3 takeaways from newly released Rays top prospect list

FanGraphs, one of the more analytically-minded baseball news sites out there, released their rankings of the top Rays prospects entering the 2025 season, and there were some interesting takeaways to get from the list.

We'll go through each storyline and the surprising ranking that elicited such a thought process, because hey, it's fun to dream on prospects and talk about the different ways in which people view their value.

Let's start with possibly the biggest surprise ranking of the whole list.

Yoniel Curet coming in at #2

The Dominican-born righty has been one of the premier strikeout pitchers in minor league baseball over the past couple of seasons, shooting him up this list to #2 for the Rays.

This might not be a total shock considering his gaudy stuff, as he sits in the upper 90s as a starting pitcher who threw over 100 innings last season, but the big news with Curet is his developing change-up.

He's got a very serviceable fastball-slider combination that has allowed him to have a fairly high amount of success up to this point, but his change-up took him to another level last season in the eyes of some prospect evaluators, including those at FanGraphs.

The even better news is that even Curet can't cut it as a major league starter, his stuff allows him a fairly easy floor as a high-leverage bullpen arm.

Still, 2 is a high ranking, especially ahead of guys like Tre' Morgan, Xavier Isaac, Brayden Taylor, and Chandler Simpson.

Curet wasn't even listed as the top Rays' pitching prospect on many other lists, but alas, he's the top one here, making for some thought-provoking discussions.

Chandler Simpson coming in at #3

I love Chandler Simpson. His speed and contact ability make for a super fun player to watch on the field.

But even the most optimistic views of him as a player have to account for his nonexistent power and potential transition to center field as a huge roadblock to him becoming a solid major leaguer.

Nonetheless, FanGraphs felt confident in ranking him at third in the list of the Rays prospects; a bold prediction that might pay off if Simpson can turn himself into a quality centerfielder over the next few seasons before he makes his debut in the bigs.

Tre' Morgan over Xavier Isaac

Not that it's super surprising, as many publications have taken this stance due to Isaac's struggles with contact and Morgan's superlative play last season, but it's a statement nonetheless, one that I can get behind.

Morgan simply has the safer, more consistent value, as he can slide to a corner outfield spot comfortably, but his glove at first could potentially be Gold Glove caliber at the major league level.

Add in a seemingly very quality approach and some developing power and you've got a potential All-Star.

While Isaac has produced and hit everywhere, his concerns are legit, and his potential could be hampered by his lack of ability to put bat on ball.

Joey Gallo is the best comparison that comes to mind for his offensive profile, but prime Gallo was such a force defensively that he made up for the fact that he was such an all-or-nothing hitter, and he walked a good bit at the major league level, something Isaac hasn't proven that he's going to be able to do.

But hey, there's a very real world where both can coexist at the major league level if Morgan shifts to the outfield or if Isaac becomes a DH, Kyle Schwarber-type of hitter who just walks and hits tanks.

That'd be pretty darn fun.