Tampa Bay Rays: Ranking the 4 newest prospects

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ST PETERSBURG, FL – SEPTEMBER 28: Mallex Smith #0 of the Tampa Bay Rays runs after hitting a triple in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 28, 2018 at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

#1 Michael Plassmeyer

In a trade that sent the Mallex Effect back to Seattle, the Rays got not only Zunino and Heredia, but exciting lefty Michael Plassmeyer. He jumped up draft boards across Major League Baseball after a solid junior season at Missouri.

Position: LHP

Throws: L

Age: 22

2019 Level: LoA-HiA

Draft: 4th Rd, 2018

Like Rollie Lacy, Plassmeyer is scrappy and very effective. After Mizzou where he posted a 3.06 ERA and struck out 103 in 91.1 innings while pitching in the toughest conference in college baseball, he was assigned to the Mariners short season single-A team. There, he dominated opposing hitters, striking out 44 and only walking 4 in 24 innings of work. He would be named a Northwest League All-Star.

Relying on a low 90’s fastball and a sharp slider, he will attack the zone and despite wipeout stuff, he still manages swings and misses. Also like Lacy, Plassmeyer could be a really effective “bulk” guy if not a back-end starter in the coming years. He will be exciting to watch next year in a full season of work. It will be hard for him not to be successful if he replicates his 11/1 strikeout to walk ratio.

Here is his more in-depth scouting report I published about a couple of months ago.