Alexis Farinacci

High-A hitters highlighted the top-five minor league players of the week for the week of May 12 – May 17, with one hitter from Triple-A cracking into the top five. For the Hub City Spartanburgers, it was a strong week as two of their players were included in this week’s top hitters. Another interesting note was that once again, for the second week in a row, no MLB Pipeline Top-100 hitters hit better than unranked players this week, proving that even the unranked prospects are battling for spots at the next level. Malcolm Moore, catcher from the Hub City Spartanburgers (High-A, Rangers); Luke Hill, third baseman with the Lake County Captains (High-A, Cleveland Guardians); Jacob Gonzalez, shortstop with the Charlotte Knights (Triple-A, White Sox); Chase Call, outfielder with the Ashville Tourists (High-A, Astros); and Luke Hanson, a shortstop also with the Hub City Spartanburgers (High-A, Rangers), represented the top hitters in minor league baseball this week. The Hub City Spartanburgers were on the road facing the Ashville Tourists this past week. As such, this series featured three of the five top hitters for the week. The Spartanburgers took the series 5-1 over the Tourists this week, with the Tourists narrowly avoiding being swept with a massive 11-23 win on Friday. All six games were high scoring in this series, with the pitchers getting rocked. Game one 13-11, game two 6-4, game three 18-4, game four 11-23, game five 10-5, with the Spartanburgers defeating the Tourists 19-12 on Sunday. It was a very offensive-dominant series. Malcolm Moore, C – Hub City Spartanburgers (High-A, Rangers) Starting with Moore from the Spartanburgers, in five games played during the six-game series, he was 13-for-25, hitting .520/.571/1.160, with a 1.731 OPS. This included hitting four doubles, four home runs, driving in 10 RBIs, and eight runs scored. He also walked three times. His most notable performance was on Sunday when he went 4-for-6, with a double, home run, two RBIs, and four runs scored. Over the course of the season, the Rangers’ first draft pick (pick No. 30 overall) from the 2024 MLB draft is hitting a combined .318/.409/.573, with a .982 OPS. The 22-year-old has 10 doubles, six home runs, 13 walks, and 22 runs scored as he absolutely cruises through High-A on the hunt to hit Double-A. Luke Hanson, SS – Hub City Spartanburgers (High-A, Rangers) Staying in the same series, Hanson also had a standout week in High-A against the Tourists. The shortstop was 10-for-26 at bats across the six games, hitting .385/.407/.923, with a 1.330 OPS. That included hitting two doubles, four home runs, walking once, with 16 RBIs, and six runs scored. In game three on May 14 alone, he was 3-for-6 with a double, two home runs, nine RBIs, and three runs scored. Over the course of the season, the 22-year-old who was drafted just last year is hitting .226/.291/.443, with a .734 OPS in his first full season at High-A. He played in eight games in 2025 in High-A, and started the year there this season. Over the course of the year, he has seven doubles, six home runs, 11 walks, five stolen bases, 29 RBIs, and 19 runs scored. Though he has a slow start to the year, he’s starting to find his groove as of late. Chase Call, OF – Asheville Tourists (High-A, Astros) Finally, Call rounds out the group of three players from the same series to have an impressive week at the plate. Call, the 24-year-old from Los Angeles, California, was 10-for-18 through the four games he appeared in this week. He hit .556/.600/1.222, with a 1.822 OPS), which included three doubles, three home runs, two walks, three stolen bases, with 10 RBIs, and eight runs scored. He was 4-for-5 on May 15 and May 17 each, driving in three RBIs on May 15 and five RBIs on May 17. Over the course of the season, the Astros’ 16th round draft pick from 2025 is hitting a combined .240/.347/.510, with a .857 OPS. He has eight doubles, a triple, six home runs, with 14 walks, 10 stolen bases, and 19 RBIs, along with 23 runs scored. His 10 stolen bases prove that once he’s on the base pads, he’s a true force