Rays 2016 Top 50 Prospects: Number 50, Zac Law

Rays Top 50 Prospects includes a tremendous number of high-quality prospects. We at RCG are bringing you an in-depth look at those we consider to be the Top 50.

While gathering as much information as possible from various sources, we’re going to put it all together for your enjoyment and raise the bar on what you expect from a prospect knowledgable site. Stay tuned, check-in often, and please let us know how we’re doing.

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Being such a lengthy process, some encouragement will go a very long way. We hope you’ll enjoy reading this series as much as we enjoy putting it together. If anything, all of us will know that much more about the quality of the Rays system.

The rankings will be based on all aspects of each prospect, but will focus first on how likely the player is to make an impact in MLB, and ceiling next. Mikie Mahtook and Enny Romero have been graduated to the majors and will not be included in these rankings.

Once completed, the Top 50 will be updated mid-season with an explanation to why they’re moving up or down, and the entire process will be repeated each season.

The next player to be examined in detail is …

#50: Zacrey Taylor Law, CF, 19 years old

• Bats: Right Ht/Wt: 5’8″ 180 lbs
• Drafted: in the 23rd rd of the 2014 draft
• Signed: for $127,820
• 2015 Affiliate: Princeton, Rk
• Anticipated MLB Arrival: 2019+

Law’s Stats

Law’s Fielding Stats

Law’s 2015 Splits

Player Facts

• Follow him on Twitter: @zaclaw6
• Signed out of Robinson HS, Waco, Texas
• The best quote from Law is as follows: “I just try to be the best person and the best teammate I can possibly be,” “I just try to be selfless. Baseball is a team sport, it’s not an individual sport, so you have to give to the team.”
• Hit .495 with 40 RBI and 29 SB as a Senior in HS before the draft
• Improved his impressively low K% from 15.5% to 14.6% from 2014 to 2015, but also BB less with a 6.9% BB rate in 2014 going down to 4.9% in 2015
• His wOBA improved from .315 in 2014 to .344 in 2015, this despite a lower BAbip
• The biggest improvement he made was his ISO which jumped from .088 to .148, a significant improvement
• Overall, he improved his wRC+ from 91 to 108 over the last 2 seasons, indicating that he’s now considered slightly above average

You have to love that look:

Best Tools & Abilities

• Above-Average Speed
• Discipline at the plate
• Great defensive CF

Video

Our Thoughts

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Zac Law got his inspiration and guidance from his family as he made his way through the decisions on whether to go to College or sign with the Rays.

"“My parents and I talked about it and we just felt like this was the best choice for me and my family at the time,” said Law. “I get my inspiration from (my father). He’s really pushed me throughout these years.”"

Many gave the Rays little hope of signing Law due to draft budget constraints, but in the end, he was signed and could turn out to be a steal in the 2014 draft class.

What we know Law will bring to the table at this point includes speed on the base paths and great defensive play. He has the range to remain in CF and what could be an above-average arm at the position.

While not the biggest of players, Law has a lot of torque in his core and indicated last season that there may be more power potential in his frame than some expected.

Expectations

It’s always hard to tell how well all of the stats will hold up as a player moves to a higher level. With Law, it seems we may have to wait a little longer to see whether or not he can handle the grind of a full season and can hit improved pitching in LoA. While we expect the speed and arm to allow him to remain in CF, it’s his hit tool that has to hold up and improve in order to see him as a viable MLB regular.

The power addition in 2015 was a welcomed and unexpected tool for Law and it change the complexity of what to expect from him in 2016. If he can maintain an ISO of .140 or more and improve his base-stealing ability, he could become one of the more prominent CF prospects in the system. He has the tools to make that happen, so we expect he’ll continue to push the bar higher as he gains experience.

Conclusion

There’s a lot to like about Zacrey Law’s game and his overall potential. He still has a ways to go in order to leap frog others ahead of him and may eventually compete with players such as Angel Moreno (33rd on our Top 50) for playing time.

Next: Tampa Bay Rays Top 50 Prospects: Number 25, Riley Unroe

As the 2016 season progresses, there’s a good chance Law will jump up in these rankings and he could reach the 30-39 range by the time the season is done. We expect him to continue to make his case for promotions and to increase the awareness of his skills as he works his way through the minors. We wish him all of the best and look forward to seeing what he’ll accomplish in 2016.