Rays Dirty Dozen: SP Depth Leads Rays into 2016

Schultz continues to impress for the Biscuits.

RHP Jaime Schultz – 24 years old

Few know of Schultz as a prominent piece of the Rays system, but he’s one of their best strike out pitchers. He’s just a little too wild at this point to be seriously considered for a Rays rotation spot. If he ever lowers his BB/9 ratio to below the 4.0 mark, he could become one of the better arms in the system. What we put our focus on is the fact that he maintained a sub 1.300 Whip for 3 of the 6 months last season and that he finished the year strong.

While he’s still projected to be a starter, there’s also a possibility that he gets a look in the pen to start, so that the Rays can get him warmed into a starter’s role. As a long-reliever, he’d still hold value for the Rays and his dominance over RHB (.199/.321/.277) makes him a very usable piece. It’s likely that Schultz begins the year in AAA and gets the experience he needs while working on lowering the walk rate. Should he do so, he could quickly make his way to Tampa as he has extremely enticing stuff, including a much-improved change up.

Next: Finally, the honourable mentions