Welcome back to the mailbag!
Most of the responses I got this time were centered around prospects and the state of the farm so far this year, so that will be the theme of this mailbag article.
pdawd (@JeannotShowYo on Twitter/X): Who in the farm has been the most pleasant surprise and what have they added to their game to make unexpected strides?
Nathan Flewelling has been a pleasant surprise on the defensive side. There aren’t many questions about his offensive impact, but his receiving and throwing have noticeably improved.
This year, he’s doing a better job on the receiving end by showing late glove movement when framing pitches compared to last season. It looked “stabby” last year because Flew would hold his glove in the zone too early in the pitcher’s delivery before grabbing it and bringing it back toward the zone. Now he’ll flash the glove early in the delivery, drop it down to the dirt, and then wait until the pitcher is releasing the ball before gliding his glove to catch the ball and bring to into the zone, all in one motion.
But it’s not just his glove. His improved throwing starts with his footwork. Flew’s arm has always been above average, but his exchange and release needed improvement. Last season, he almost always would catch the ball and then jump up into a throwing position. Now, Flew is consistently getting his feet into a throwing position as he’s receiving the ball. The result is a quicker release and more accurate throws to the 1B side of the 2B bag. His caught stealing rate has improved from 13.9% in 2025 to 34.6% in 2026 so far. Some of that improvement could be driven by High-A pitchers doing a better job of varying their delivery times, but the data coupled with Flew’s observable improvement in his defensive actions signal meaningful growth. Like all teenage prospects, he’ll need to continue to work on his consistency – especially as the physical demands of his position challenge him later in the season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as a consensus top 50 prospect by the end of the season.
Dhaffa Ghiffari (@dapuik_ on Twitter/X) and Dylan Hood (@DylanHood69 on Twitter/X): What is a reasonable expectation for Carson Williams and his future? Will the Rays ever commit to him, or will he be traded at the deadline?
Carson still looks like an every day SS thanks to his near 70-grade glove and plus power. He has done a nice job cutting down on the whiff compared to last season by using the whole field a bit more – especially with two strikes. There’s impressive impact on both sides of the ball, and now it’s just a matter of opportunity.
I don’t think he would be traded this season because he’s 3rd on the SS depth chart for the ML side. Maybe they’d trade him if they received a SS in return, for him or in some other trade, but it doesn’t seem likely.
Taylor Walls is having a good season by his standards as he’s leaning into his small-ball skillset, and he’s arguably the best defensive SS of this century. Ben Williamson has shown he’s a competent ML utility guy, but lacks the impact defensively at SS and at the plate. Carson should have an opportunity to compete for the starting job after this season (Editor’s Note: How many times have we said that? – DR), but the 2026 draft and trade deadline could change that.
Flappy Gilmore (@FlappyGilmore on Twitter/X): Do you see a spot on the roster for Tre’ Morgan coming, or is he more valuable as a trade chip at this point?
Tre’ Morgan has had an unfortunate run of injuries over the last couple seasons. He looked solid in AAA last year when he was able to stay on the field, and he has adjusted his approach this season in an attempt to unlock more impact but has missed a lot of time already. He’s back in AAA now after showing some impressive bat speed gains during his rehab assignment, so I’m interested to see what he could look like in a larger sample. The defense is 80-grade at 1B as advertised, and his average hit tool should allow him to carve out some sort of role at the ML level.
The experiment with him in the OF seems to have come to an end, so it’s most likely 1B only – which is fine because the defense really is that good. Unfortunately, I’m not sure the Rays could roster Tre’, Yandy, and Aranda in the majors at the same time. I don’t think Tre’ will be traded this season, and I expect him to get protected from the Rule 5 draft this offseason. His health and availability of reps at 1B in the majors will determine if and when he will have an opportunity to contribute.
Sad Rays Fan (@rays4403 on Twitter/X): Which prospects do you realistically think can make an impact this season?
I don’t think he counts as a prospect anymore, but Jacob Melton could really help this roster. He’s a plus defender at all three OF spots and has near 70-grade power. His adjustments to his approach have helped him unlock more damage by elevating the ball. His injury in early May unfortunately set him back, but he’s healthy now and back in AAA. I think he will be up relatively soon once he gets up to speed in Durham.
Most of the prospects who could impact the ML roster this season are relievers. Alex Cook has a combination of solid stuff and command, and he has been dominant after a couple rough outings to start the year in Durham. Alexander Alberto has plus stuff and deception, and his command year-over-year command gains have earned him a recent promotion to AAA. He’s going to be a minor league free agent if he’s not added to the 40-man roster by the end of the year. Ty Johnson looks like he could be an impactful high-leverage reliever or bulk guy capable of going one time through the order in the majors. I’m not sure how he’d look as a starter given his average stuff and command of just two pitches, but his deception should allow him to carve out a valuable relief role in some capacity.
Also in Durham is Carson Williams who has the makings of an everyday SS, but just needs an opportunity. As long as Taylor Walls is in the organization and healthy, Carson won’t find too many reps at SS. He has been learning 2B and 3B this season, and his tools should translate and allow him to be a plus defender at both positions. His opportunity will likely won’t come until next season.
I would love to say Brody Hopkins could help the team this year, but I don’t think it will happen until 2027. He struggled early on to adjust to the AAA baseball, but has been looking much better over his last handful of starts with more reps using that baseball and some small adjustments to his delivery. His shapes have been sharper with more movement like they had last year, and his strike throwing has started to improve. I’m really excited to see him in the majors next season.
