paying Cooper Flemming closer to the value of Brendan Summerhill's #42 pick to sign here at #53. Flemming has bounced around a bit, playing at three different Southern California high schools and committing to play across the country at Vanderbilt before Tampa came calling with the paycheck, but he found his home at Aliso Niguel High School in Orange County. Flemming, like Daniel Pierce, has a very well-rounded profile that lacks any glaring holes. He is an advanced hitter with a mature approach that has enabled him to produce virtually everywhere he's been, including against strong competition on the showcase circuit and in Southern California. He hit especially well this spring, prompting some late helium that saw him drafted far ahead of most projections as the Rays believe he's not only the best he's ever been, but setting the stage for sustained, significant progress in the near future. At this point, Flemming is very much a hit over power bat that shows below average pop overall, though he made strong impressions in the spring and looks to have been flashing more fringy pop lately. Listed at 6'3", 190 pounds, he's projectable with room to add more strength, giving him a good shot to reach average power in the end or, if you want to dream, potentially above average power. However, like Pierce, he's old for the class and turned 19 a month after the draft (actually the day after Pierce). The overall projection is a high on-base bat with home run totals in the teens. He has shown solid glovework up the middle and the Rays will likely trot him out at shortstop to start, with a chance to stick there if he can maintain his average speed and get a little more dynamic out there. He tends to load up on his throws a little bit and for that reason may fit better at second or third base, but regardless he should stick on the dirt. Flemming did pitch at times in high school and has run his fastball up to 92, so he has the arm to play the latter.
SUP-67: OF Dean Moss, IMG Academy [FL]
Slot value: $1.29 million. Signing bonus: $2.1 million ($812,100 above slot value).
My rank: #81. MLB Pipeline: #56. Baseball America: #97.
Dean Moss, a product of local powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, is a very interesting prospect. He travelled across the country from his Silicon Valley home to play at IMG, then signed for top-fifty money rather than attend LSU. In addition to moving across the country for high school, he has been a mainstay on the showcase circuit with a toolset and flare that play right into the showcase model. He hits from a wide base with a high handset and significant bat waggle, coiling back onto his back leg before scissoring forward and exploding onto the baseball with huge bat speed. Despite the setup, he has actually been more hit over power in games with an extremely advanced approach at the plate that has helped him remain unfazed by advanced arms. While the extra movement can cause his pure bat to ball to play down when he tries to sell out for power, which was too often earlier in his prep career, he has done a better job of staying within himself lately. Due to his average size (6', 180 pounds), the power does play better when he coils up and tries to turn on it, so going forward it will be about finding a balance. His instincts play up in the outfield as well, where despite average speed he has a shot to play center field. There's still a chance he gets pushed to a corner by a better pure runner, with above average arm strength which could make him an above average right fielder. At this point, his throws can get inaccurate when he tries to load up and sling it, so similarly to his hitting, he'll need to stay within himself. Moss is another old-for-the-class prospect who turned 19 way back in April, making him age appropriate for a college freshman rather than a high school senior. The age should be less of an issue around polish, as he has shown both a polished bat and glove, and more around his ability to add strength to his lean frame. Moss is a great mover with a lot of things going for him, so if he finds balance on both offense and defense rather than selling out his swings and his throws for power, he could be a really dynamic option in Tampa.
3-86: C Taitn Gray, Dallas Center-Grimes HS [IA]
Slot value: $920,800. Signing bonus: $918,300 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: #79. MLB Pipeline: #92. Baseball America: #83.
I've never seen "Taitn" as a first name and I reckon I never will again. Taitn Gray signed for slot value here in the third round, which is a tremendous bargain given he had interest as high as the second round and had been committed to Oregon. Already listed at 6'4", 220 pounds, he stands out for not only his physicality but his plus-plus raw power among the best in the entire prep class. A switch hitter, he brings a violent operation with huge bat speed and strength beyond his years to pummel baseballs into a fine powder. Previously a bit of a sleeper coming out of the Des Moines area because he hadn't been seen much on the showcase circuit, tales of his power reached nationwide during his senior spring and he showed very well at both the PBR Super 60 in February and the MLB Draft Combine in June. He still hasn't been seen much against top pitching so his hit tool is a question, though he has performed plenty well in Iowa and there is no reason to think he can't hit high end pitching. However, as a cold weather switch hitting prep catcher, he may have a steeper climb to an average hit tool than most preps through no fault of his own. He's similarly raw behind the plate, where his glovework can be a bit clunky and he lacks the agility of some of the game's premier defensive catchers. He does move well for his large size and could be a solid average corner outfielder, though of course the value is maximized behind the plate. Gray is extremely young for a high school senior and only turned 18 in August, making him more than a year younger than Daniel Pierce and Cooper Flemming and almost sixteen months younger than Dean Moss, all of whom graduated in the same 2025 class. That youth gives the Rays plenty of time to be patient and move him along slowly, and if he takes well to pro development, the hit tool and glove could come along and make him a power hitting big league catcher. It's hard to find catchers who can hit and Gray could be one of the few if he sticks.
