ESPN’s Law Ranks Rays’ Farm System #2 in MLB

Posted by Jason Pafundi on Friday, January 23, 2009 at 9:28 am

ESPN.com and Scouts, Inc.’s Keith Law has released his 2009 organizational farm system rankings, and once again, the Tampa Bay Rays are near the top. This season, though, the Rays are ranked No. 2, behind the Texas Rangers.

Of the Rays’ system, Law writes that “they just keep churning out the prospects”. Last season, Rays third baseman Evan Longoria was Law’s No. 1 prospect, and he went on to win the American League Rookie of the Year. This year, the highest-ranking Ray is David Price, No. 2 on Law’s list of the Top 100 Prospects.

Fans remember Price for getting the last few outs in Game 7 of ALCS against the Red Sox, so he certainly isn’t new baseball. What’s new is that he’ll be starting the season, barring something unforseen, as one of the Rays’ starting pitchers.

The Rays have five other prospects in Law’s Top 100:

No. 11 SS Tim Beckham
No. 25 OF Desmond Jennings
No. 33 RHP Wade Davis
No. 47 RHP Jeremy Hellickson
No. 78 SS Reid Brignac

Of these players, Brignac has been around the longest, and with the Rays already set at second base and shortstop at the Major League-level, this season will probably decide what type of career Brignac will have. A third-consecutive disappointing season, and Brignac will most likely have to settle for a career as a utility infielder. But with improvement at the plate in 2009, Brignac could return to being a prospect other teams ask about, and he could be a huge asset for the Rays.