Tampa Bay Rays Have New Top Prospect in MLB Top 100

Which prospect is now considered the best in the organization for the Tampa Bay Rays?

Mar 30, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; A detailed view of the Tampa Bay Rays hat at American Family Field. | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

It has been a fantastic start to the season for the Tampa Bay Rays, who have been able to blow away expectations early on. 

With the best record in the American League in the middle of May, the Rays have proven that they are an early contender this year. Based on their offseason moves, it looked like Tampa Bay might have been gearing more toward the future than trying to compete in 2026. However, the results have told a different story so far. 

The Rays are a team that is always looking toward the future, and they generally have one of the best farm systems in baseball year after year. However, the unit was starting to slip a little, but received an influx of talent with the decisions to trade Brandon Lowe and Shane Baz. 

Now, the depth of the system is strong, and they have one player who is starting to rise and become their best prospect. Theo Gillen is a former first-round pick of the team, and after the most recent MLB Top 100 was released, he is now regarded as their top prospect. 

Gillen On the Move Up 

Theo Gillen crushes his eighth blast of the year 💥

The @RaysPlayerDev No. 2 prospect logs his second homer in his last three games for the High-A @BGHotRods.

(🎥@BGHotRods) pic.twitter.com/nOPIrXfyAD

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) May 14, 2026

The former 18th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft was a Top 100 prospect coming into the year, and with a strong start to the campaign in High-A ball, he has moved up from 59th to 43rd and is now considered the best prospect in the system. 

At just 20 years old, he still needs some time to develop, but the early results this year are very encouraging. In 26 games this year, he has slashed .289/.404/.622 with eight home runs, 23 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. Gillen has been arguably the best player in the minors so far for the Rays, and the time for a promotion might be coming soon. 

This offseason, one of the main goals for the team was to improve their offensive production in the outfield. So far, the results have been mixed for that unit, with free agent signing Cedric Mullins being a bit of a flop so far. 

However, with Jacob Melton and Gillen in the farm system, along with the development of Chandler Simpson this year, the unit could be very strong in the near future. With the rise of Gillen in the rankings and becoming the new top prospect for the Rays, all eyes will be on him going forward.