to be reckoned with. With this series now behind both teams, the Spartanburgers return home to take on the Rome Emperors (Braves), while the Tourists head to Bowling Green to take on the Hot Rods (Tampa Bay Rays). Luke Hill, 3B – Lake County Captains (High-A, Guardians) Hill and the Captains this past week were on the road to take on the Drayton Dragons of the Cincinnati Reds organization. Hill and the Captains split the series with the Dragons 3-3, in which Hill was 10-for-26 across the six-game series. He hit .500/.630/1.250, with a 1.880 OPS. That included three doubles, four home runs (two on May 14), with seven walks. He drove in 11 RBIs, and 10 runs scored. He at least two runs scored in four of the six games in a great series for the third baseman. He also led all hitters in the minor leagues in OPS this week. Drafted just last year by the Guardians (fourth round), Hill played 15 games in Low-A last year before getting the call to High-A to start the 2026 season. Over the course of his first season at High-A, he is batting .278/.432/.622, with a 1.054 OPS. He has four doubles, nine home runs (through just 28 games), 24 walks, with two stolen bases. He has 27 RBIs, and 20 runs scored. Though early in his career, he’s on track for a quick trip through the minor leagues if he continues hitting extra-base hits at this pace. Jacob Gonzalez, SS – Charlotte Knights (Triple-A, White Sox). This week Gonzalez and the Knights were in Norfolk, Virginia to take on the Norfolk Tides in a six-game series. They also split their series 3-3. Over the course of fives games he appeared in out of the six, Gonzalez was 10-for-21, hitting .476/.542/1.143, with a 1.685 OPS). He hit two doubles, four home runs, with three walks, and one stolen base. He drove in 12 RBIs, the most in minor league baseball this year, and had six runs scored over the course of the series. His best game was game six on Sunday, in which he was 4-for-5, with two doubles, a home run, four RBIs, and two runs scored. MLB Pipeline Top-100 hitters Though none of them managed to find themselves in the top five hitters for the week, five of MLB Pipeline’s Top-100 hitters also had strong weeks at the plate. Ralphy Velazquez (MLB Pipeline No. 59), first baseman with the Akron RubberDucks (Double-A, Guardians) was 9-for-25 against the Chesapeake Bay Sox. He hit .360/.407/.880, with a 1.287 OPS. That included three home runs and eight RBIs. Theo Gillen (MLB Pipeline No. 43), outfielder for the Bowling Green Hot Rods (High-A Rays), was 13-for-28 against the Greenville Drive (Red Sox). He hit .464/.500/.750, with a 1.250 OPS. That included one home run, five RBIs, and three stolen bases. He is currently tied for the most hits among hitters in the top-100. Nashville Sounds (Triple-A, Brewers) shortstop, Jett Williams (No. 60 on the MLB Pipeline Top 100) made a lot of headlines this week and by all accounts, has to be making David Stearns and the Mets start to scratch their heads about getting rid of the young prospect. Williams this week was 6-for-16, hitting .375/.565/1.063, with a 1.250 OPS. He hit two home runs, had five RBIs, and walked five times. He’s a player who controls the plate and finds a way to make an impact. Cooper Pratt (MLB Pipeline No. 66), also a shortstop with the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate, followed behind Williams with his performance in the Sounds’ series against the Iowa Cubs. He was 8-for-20, hitting .400/.478/.850, with a 1.328 OPS. He hit two home runs and had nine RBIs. Rounding out MLB Pipeline Top-100’s Top-five for the week was Josuar Gonzalez (No. 31 with MLB Pipeline), a shortstop from the rookie-level ACL Giants. In three games played this week, he was 7-for-12, hitting .583/.688/.1.000, with a 1.688 OPS. He hit one home run, walked four times, stole two bases, and drove in eight RBIs. A young Holliday, Ethan Holliday was just outside the standings. He hit three home runs this week and had a 1.247 OPS. While the top of the top prospects didn’t have their best weeks for the second week in a row, the young prospects made their bats heard.

