Tampa Bay Rays Promote Brent Honeywell to Durham

One of the Tampa Bay Rays top pitching prospects is getting closer to his Major League debut. Brent Honeywell, one of the top prospects in the game, has been promoted to the Durham Bulls.

If anyone wants to see the next wave of talent coming up to the Tampa Bay Rays, then one would not need to go any further than Durham. The Durham Bulls began the year with four of the Rays top five prospects, giving the fans a potential taste of what is coming to the Major League roster. The future certainly seems bright in Tampa Bay.

That is, the Bulls had four of the top five prospects in the Rays system. Now, they have all five, as the Rays number two prospect, and 28th best prospect overall according to MLB.com, Brent Honeywell, has been promoted after two starts with the Montgomery Biscuits. In a corresponding move, former top prospect Taylor Guerrieri has been placed on the disabled list.

It is easy to see why the Rays would be promoting him this soon in the season. In his second stint with the Biscuits, Honeywell has dominated the Southern League. In his 13 innings, he has posted a 2.08 ERA and a 0.615 WHiP, allowing four hits and four walks. Perhaps the most impressive statistic, however, would be his strikeout rate. In those 13 innings, Honeywell has 20 strikeouts on the year.

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It is obvious that he is ready to continue his progression. Armed with five different pitches, including a dominant changeup and a screwball, Honeywell has been amongst the best at generating swings and misses in the minors. Depending on how he fares in Durham, and the state of the Rays pitching staff, his stay with the Bulls may not last for long.

Meanwhile, this is the latest setback for Guerrieri. A former top prospect, the luster has been lost over the past few years. While his numbers have been solid during his minor league career, nagging injuries, Tommy John surgery, and a 50 game drug suspension have held him to just 81 appearances in six seasons. It is fair to wonder if he will ever fulfill his immense potential.

Next: Odorizzi to the DL

Brent Honeywell is one step away from the Tampa Bay Rays, as he has been promoted to the Durham Bulls. With the Rays top five prospects on one team, the Bulls are certainly going to be worth the price of admission.