Surprise Player Expected To Be Rays' Top Prospect Next Season

Who will be the best prospect for the Tampa Bay Rays next year?

Sep 25, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash (16) watches the game in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

With the offseason rolling on for the Tampa Bay Rays, the team is continuing to try to find ways to improve. 

Coming into the offseason, the Rays knew that they would have some work to do to keep up with other teams in the American League East. So far, that has proven to be true with the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles making some significant improvements so far. 

For the Rays, they have also improved with the additions of Jake Fraley, Cedric Mullins, and Steven Matz so far. All three of these players will be able to fit a need for the team, and they have been on the affordable side so far. 

Tampa Bay might have new ownership in place, but their payroll isn’t expected to change much just yet. With that being said, the team will be continuing to try to build up their farm system like they always have to sustain success. 

Sam Dykstra of MLB recently wrote about who the best prospect for the Rays will be next year at this time, and it was a player who isn’t even in the farm system yet. 

Grady Emerson Replaces Carson Williams

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

While it isn’t surprising to see Williams considered to be the top prospect for Tampa Bay currently, that will be changing in the near future. 2026 is going to be an essential year for Williams to take a step forward in his development. Whether or not he starts the campaign in Triple-A, he will be asked to prove what he can do in the Majors at some point. 

With a likely graduation coming for Williams, that will open up an opportunity for a new prospect to take over. Surprisingly, Dykstra named high school prospect Grady Emerson as the player who will be the best in the farm system for the Rays this time next year. 

During the MLB Draft Lottery, the team got a massive boost with the second overall pick. Emerson is projected to be the second-best prospect in the draft as of now, and the talented shortstop could very well become a top prospect in the minors very quickly. 

This is the first time since 2008 that the team has had a draft pick this high, and it is a significant break for the franchise. Adding an impact player like Emerson to an already talented farm system could help the team immensely going forward.