In a surprising difference from last week, players in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 did not perform as well this week, paving the way for young up-and-coming prospects to shine. This week’s top minor league hitters included: Brooks Brannon, catcher with the Portland Sea Dogs (AA, Red Sox); Henry Bolte, outfielder with the Las Vegas Aviators (AAA, Athletics); Wehiwa Aloy, shortstop with the Frederick Keys (A+, Baltimore Orioles); RJ Schreck, outfielder with the Buffalo Bisons (AAA, Blue Jays); and Jason Shiavone, catcher with the Asheville Tourists (A+, Astros) Alfredo Duno, catcher from the Dayton Dragons (A+, Reds), also had a strong week at the plate, but not enough to crack into this week’s Top-5. He is the only MLB Pipeline Top-100 player who had an OPS above 1.400. Also of note, outside of Duno, all of this week’s Top-5 players are hailing from parent clubs in the American League. Duno is the only National League-based representative. Brooks Brannon, C – Portland Sea Dogs (AA, Red Sox) The Portland Sea Dogs last week were at home for a six-game series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Double-A of the Toronto Blue Jays). Inclement weather only allowed for five of the six matchups to be played, and the Sea Dogs took just one of the five matchups, winning the final game of the series 12-4. Brannon was one of the big bats to come to life in the series. He combined to hit .600/.588/1.467, with a huge 2.055 OPS on the week. In four games played, he went 9-for-15, hitting two doubles, a triple, and three home runs last week. He drove in a total of 11 RBIs: six in Portland’s 13-15 loss on May 8 and five on May 10 when Portland defeated New Hampshire 12-4. He also accounted for three runs scored on the week. Over the course of the season, in total, Brannon is hitting .359/.469/.897, with a 1.366 OPS and a .391 BABP in his second season in Portland. He finished the 2025 season with the Sea Dogs and finds himself in a good position to find himself making his next climb to Triple-A soon if he continues to swing as well as he is now. He currently sits with four doubles, a triple, and five home runs on the year, with nine RBIs and seven runs scored. Henry Bolte, OF – Las Vegas Aviators (AAA, Athletics) Bolte and the Aviators this week faced off against the St. Paul Saints (Triple-A, Twins) in a six-game series in Las Vegas. They took just one of the six games from St. Paul, Game three on Thursday, 7-6. Though the Aviators couldn’t find many ways to stop the Saints, Bolte contributed to Las Vegas’ offense, contributing when he needed to. This week, the 22-year-old from San Francisco, CA, hit .556/.586/1.333, with a 1.919 OPS. He appeared in all six games last week, going 15-for-27, including hitting four doubles (two on Thursday, two on Friday), one triple (Thursday), and five home runs (one on Tuesday, two on Thursday, and two on Friday). He drove in nine RBIS and had nine runs scored. Between Thursday and Friday, Bolte had 10 hits, going a perfect 10-for-10 before being slowed down by the Saints' pitchers on Sunday. He had seven RBIs and five runs scored in two days. Over the course of the 2026 season (his second in Triple-A), he is batting a combined .348/.418/.658, with a 1.076 OPS and a .402 BABIP. That includes seven doubles, three triples, and 12 home runs. He has driven in 28 RBIs and has 41 runs scored, putting him on course to greatly surpass his 2025 stats. Wehiwa Aloy, SS – Frederick Keys (A+, Orioles) Drafted in 2025 in the first compensation round of the 2025 MLB draft at the No. 31 overall pick, Aloy, 22, is in his first season with High-A Frederick. He spent just a short time in Low-A last season and got the call to start the season in High-A this year. This week, the Keys were at home