Tampa Bay Rays Top Minor League Performers

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Slowly but surely, Cade Gotta is making his way up the Tampa Bay Rays minor league ladder. Along the way, he has continued to flash his excellent speed.

During his first three years in the minors, Gotta stole 60 bases in 74 attempts while showing a bit of pop. Although he has been more of a doubles hitter, Gotta did hit nine home runs last year, setting a personal best during his minor league tenure. Overall last year, as he split his time between the Stone Crabs and the Biscuits, he produced a solid .278/.332/.442 batting line, with 30 doubles and 29 steals.

This season, Gotta is continue to run his way up the Rays ladder. After an excellent start with the Biscuits this year, the 25 year old was promoted to AAA for the first time. Overall, between the two stops, he has a .302/.372/.451 batting line, hitting 14 doubles and five homers, to go along with a system leading 22 steals.

Gotta has also displayed an improved approach at the plate. In his 266 plate appearances, he has 27 walks and 38 strikeouts. Last year, in 508 plate appearances, Gotta drew only 37 walks while striking out 82 times. That improved approach has put Gotta on pace to set career highs in several different categories.

With his experience at all three outfield positions, Cade Gotta can be a valuable asset. Given his performance, he could find himself in the majors relatively soon.