2026 DRaysBay Community Prospect List: Vote for #19

José Urbina, RHP
20 | 6’3” | 180
A | 2.05 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 92.1 IP (19 GS), 26.4% K, 8.2% BB
A+ | 2 First Aid (2 hours), 4.0 IP (1GS), 5K, 0 BB

Good pitchers grow and adapt, and Urbina has done that consistently at a young age for his level. Physically he’s grown in strength, sitting at 96 with the fastball after hitting a high-octane pitch in 2024, and technically he’s grown, refining his spin slider and his two-plane curveball into complementary pitches — ones that don’t have plus command, but are thrown with feeling. He carried the workload of a starter at age 19 and was credited with one additional start at High-A, where he allowed two solo shots and struck out five. Overall, his age, body and body of work put him on the top list of prospects for the foreseeable future.

The push for Tre Morgan got a seventh vote, but that was it The top dog of 2025 Urbina who made the jump this round. Will the similarly rated Baumeister be next, or will Morgan’s team rally support in the next round? This next round adds recent international signee Victor Valdez.

Elsewhere, FanGraphs dropped their Top 100 with Williams at 28th, Hopkins 59th and Forret at 92nd (!).

Jackson Baumeister, RHP
23 | 6’4” | 224
AA | 4.62 ERA, 4.15 FIP (15 GS) 62.1 IP, 19.5% K, 9.6% BB
AFL | 6 ER (1hr), 9.0 IP (4G, 3GS), 10K, 9BB

A shoulder injury derailed what was supposed to be Baumeister’s coming-out party, as his earlier breaking ball was expected to clinch Double-A. After a difficult start to the year and two months on the sidelines, Baumeister returned in August and saved the season with a brilliant finish. However, the bad luck continued in the Arizona Fall League, where he was hit by a line drive in the headbut he escaped without serious injury. Currently, Baumeister has adopted a fastball/slutter profile, with a slow curve in the back pocket, and has shown teachability and pitchability over the years. The former Seminole is currently thriving on his well-used major league fastball, which may be better challenged by a promotion to Triple-A.

Homer Bush Jr.
24 | R/R | 6’3” | 215
AA | .301/.375/.360 (122 wRC+) 546 PA, 0 HR, 57 SB, 8.8% BB, 17.9% K

The Double-A starting center fielder, acquired in the 2024 Jason Adam trade, barely passed the advanced pitching test. He lacks power in the game due to a lack of use of his lower half in his swing, and he smokes more often than you can for long-term success with a low-power approach. His calling cards are Rays-quality defense and plus speed, having notably swiped 57 bags in back-to-back seasons.

Cooper Fleming, SS
19 | L/R | 6’3” | 190

Flemming, one of the top high school bats in the 2025 draft, surprisingly fell to the Rays in the second round. He has an overly quiet swing that doesn’t have the power needed to gain power, but he’s historically compensated for that with a high contact rate that would have him graded as first-round material if his defense were to stick around. The Rays were able to convince him to forego an education at Vanderbilt by going above their slot ($2.3 million, Comp-A money).

Brailer Guerrero, OR
20 | L/R | 6’1” | 215
A | 249.338/.399 (119 wRC+) 222 PA, 6 HR, 9 SB, 11.3% BB, 29.3% K
AFL | 2 H, 0 HR, 2 SB, 3 BB, 16 K, 29 PA

Good news: The $3.7 million 2023 signee made the jump from the complex league in his final teenage season. Bad news: He was injured again, with hamstring and knee injuries that limited him to 51 games for Charleston. The Rays tried to make up for lost time with an aggressive assignment to the AFL that resulted in just two hits in 29 at-bats. He makes loud contact from a quick, silent swing, which he preloads by reaching back for even more power. He seems to make early decisions to swing, which leads to a little extra whiff against anything off speed, but that can easily be fixed with some consistent playing time.