taking on the Jersey Shore Blue Claws (High-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies). They took five of six from the Blue Claws in a great week for the Orioles’ affiliate, and they were helped by their shortstop, Aloy. Aloy this week hit .500/.538/1.273, with a 1.811 OPS. He played in all six games this week, going 15-for-27, including two doubles and five home runs (hitting a home run hat trick on May 10). He drove in nine RBIs this week with seven runs scored. May 10 was a very strong game for Aloy. In that game alone, he hit three home runs, driving in three RBIs and three runs scored in the Keys’ series finale against the Blue Claws. Over the course of this season in total, Aloy is hitting .306/.355/.630, with a .985 OPS, and a .348 BABIP. He has hit three doubles, a triple, and 10 home runs this year, driving in 28 RBIs and 16 runs scored. RJ Schreck, OF – Buffalo Bisons (AAA, Blue Jays) It was the battle of the wild animals this week as Schreck and the Bisons traveled to Lehigh Valley for six games against the Iron Pigs. They split the series 3-3 with Lehigh Valley on the road. The 25-year-old outfielder from California this past week crushed the baseball, hitting .600/.667/1.080, with a 1.747 OPS. He made appearances in all six games this week for Triple-A Buffalo, going 15-for-25, including six doubles and two home runs. He drove in 16 RBIs this week and had nine runs scored. He walked five times. Of those games, on May 6 and May 7, he drove in five RBIs each. He drove in two on May 9 and four on May 10 as he helped the Bisons split the six-game slate with Lehigh Valley. Over the course of the season, Schreck, in his second season with Buffalo, is hitting .240/.380/.438, with an .818 OPS, and a .255 BABIP. He has seven doubles, one triple, and five home runs on the year so far. He has driven in a total of 27 RBIs and 21 runs scored. He also has three stolen bases. Unfortunately for Schreck, he spent quite a bit of time on the injured list in 2025, delaying his progress. So far this season, he has remained healthy, and if he can do so and continue to hit as well as he is, he could have a chance to hear his name called soon. Jason Schiavone, C – Asheville Tourists (A+, Astros) Drafted in 2024 by the Astros in the 11th round of the MLB draft, catcher Jason Schiavone is in his first full season with the High-A Asheville Tourists of the Houston Astros organization. Schiavone played eight games in High-A last season after being promoted from Low-A Fayetteville, but now finds himself cruising through High-A, including having a huge week this week against the Rome Emperors (Atlanta Braves High-A). Playing at home in Asheville, the Tourists won just two of six games against Rome, with the top hitter of the series coming from the Tourists in Schiavone. This week, he hit .400/.571/1.100, with a 1.671 OPS. Playing in all six games, he went 8-for-20 with two doubles and four home runs. He drove in six RBIs and had seven runs scored, with three stolen bases in the series as well. Over the course of his first full season with Asheville, he is hitting in total .260/.435/.740, with a 1.175 OPS, and a .267 BABIP. Top 100 MLB Pipeline Prospects Honorable Mention As mentioned, Alfredo Duno, catcher for the Dayton Dragons (High-A, Reds), was the only player from MLB Pipeline’s Top-100 who had an OPS over 1.400. In Dayton’s series against West Michigan (High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers), Duno, MLB’s No. 31 prospect, hit .526/.625/.789, with a 1.414 OPS. He was 10-for-19 in five games played, hitting two doubles, one home run, and knocking in three RBIs, and six runs scored. The young prospects were the ones who shone this week. A new series gets underway for teams across minor league baseball on Tuesday.