4-117: LHP Dominic Fritton, North Carolina State
Slot value: $648,400. Signing bonus: $497,500 ($150,900 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #233.
Dominic Fritton is a distinctly Rays pick in that he does not stand out on paper, but brings traits that Tampa can put together into a much better finished product. He has spent three years in the NC State rotation to good but not great results, and after going undrafted in 2024, finds himself as an under slot fourth round selection here. He brings a fastball in the low 90's that touches 96 at peak, playing up with riding life from a low release point that gives it flat plane. He shows a solid slider with some depth and a solid changeup, though he mainly pitches off the fastball. Fritton's athleticism is a selling point. The 6'1" lefty has tremendous lower half extension that helps him drive down the mound and get low while maintaining a traditional arm slot, giving him the rare combination of a low release without the three quarters slot. It's a tough look for hitters especially. from a lefty, that gives the Rays plenty of room to get creative. He shows fringe-average command but has been durable and looks to stick in the rotation as a back-end starter, especially if the Rays can work with his unique release traits to help his average stuff play up farther. Given the higher bonus, it seems Tampa is confident in this path. Otherwise, he could sit in the mid 90's with that same ride and flat plane and focus mainly on the fastball in a relief role. The North Carolina native is a full year older than most juniors, having turned 22 in April.
5-147: OF James Quinn-Irons, George Mason
Slot value: $484,400. Signing bonus: $481,900 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: #97. MLB Pipeline: #175. Baseball America: #87.
This is a really fun pick, and a nice bargain and, like Dominic Fritton, he's older than most juniors and was 22 on draft day. A three year starter at George Mason, he has been a one man wrecking crew for the Patriots and is a career .371/.459/.632 hitter with 33 home runs in 148 games. He was at his best in 2025, when he hit a monstrous .419/.523/.734 with 16 home runs in 61 games, earning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors and finishing in the top ten nationally in hits (101, 2nd), batting average (.419, 7th), on-base percentage (.523, 9th), RBI (85, 2nd), and doubles (24, 6th). The performance is backed up by the eye test. Quinn-Irons is a hulking 6'5", 230 pounds but moves like a much smaller man. He has plus-plus raw power with elite top-end exit velocities, though the power has played closer to true plus in games. While playing at Mason, he made solid contact with a patient approach and the ability to barrel up most anything in the zone, but it's worth noting that the Patriots did not play a difficult schedule. In his few opportunities against stronger opponents (seven games against ECU, Duke, Maryland, and UNC), he hit a respectable .269/.424/.500 but struck out in a third of his plate appearances, more than double his overall K rate for the season. Now thus far, you might see a 6'5" slugger who OPS'd 1.257 with 16 home runs and assume a certain kind of profile, but there's more here. He's actually a plus runner who stole 36 bases in 61 games, giving him 58 for his career. That speed helps him play a solid center field as well, making the Northern Virginia native a legitimate four tool player. How that fifth tool, namely his ability to make contact and produce against higher level pitching, progresses will tell the story of wether JQI is an impact big leaguer or more of a platoon bat. Given the competition he faced in the A-10, it's hard to do much more than he did.
11-327: RHP Luke Jackson, Texas A&M
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $497,500 ($347,500 against bonus pool).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #437.
