Rays' Talented Prospect Could Be Ready to Make Impact in 2026

Which prospect from the Tampa Bay Rays could make an impact in the majors?

Apr 3, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A general view of a Tampa Bay Rays hat and glove during the seventh inning of the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. | Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images

With the offseason continuing on for the Tampa Bay Rays, the team will be continuing to make some improvements to a couple of key areas. However, they will be hoping some of their internal players take a step forward as well. 

After a disappointing finish to the 2025 season, the Rays came into the winter as a team that was seeking to improve. Right off the bat, Tampa Bay was aggressive in free agency, adding a couple of nice veterans on short-term deals. The team was able to sign both Jake Fraley and Cedric Mullins to improve their outfield, while bringing in Steve Matz to help the starting rotation. 

However, while the moves indicated the team was trying to improve for 2026, they then traded Brandon Lowe and Shane Baz. The return they received for the two players was impressive, but it did set them back quite a bit. As of now, the team looks like they will be building for the future, but a lot can still change. However, while the team tries to balance keeping an eye toward the future while competing now, they will be hoping one of their top prospects steps up. 

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the most MLB-ready prospects, and for the Rays, it was their talented shortstop Carson Williams. 

Williams Could Be X-Factor

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

As Tampa Bay heads into 2026, all eyes this spring will be on Williams. The talented infielder is regarded as one of the best prospects in the system, and he got an opportunity at the end of the campaign. Unfortunately, the gifted young prospect struggled quite a bit, and his role heading into the spring is unclear. 

The Rays will undoubtedly be giving Williams a lot of opportunities in spring training to prove himself and win the starting job at shortstop. Even though he might have struggled at the end of last season, he’s got a lot of positives about his game and could develop into an impact player. However, more time in the minors might be needed. 

Tampa Bay does have a great defensive shortstop in Taylor Walls, who can start, but he doesn’t bring anything to the plate offensively. If Williams was able to win the job in spring training and be the starting shortstop, it could provide a needed boost to the lineup. Shortstop is currently a position that the team needs more from at the plate, and the talented prospect could be the best option to help with that.