To give readers a better picture of other teams' farm systems, we're going to highlight some of the top performers from MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects list. Two of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 hitters and three up-and-coming prospects ranked as top performers for the week of April 28 through May 3. Outfielder Mike Sirota (Dodgers), shortstop John Peck (Tigers), first baseman Luke Cantwell (Padres), shortstop Ethan Holliday (Rockies), and outfielder Sterlin Thompson (Rockies) had the best stats for their series from last week. Mike Sirota, OF – Great Lakes Loons (A+, Dodgers) Sirota is an outfield prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and an MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospect. He is ranked at No. 50 in all of baseball. Currently in his first season at High-A, Sirota is off to a breakout start, hitting well through 25 games, including in Great Lakes’ series against the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals). He hit .533/.682/1.467 with a 2.149 OPS. In five games, he went 8-for-15 with four home runs, one double, seven RBIs, eight runs scored, six walks, and struck out just twice. In the series opener, he drove in three RBIs, and on May 2, in the final game of the series, he scored three of Great Lakes’ nine runs. It was a standout week for the outfielder, who is having a great season overall. Over the course of the season as a whole, Sirota is hitting .329/.486/.671, with a 1.157 OPS, and a .386 BABIP. He has nine doubles, one triple, and six home runs. On top of that, he has walked 23 times, driven in 15 RBIs, and has 27 runs scored for Great Lakes. John Peck, SS – Erie SeaWolves (AA, Tigers) After 93 games in High-A in 2025, the Detroit Tigers promoted shortstop John Peck to Double-A Erie to finish out the season. After 25 games to end the season, the Tigers kept Peck in Double-A to begin his 2026 campaign. Last week against the Chesapeake Baysox (Orioles), he hit .526/.550/1.368, with a 1.918 OPS. In five games, he was 10-for-19 with four home runs, nine RBIs, and two stolen bases. He also had two doubles and nine runs scored. It was a great week for Eerie as they defeated Chesapeake in five of the six games. In the opening game of the series, Peck drove in four of Eerie’s five RBIs. Over the course of the season so far, the right-handed hitting shortstop is batting .287/.318/.554, with a .872 OPS, and a .348 BABIP. He has nine doubles, six home runs, and 23 RBIs. Along with that, he has 10 stolen bases and 24 runs scored through 24 games. Luke Cantwell, 1B – Lake Elsinore Storm (A, Padres) Luke Cantwell, 23, from Pittsburgh, is the third-best performing player from April 28 through May 3. Currently playing for the Padres’ High-A affiliate Lake Elsinore Storm, he had a standout series in Lake Elsinore’s series against the Ontario Tower Buzzers (Dodgers). He hit .714/.800/1.000, with a 1.800 OPS. In five games played, he was a very impressive 10-for-14 with a home run, one double, seven RBIs, three walks, and four runs scored. Lake Elsinore took five of the six games from Ontario. Over the course of the 2026 season, Cantwell is batting a total of .345/.493/.483, with a .976 OPS, and a .422 BABIP through 21 games. In 58 total at-bats, he has one home run, five doubles, 12 walks, 15 RBIs, and 10 runs scored. He also added three stolen bases. Ethan Holliday, SS – Fresno Grizzlies (A, Rockies) 19-year-old Ethan Holliday, the son of former big leaguer Matt Holliday, is making a name for himself in his first season of following in his dad’s footsteps. Drafted in 2025 out of Stillwater High School in Oklahoma, the brother of Jackson Holliday is also ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 17 prospect in minor league baseball and is having a huge first season in Single-A with the Fresno Grizzlies. In Fresno’s most recent series against the Stockton Ports (Athletics), Holliday hit .500/.682/1.083, with a 1.765 OPS. In five games, he was 6-for-12 with two home runs, one double, eight walks, driving in 11 RBIs, and five runs scored. In game two on April 29, Holliday had five of the Grizzlies’ nine RBIs and on May 2 he had four of their nine RBIs. Fresno won three of six against Stockton. Over the course of his first season in Fresno, the No. 4 draft pick in the 2025 draft is hitting .257/.412/.486, with a .898 OPS, and a BABIP of .326. He has a total of three doubles, one triple, four home runs, and has walked 17 times, showing true discipline at the plate and a great eye as well. He has 21 RBIs, 15 runs scored, and one stolen base in his first season. Sterlin Thompson, OF – Albuquerque Isotopes (AAA, Rockies) Another Rockies prospect, Sterling Thompson, is a left-handed hitter and outfielder with the Albuquerque Isotopes. Drafted in 2022 by the Rockies, Thompson is in his second season with Triple-A Albuquerque. In their latest series against the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres), Thompson hit .647/.750/.941, with a 1.691 OPS. In five games, he went 11-for-17 with a home run, two doubles, nine RBIs, seven walks, and two stolen bases. He also had four runs scored in game three on May 1. May 1 was the best game of the series for Thompson. In Albuquerque’s mammoth 26-8 win over El Paso, he had five hits (home run, two doubles, two singles) with two walks, drove in four, and scored four runs. Over the course of the season, Thompson is hitting .343/.477/.495, with a .972 OPS. He has a total of five doubles, one triple, and three home runs. He has driven in 20 RBIs and has 23 runs scored through 30 games and a BABIP of .440. So far, he is on course to massively surpass his 2025 season if he continues to hit as well as he has been. MLB Pipeline Top-100 prospects Lazaro Montes, OF (No. 35 - Arkansas Travelers, AA), Caleb Bonemer, SS/3B (No. 51 – Winston-Salem Dash, A+), and Bryce Eldridge, 1B (No. 18 – Sacramento River Cats (AAA, Giants) also had huge performances in their latest series. Teams opened their latest series on Tuesday as MiLB continues its six-game series format that began in 2021.

