Tampa Bay Rays' Triple-A Affiliate Earns High Marks For Great Talent, Including Chandler Simpson

The Durham Bulls, the Triple-A squad for the Tampa Bay Rays, received some solid praise from MLB Pipeline because it's overall talent level.
Fans enter the stadium on game day at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, North Carolina, on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022.
Fans enter the stadium on game day at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, North Carolina, on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. | Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

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According to MLB Pipeline, the Durham Bulls are the 10th-most talented team in Minor League Baseball at the start of the season.

The Bulls are the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The outlet put out its full rankings on Wednesday with only the Iowa Cubs (Triple-A Cubs), Everett AquaSox (High-A Mariners), Charlotte Knights (Triple-A White Sox), Birmingham Barons (Double-A White Sox), West Michigan Whitecaps (High-A Tigers), Worcester Red Sox (Triple-A Red Sox), Norfolk Tides (Triple-A Orioles), Tacoma Rainiers (Triple-A Mariners) and St. Paul Saints (Triple-A Twins) checking in higher.

The roster at Durham currently features flamethrower Joe Boyle, who was acquired from the Athletics this offseason, as well as slugging infielder Tre' Morgan, top shortstop Carson Williams, former big-league slugger Eloy Gimenez and speed demon Chandler Simpson.

Simpson, 24, is ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the organization, per MLB Pipeline. He was the No. 70 overall pick in the MLB Draft back in 2022 and is predicted to make his major league debut this season. Armed with elite contact skills and his blazing speed, he's one of the more dynamic prospects in the minors right now. He stole a whopping 104 bases a season ago across High-A and Double-A.

Williams is the No. 1 prospect in the organization. He was a first-round pick of the Rays in 2021 but could have a hard time cracking the 40-man roster because of Tampa's infield depth. Furthermore, the team signed Ha-seong Kim, who is expected to be healthy in May.

Williams had 20 homers, 69 RBIs and 33 stolen bases a season ago, making him an all-around threat on the field.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is the senior writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and the host of “The Payoff Pitch’’ podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. Follow Brady on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.