Three under the radar prospects that could make a 2020 impact

Under the radar is the Rays middle name, It is the Rays way.

Heading into the 2020 season, the Tampa Bay Rays are looking very bright. Not only are they coming off of a 90-win season and a second-place finish in the AL East.

They also boast arguably the best farm system in the MLB. Everyone Knows the likes of Wander Franco, Vidal Brujan, and Brendan Mckay.

These guys are the top of the list and are some of the most known prospects in the game. The Rays even went out and added to the stacked system by picking up Xavier Edwards in the trade, sending Tommy Pham to San Diego.

With all of these top prospects, it is easy to get excited about the 2020 season and beyond. However, the 2020 season is what’s coming to the plate first. With all of these promising players, some won’t be ready to contribute in 2020.

Every season, teams call several players up and most of them are under the radar, non-elite prospects. Last year, the Rays had nine players make their Major League debuts for the big club. Only one (Brendan McKay) of the nine debuting players began the season as one of the Rays’ top ten prospects.

That means some other guys flying under the radar could help out the team this year. Last season it was Mike Brosseau who joined the team and made an impact.

He wasn’t one of the highest-rated prospects, but his ability to play all over the infield helped him make an everyday contribution.

This year there are a few guys the Rays could call on to help out that are currently flying under the radar.

Kevin Padlo

Kevin Padlo was originally picked by the Colorado Rockies in the 2014 draft. He then signed for above slot value and played one season in the Rockies’ system.

He was then traded to Tampa Bay in the deal involving Cory Dickerson and Jake McGee.

He came out hot to start his time in the Rays system hitting .229 while adding 16 home runs and 66 RBIs to his name. After that, he struggled in 2017 and 2018.

2017 was filed with injures playing in just 69 games, and in 2018, he repeated A advanced in Port Charlotte. However, in 2019, he regained his form hitting 21 home runs while advancing from Double- to Triple-A.

Padlo finished the season with numbers better against lefties than righties. With a 1.240 OPS against lefties compared to the .823 mark against the right side.

He also had a higher average, slugging, and on-base percentage against lefties as well. However, he was able to hit more home runs against right-handed pitching in 2019. Numbers like that are what make Padlo an intriguing prospect that many may not know.

The Rays added Padlo to their 40-man roster after the season, shielding him from exposure to the Rule 5 Draft. This type of move shows the Rays value Padlo still not even wanting to run the risk of losing him.

The Rays will surely hope Yandy Diaz can handle the everyday duties at third, but if that fails or the injury bug hits Tampa hard, we could see Padlo in Tampa in 2020.

Randy Arozarena

The Cardinals signed Randy Arozarena for $1.25 million in July 2016, after the Cuban outfielder ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 19 international prospect in his class.

He was sent to Tampa along with Jose Martinez in the trade involving top prospect Matthew Liberatore going to St. Louis.

Arozarena made it to Double-A in his first full season and knows how to get on base.

The Rays’ front office always has a plan it seems, and the acquisition of Arozarena could prove to be a key one that no one saw coming.

He hit .300 over parts of 20 games with St. Louis while hitting a career-high 15 home runs in the minors in 2019. The best part of the rising power numbers is the fact that his strikeout slowly trickled down as well.

Arozarena will bring some speed to the table that not many on the team will be able to. Last year he had 17 steals across two levels of minor league ball. That speed can also be used in the field at all three positions. His sprint speed pf 29.4 ft/sec puts him right on par with new teammate Kevin Kiermaier.

Arozarena figures to have every chance to make the big league club in 2020 as the fourth outfielder.

He should be an upgrade over last seasons 4th outfielder Guillermo Heredia. If the bat can stick with consistent defense, he should be able to gain playing time often and could push the Rays into making more room for him in 2021 and beyond.

Which players do you think will make an impact in 2020?