This is a big gamble by Tampa, signing Luke Jackson for the exact same bonus as fourth rounder Dominic Fritton despite almost a complete lack of track record. He missed the 2023 season with Tommy John surgery, then pitched just 8.1 innings in 2024 without much success. He earned a more prominent role in the bullpen in 2025, but still ended up with a 5.89 ERA and never quite put it together. Jackson has electric arm talent, sitting in the mid 90's with his fastball and touching 98 in short stints with significant life. He drops in a solid slider to miss bats, then has shown the ability to rip a fading changeup at times as well. To this point, his below average command has held him back evidenced by a 13.2% walk rate over his two seasons in College Station. However, the Rays like that he looked a bit sharper in the Cape Cod League (career 11.3% walk rate over two seasons) and think that with more consistent reps on the mound (he has thrown just 26.2 innings in three years in College Station), he can work closer to average. The 6'2" righty is athletic on the mound and hides the ball well with a crossfire delivery, so any improvement in his command could increase what are currently narrow chances of starting. If the Rays are going to pay him half a million, they must think there is a shot. They'll tinker with his stuff mix and see if they can get a little more out of his electric right arm, and the fallback (and most likely scenario) is a hard throwing reliever the likes of which Tampa seems to crank out on the regular.
17-507: C Brody Donay, Florida
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #248. Baseball America: #219.
There is no shortage of baseball talent in Florida, yet Brody Donay is actually the only Sunshine State native to be drafted by the Rays this year. He grew up about thirty miles inland from Tampa in Lakeland, where he played for Lakeland Christian High School and committed to Virginia Tech. He showed well for the Hokies and transferred back closer to home at Florida, where he initially struggled against SEC pitching but cleaned it up for his best year yet in 2025 (18 HR, .303/.418/.646). Listed at 6'5", 235 pounds, he's almost always one of the biggest guys on the field and the profile matches the size. He has plus raw power that has translated into 44 home runs in 145 games over three seasons, tapping it effortlessly with what is often a no-stride operation. He has become much more balanced at the plate over the years and looked like a more complete hitter in 2025, staying within himself effectively and cutting his strikeout rate to a career-low 25.2%, though that is admittedly still a very high number. Donay has always struggled with contact, especially against quality breaking balls, and the progress he made in that department in 2025 is not enough to assuage those concerns. He ran a career 36.4% strikeout rate in two Cape Cod League seasons, though he also blasted ten home runs in 59 games with wood bats and otherwise showed plenty of impact even against elite pitching, highlighting the profile's strengths and weaknesses pretty well. Tampa hopes he can stick behind the plate, where his cannon arm makes up a bit for clunkier glovework that isn't helped by the lanky frame. Florida gave most of its reps to Luke Heyman behind the plate in 2025, and Donay will need a lot of work to stick back there at the pro level. He has the power to profile anywhere on the diamond but given the concerns with swing and miss, keeping that catcher's gear would help take some pressure off the bat. He likely profiles as a first base/bench bat.
UDFA: RHP Trace Phillips, Middle Tennessee State
Slot value: $0. Signing bonus: $629,200 ($629,200 against bonus pool).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #206. Baseball America: #190.
When twenty rounds came and went and Trace Phillips didn't hear his name called, it was a foregone conclusion that he would be returning to Middle Tennessee State for his junior season after he had seemingly priced himself out of the draft. However, the Rays failed to sign twentieth rounder Ike Young and found themselves with money left over in their bonus pool. In that case, they turned around and hit Phillips with a surprise offer of mid-fourth round money, the second highest bonus ever given to an undrafted free agent behind Cincinnati's TJ Friedl, which we can all agree worked out pretty well. Phillips carried one of the biggest bats in the Tennessee high school ranks in 2023, then immediately jumped into the Middle Tennessee State lineup as a freshman and slashed .303/.360/.547 with 13 home runs in 2024. An impressive pitcher too, he struggled to a 7.13 ERA in thirteen appearances but intrigued scouts with his arm talent nonetheless. When he showed up for fall practice entering his sophomore year, he blew scouts away with a fastball that had added several ticks of velocity and louder secondary stuff. Unfortunately, his 2025 never fully got off the ground as hand and back injuries limited him to just six starts, though he did nearly double his strikeout rate from 13.2% to 25.4% while slashing his walk rate from 9.3% to 6.0%. Phillips now works with a low to mid 90's fastball that touches 97 at peak, playing best when he can ride it on the top rail. His slider has taken a step forward and looks above average at its best with nice snap, while his fading changeup gives him a third above average pitch. Unlike most arms that see a sudden jolt in velocity, especially ones that deal with injuries at the same time, the Nashville-area native has steadily improved his command and looks above average in that regard. With a projectable 6'3" frame and three above average pitches, he looks every bit like a big league starting pitcher. He'll just need to prove health, which to this point has been hard to come by and a career 6.27 ERA in college doesn't do him any favors. The Rays think he would have rocketed into the top couple of rounds had he been healthy and as a draft eligible sophomore, he was still 20 on draft day.