As of April 16th, according to Baseball Reference, 273 total games have been played in the 2026 MLB season, with most teams playing anywhere between 17 and 18 games depending on off days. As of this date, it has become clear that pitchers and catchers have been more successful with the ABS (Auto ball strike) system this year. Per Baseball Savant, while hitters have won only 47 percent of ABS challenges, the defense has won 60 percent. League Challenge Rates Using ABS Across the league, there have been 1,082 challenges: 582 won and 500 lost. The league average is 54 percent of calls won when players challenge a call. The Minnesota Twins (61 challenges), Colorado Rockies (50 challenges), Miami Marlins (49 challenges), New York Yankees (44 challenges), and the Athletics (43 challenges) lead the entire league in number of challenges. Of those challenges, Minnesota and New York have won 57 percent of theirs, the Rockies and Athletics 56 percent, and Miami 55 percent. However, though those five teams lead the pack in number of challenges, there are five different teams who have been the most successful using the challenge system: The Cincinnati Reds have a challenge win percentage of 71 percent, with the Mets winning 65 percent of their challenges, Padres winning 64 percent, the Royals winning 63 percent, and the Cardinals winning 61 percent alongside the Chicago Cubs (perhaps the only time those two teams are comfortable being mentioned together). Out of the league-leading Reds, who have the highest win percentage in calls challenge, Sal Stewart leads that pack with three challenges, including two won calls. Tyler Stephenson, Will Benson, and Eugenio Suarez each have two challenges with two wins. Hitter Challenges Using ABS Hitters have challenged four percent of pitches this season. Through a total of 497 challenges at the plate, hitters throughout the league have won 232 challenges and lost 265 calls. They have eliminated 70 strikes and gained 35 walks as a result of calls overturned. Out of all batters in the league, Jose Caballero and Gary Sanchez lead the challenge in number of challenges with seven each; with Ivan Herrera, Kyle Schwarber, Josh Bell, and Ronald Acuna Jr. following behind with six challenges each. Caballero has won four of his challenges (57 percent), and Herrera has won five of his six (83 percent), showing consistency and his ability to read the ball at the plate. Outside of that group, Pete Alonso (4-4), Marcell Ozuna (3-3), Nick Kurtz (3-3), and Teoscar Hernandez (3-3) lead the league in being perfect (with at least three challenges this season). The ABS system shows that batters who see the ball well and are disciplined at the plate are most successful in getting calls overturned. It is also forcing batters to be smarter and more efficient with their time at the plate. Catcher Challenges Using ABS Catchers have challenged 2.1 percent of pitches thrown. Through 585 challenges, the catching group has won 350 calls and lost 235 calls. They have gained 98 strikeouts from challenges this year and lost 45 walks. Will Smith leads the catchers in the number of challenges, having challenged 21 calls by umpires. He has won 13 and lost eight, for a 62 percent overturn rate. Following behind Smith, Ryan Jeffers (20 challenges: 12 wins, eight losses, 60 percent overturn rate), Edgar Quero (20 challenges: seven won, 13 lost, 35% overturn rate), Salvador Perez (18 challenges: 13 won, five lost, 72 percent overturn rate), and William Contreras (18 challenges, 11 wins, seven losses, 61 percent overturn rate) are the catchers with the next highest challenge number. In terms of win percentage, Mitch Garver (4-4), Adrian Del Castillo (3-3), Adley Rutschman (2-2), PJ Higgins (2-2), Jeferson Quero (2-2), and Jake Rogers (2-2) lead the league (at least two challenges) in success rate of challenges behind the plate with perfect 100 percent rates. While batters are becoming more disciplined because of the ABS, pitchers are also focusing on being disciplined in throwing the ball in the strike zone, focusing on command over throwing as hard as they can, and catchers are improving in their ability to frame pitches in order to get better calls from umpires. ABS Is Slowing Games Down Again Looking deeper at ABS, according to David Brandtap of The Associated Press, after MLB aimed to make games shorter by implementing the pitch clock, the ABS system has once again slowed games down, slightly contradicting MLB’s attempt to speed them up. Through the first two and a half weeks of games, games are now ending closer to 2:42, opposed to 2:38 in 2025 and 2:36 in 2024. Though not a big difference, it is a sign that the ABS system is slowing games back down. However, though the system has been added, as Brandtap noted, games were up to over three hours (3:10) in 2021, so since implementing the pitch clock, and even with the newest addition of ABS, games are still quicker than they were five years ago.

