Tampa Bay Rays to Call Up One of Top Prospects on Friday

As the Tampa Bay Rays get set to take on the Detroit Tigers on Friday night, they are calling up their No. 3 prospect, Curtis Mead.

The following update comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal:

Mead was recalled Friday from Triple-A Durham, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

ANALYSIS
Mead missed all of May and most of June because of a wrist injury, but the 22-year-old top infield prospect had slashed .355/.460/.438 in 113 plate appearances since returning to Durham's active roster. He doesn't offer a ton of immediate counting-stats upside, but Mead is a very polished hitter for his age with the capability of playing either third base or second base for the Rays. He should at least draw starts against lefties as he arrives in the majors for the first time.

The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

Mead’s breakout came in 2021 when he hit .321 with a .911 OPS across three full-season levels and produced an 18-game hitting streak in the Arizona Fall League. His 2022 performance at Double-A and Triple-A solidified his standing as a consistent hitter, and if not for a late-season right elbow strain, he would have pushed for St. Petersburg already.

The Australia native bats out of an upright stance, and its simplicity allows him to see the ball well and react to most pitches. He doesn’t strike out a ton by modern standards, but the Rays have been enthused by the way he’s become more selective in seeking out pitches on which to do damage, rather than making contact for the sake of making contact.

Tampa Bay is 66-45 and 2.0 games back of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East.

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