FROM Victor Mesa Jr.
24 | L/L | 5’11” | 195
AAA (MIA) | .301/.368/.510 (136 wRC+) 171 PA, 7 HR, 4 SB, 9.9% BB, 16.4% K
MLB (MIA) | 6 H (1 HR), 5 BB, 5 K (81 wRC+) 38 PA

This Cuban power bat made his Major League debut with Miami last year after recovering from a hamstring injury in the spring, and was dealt to the Rays in February. He profiles as a fourth outfielder, but has one option left, so the organization can send him down for regular playing time and a final chance at something more developing. If not, he’s a center field capable of defending, which goes a long way for a platoon bat. In the running for the nicest man in baseball.

Tre’Morgan, 1B/LF
23 | L/L | 6’0” | 215
AAA | .274/.398/.412 (119 wRC+) 402 PA, 8 HR, 8 SB, 15.9% BB, 19.2% K

Morgan continued to hit without power in 2025, a major disincentive for some evaluators, but his current 50-grade hitting tool and feel for the zone make a Major League projection possible. He continued his improved, quieter two-stroke approach in 2025, which built on his success in reshaping his swing in the AFL last year. The Rays gave Morgan 14 starts in Left Field last season, and Baseball America called the defense “playable,” but his value is tied to his plus-plus defense at First.

Austin Overn, OR
23 | L/R | 6’0” | 175
A+ (BAL) | .242/.367/.386 (127 wRC+) 341 PA, 8 HR, 43 SB, 15.5% BB, 28.2% K
AA (BAL) | .266/.326/.427 (112 wRC+) 136 PA, 5 HR, 21 SB, 6.6% BB, 25.0% K

Acquired in the Shane Baz trade, Overn was once a top draft prospect after committing to baseball over football at USC but surprisingly struggled as a draft-eligible sophomore. That didn’t stop Baltimore from taking him in the third round (97th overall) in 2024. Now a pro, Overn overhauled his swing in the first half of 2025 and earned an early promotion to Double-A for his efforts, where he looked unmatched. His biggest threat is his speed, which elevates his level and gives him easy projection to a Major League bench thanks to plus defensive instincts (BA gave 70s to his run and field tools). His offensive profile is aided by his ability to count, but evaluators would like to see him punish fastballs more often so he’s considered a regular.

Aidan Smith, OF
21 | R/R | 6’2” | 190
A+ | .237/.331/.388 (114 wRC+) 459 PA, 14 HR, 41 SB, 11.5% BB, 31.2% K

Acquired in the Arozarena trade, Smith became the promised prince: a five-tool athlete, a strong bat, a good face and a preternatural glove in center field. That promise unraveled a bit in 2025, when his strikeout rate shot up nine percent and his power stroke faltered after facing higher velocities in High-A, causing both his hit and power numbers to dip into the 40s. It was a complete transformation to a ‘midfield’ profile, but with his ceiling that is not a compliment. He plays with fire, but the drop in contact rate left some evaluators feeling burned.

Brayden Taylor, 2B/3B
24 | L/R | 6’0” | 180
AA | .173/.289/.286 (77 wRC+) 437 PA, 8 HR, 17 SB, 14% BB, 27.7% K
AFL | .264/.400/.472 (.384 wOBA) 65 PA, 1 HR, 5 SB, 12 BB, 19 K

Taylor entered 2025 as a top-100 prospect after destroying High-A (154 wRC+), leaving 2025 as an afterthought on prospect lists, though in between he was selected as an Arizona Fall League “Fall Star,” where he worked to keep his chase rate low and his hard hit rate high. The juice must have been worth it as the Rays opted to invite Taylor to Major League Spring Training this year.

Victor Valdez, SS
17 | R/R | 6’1” | 186

A sweet, low-speed swing earned Valdez a big profit this winter — $3.5 million — with the best power projection you can reasonably expect from a teenage bat, after he was given a 25+ home run projection by Baseball America, which also touts his plus foot speed, bat speed and zone control. Reports say he has continued to improve his lateral movement on defense, with smooth actions and a strong arm. If it all clicks, it’ll be a mid-range bat on the left side of the infield. Rays complimented Francisco Lindor internally. It will be interesting to see if his first professional season can boost his five-tool profile.