April 6th will be a very special day for the Tampa Bay Rays. The team will return home to play baseball at Tropicana Field for the first time since September 2024. On October 9, 2024, a very dangerous Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key as a powerful Category 3 hurricane. The stadium was set to serve as a place of refuge for members of FPL and first responders helping with hurricane efforts after the storm, but instead, officials in Tampa were forced to put responders elsewhere and eventually were faced with having to temporarily relocate the Tampa Bay Rays for the 2025 season after figuring out what to do with a storm-ravaged Tropicana Field. The fiberglass roof was ripped to shreds, and the stadium was deemed unsafe by officials after the storm. As the city of Tampa banded together, two AL East foes became one when the New York Yankees opened their spring training home, George M. Steinbrenner Field, to the Rays to play their 2025 season home games. The Rays finished the 2025 MLB regular season fourth in the American League East with a 77-85 (.475) record, failing to make the postseason for a second straight season. At their home away from home, however, they had a winning, 41-40 record. But April will be a long-awaited homecoming when the Rays get to return to St. Petersburg for the first time in nearly two years. Rays Notable Roster Moves When the Rays open their season on Thursday in St. Louis, they will do so with four notable new faces on the roster. This offseason, the Rays signed left-handed pitcher Steven Matz, right-handed pitcher Nick Martinez, center fielder Cedric Mullins, and right-fielder Jake Fraley. All four were signed as free agents by the Rays. Matz, who split the 2025 season between the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox, was signed to a two-year, $15 million deal. The left-hander was 5-2 with a 3.05 ERA and a WAR of 0.9 in 2025. He had a .714 W-L% across 53 games (two starts, the rest in relief). Over the course of 76 2/3 innings, Matz gave up 26 earned runs on 73 hits (eight home runs), 11 walks, and struck out 59. He had a 1.096 WHIP, with an 8.6 H9 and a 1.3 BB/9. Of interest, Matz pitched better in the American League than in the National League. His ERA with the Cardinals alone in 2025 was 3.44 through 32 games; whereas, his ERA with Boston was 2.08. He will hope that trend continues now with a fellow AL East team, the Rays. The Rays secured Martinez for one year, $13 million, including a $4 million buyout and a $20 million mutual option for 2027. In 2025 with the Cincinnati Reds, the right-handed pitcher and Florida native was 11-14 with a 4.45 ERA. He threw in 40 games last season (started 26), striking out 116 over the course of 165 2/3 innings, with a 1.207 WHIP. He allowed 82 earned runs on 158 hits (22 home runs) and walked 42. He had a H/9 of 8.6, with a HR/9 of 1.2, and a BB/9 of 2.3. While he has a similar H9 to Matz, Martinez is able to get more swings and misses and has notably fewer runs allowed on his stats than Matz. Mullins signed with Tampa for one-year, $7 million, including a $500,000 buyout and a $10 million mutual option for 2027. After just a partial season with the New York Mets, Mullins became a free agent, leaving Mets fans with one less outfielder once again. In 2025, the outfielder split the season between the Baltimore Orioles and the Mets, though his playing time with Baltimore was interrupted by a 10-day stint on the injured list with a hamstring strain. Between the two teams, he hit .216/.299/.391, with a .690 OPS. He hit 23 doubles, one triple, clobbered 17 home runs, drove in 59 RBIs, and had 58 runs scored. The speedy lefty stole 22 bases and was caught stealing just four times. Opposing pitchers walked him 50 times. Fraley signed a one-year deal worth $3 million. He split the 2025 season