Rays' Top Prospect Should Get Opportunity to be Opening Day Starter

Should a top prospect be the Opening Day starter for the Tampa Bay Rays?

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The Tampa Bay Rays are getting set for what should be an interesting offseason for the franchise. Even though the 2025 campaign might not have ended up like they would have wanted after a strong start, there are some good things in place for the team going forward. 

This winter, all eyes will be on a couple of important decisions that the Rays will need to make. Two players that have been linked with plenty of teams are Brandon Lowe and Yandy Diaz. The two sluggers are coming off of great years and contenders will likely be seeking their services this winter. 

Even though they are potential trade targets, the Rays might look to hold on to them for now. This is a team that has the potential to bounce back and be a contender. Regardless of what the team decides to do with Diaz and Lowe, the franchise will be relying on some of their young talent to perform well. One of the key players that they will be relying on to step up is their talented top prospect. 

Carson Williams Should Get an Opening Day Chance

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The talented 22-year-old shortstop is one of the Top 100 prospects in baseball and got a chance to make an impact and gain some experience down the stretch for Tampa Bay. In 32 games, he slashed .172/.219/.354 with five home runs and 12 RBI. Even though the offensive numbers weren’t significant, Williams did showcase what he is capable of as a power hitter at the shortstop position. 

In the minors, the 22-year-old wasn’t much of a high-average hitter, and it would be surprising to see that develop at this stage. The top prospect is built on power and playing strong defense. This season in the minors, he slashed .213/.318/.447 with 23 home runs and 55 RBI. 

For Williams to improve at the plate, the glaring weakness for him is that he swings and misses a lot. In the 32 games with Tampa Bay, he struck out 44 times. While power hitters do tend to swing and miss a lot, the young shortstop could certainly improve in that area. 

After getting his feet wet at the end of the campaign, it seems likely that he is going to be the Opening Day starter for the team at shortstop. As a top 100 prospect and someone that the franchise believes in, it was a smart move to get him some experience in 2025 so he will be prepared to start the year.