Rays fans will love MLB Pipeline's updated midseason rankings

MLB Pipeline's long-awaited midseason prospect ranking dropped this week, finally ending the anticipation surrounding which system has made the necessary upgrades since spring training to earn the top spot.

The re-rank brought with it fantastic news, as the Tampa Bay Rays claimed the top spot after starting the season at sixth, returning to prominence for the first time since MLB Pipeline's 2021 preseason rankings.

Tampa Bay Rays earn top spot in MLB Pipeline's prospect rankings

For starters, this shows how good top end of the Rays' system is. Players like the recently promoted Junior Caminero, Carson Williams, and Xavier Issac all rank within the Pipeline's top 25 overall league-wide. Caminero is already playing Major League Baseball this season, and Williams seems to be due for a call-up at some point next season.

The updated rankings also show off the work Tampa Bay did to make this team ready for future seasons at the 2024 MLB trade deadline. The Rays added several prospects in a whirlwind trade season, and eight of them have ended up within the top 30 in their system. These include the big headliners in Aidan Smith, Brody Hopkins, and Dylan Lesko, who Tampa Bay recieved in trades with Seattle and San Diego.

You don't become the top farm system in the game without across-the-board improvements from internal pieces, too. Chandler Simpson has been one of the game's most impressive minor leaguers, as he has posted a .358 batting average with a .410 on-base percentage. He also has been outstanding on the base paths, with 82 stolen bases in 90 games. Simpson is currently top five in Tampa Bay's system, just behind former first-round draft pick Brayden Taylor.

The Rays have also received great pitching from emerging prospects like Gary Gill Hill, who is in Low-A with the Charleston Riverdogs. He has posted a 2.46 ERA in 18 starts and is giving up an opposing batting average of .219 with a WHIP just over 1.00. His performance has helped exemplify how deep and talented this farm system is, even at the lower levels.