between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves, hitting .241/.332/.382, with a .714 OPS. He hit nine doubles, six home runs, and drove in 23 RBIS. He stole four bases, was walked 25 times, and scored 31 runs. Fraley missed a significant amount of time in 2025 on the 60-day injured list with a strained right oblique muscle while he was with the Braves, and then was picked up on waivers by the Rays before being designated for assignment, and then re-signed him as a free agent. In total, the Rays spent $30.5 million in 2026, with a total of $38 million. Other notable roster moves this offseason include sending Eric Orze to the Twins for right-handed pitcher Jacob Kisting; acquiring Yoendrys Gomez from the White Sox in a trade that included receiving Steven Wilson as well, but sending outfielder Everson Pereira to Chicago with Tanner Murray; and sending infielder Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum, and left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery to the Pittsburgh Pirates for outfielder Jacob Melton and right-handed pitcher Anderson Brito. The Rays also acquired fan-favorite outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. from the Marlins for infielder Angel Bracho. Projected Rays Lineup (Per MLB.com) Yandy Diaz, DH Jonathan Aranda, 1B Junior Caminero, 3B Ben Williamson, 2B Cedric Mullins, CF Jonny DeLuca, RF Nick Fortes, C Chandler Simpson, LF Carson Williams, SS The Rays’ top three were described by MLB.com as one of the best top three in the league because of their “strong mix of contact, on-base ability and power.” Diaz hit .300/.366/.482, with a .848 OPS last season. The right-handed hitter was fourth in the American League last year for on-base percentage and sixth in batting average. He ranked ninth in on-base plus slugging (.848) and fourth in the AL for hits with 175. Those hits included 29 doubles, 25 home runs, one triple, and he drove in 83 RBIs and 79 runs scored. Last season, Aranda batted .316/.393/.489, with a .883 OPS and a 146 OPS+. He hit 22 doubles, 14 home runs, driving in 59 RBIs and 56 runs scored. Caminero was among AL leaders in many categories last season. The 22-year-old third baseman hit .264/.311/.535, with a .846 OPS. He ranked 22nd in the American League for games played (154), 10th in the AL for runs scored (93), third in the AL for home runs (45), 14th in the AL for hits (159), ninth in the AL for at-bats (602), and sixth in the American League in slugging percentage (.535). MLB.com calls it “likely” that Kevin Cash will keep these three in the top three of the lineup, but could move them around slightly depending on how the season goes and game-to-game. Projected Rays Rotation (MLB.com) Drew Rasmussen, RHP Nick Martinez, RHP Steven Matz, LHP Ryan Pepiot, RHP Shane McClanahan, LHP Two of the Rays pitchers in this rotation will be new to their rotation after they were signed this offseason (Martinez and Matz). McClanahan underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2024, and in an unlucky break, he was placed back on the injured list in 2025 with a left triceps nerve-related issue that sidelined him until November. Now back healthy, he looks to be a big contributor as a veteran in the Tampa rotation. With spring training complete, McClanahan was 4-3 with a 2.08 ERA over the course of four spring starts. He pitched 13 innings, giving up a combined three earned runs on just eight hits, walked five, and struck out 15 over the course of those 13 innings. There’s no question that he’s healthy, as he looks to be in mid-season form already. He had a WHIP of 1.000 this spring, a 5.5 H/9, 0.7 HR/9, 3.5 BB/9, and a 10.4 SO/9. The Rays will enter the season with momentum just by returning home to Tropicana Field. Tiem will tell what the full impact will be, but expect the Rays to have energy to start the season with a new-look lineup and rotation coming into 2026.