Rays' Prospect Predicted To Make Positive Impact for Team This Season

Which prospect will make a positive impact for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2026?

Aug 16, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; A Tampa Bay Rays helmet sits in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

With spring training underway for the Tampa Bay Rays, the team is trying to get ready for the start of the regular season and see what the team might look like. 

Following a very busy winter, the Rays are hoping that all of their new faces will be able to help the team snap a two-year playoff drought. While the American League East is shaping up to be a challenge, Tampa Bay believes that they can put a good enough product on the field to compete. 

This offseason, there was a balance between trying to compete in 2026 and also keeping an eye on the future. One of the most significant moves that they made was trading Brandon Lowe to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-team deal. In return, the team did get back a nice package of prospects, and one of those players might be ready to make an impact early on. 

Keith Law of The Athletic (subscription required) recently wrote about some of the top prospects in baseball who might make an impact for their team in the majors this year. For the Rays, it was outfielder Jacob Melton who was predicted to make a splash. 

Can Melton Win the Starting Job?

Houston Astros center fielder Jacob Melton | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

This spring, there are going to be a number of position battles to keep an eye on, and the outfield could feature some of them. This was a unit that got completely remade during the offseason, and the group likely isn’t set in stone heading into the campaign. 

In free agency, the Rays added both Cedric Mullins and Jake Fraley to help bolster the lineup. These two figure to be starters for the team, and then they also have Chandler Simpson coming off a good rookie year. 

However, the really interesting part of this is Melton. The talented prospect is one of the best in the system after coming over from the Houston Astros, and he could be poised for a spot on the team on Opening Day. 

This spring, Melton has already started to showcase why he is a highly regarded prospect in the system with some power. While he has the ability to be a good hitter for Tampa Bay, where he really shines is in the field. 

Despite being young, he could become one of the best center fielders defensively in the league, and that will be appealing for the Rays. While Mullins is a very capable center fielder defensively, moving him to left could make sense. It will certainly be an interesting wrinkle if Melton makes a strong enough impression this spring to be deserving of a spot on the team for Opening Day.