Best Pure Hitter: Arizona OF Brendan Summerhill (1S) has a well-rounded profile, but his best tool is probably his pure hitting ability. He’s a selective hitter who makes a ton of contact and doesn’t miss much vs. any specific pitch. On the high school side, OF Dean Moss (2S) pairs a savvy batting eye with solid high school production and also has a chance to be an above-average pure hitter.
Best Power Hitter: C Taitn Gray (3) is extremely large for his age. He’s already 6-foot-3, 220 pounds and pairs that physicality with tremendous bat speed. He has shown gigantic exit velocities with wood bats and should develop double-plus raw power in the future.
Fastest Runner: SS Daniel Pierce (1) is a strong athlete across the board and is consistently a plus runner. He has turned in a few 70-grade run times at his best, and he should have the speed to provide great range on the defensive side and also be a consistent stolen base threat.
Best Defensive Player: In a class with a number of standout defensive players, Pierce’s (1) shortstop defense might go a bit overlooked. He has great actions and moves around the field with ease and fluidity, pairing reliable hands with an easy plus arm. He should be a plus defender.
Best Fastball: RHP Riley Stanford (16) has a fastball that averaged 94-95 mph in 2025 and was up to 97-98 at peak. The pitch has modest riding life, but he throws it with a flat approach angle, which could help it play up further. RHP Luke Jackson (11) also has a big fastball that sits in the 95-96 mph range and tops out around 98.
Best Secondary Pitch: The Rays are excited about Jackson’s (11) slider, which is a mid-80s breaking ball that helped him generate a 38% miss rate this spring with Texas A&M. It’s a breaking ball with solid spin rates and good horizontal movement and occasional snappy, two-plane break.
Best Pro Debut: The Rays activated just six players for official games after the draft and Summerhill (1S) was the standout. He hit .333/.429/.444 in 10 games with Low-A Charleston, including a triple, a pair of doubles and more walks (six) than strikeouts (five). He also did so while playing a majority of his games in center field—a departure from his right field primary position in college.
Best Athlete: Pierce (1) has the speed and defensive actions to be a compelling candidate here. Another strong athlete in this Tampa Bay class is George Mason OF James Quinn-Irons (5) who has a rare blend of physicality, power and speed. He’s 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, but he’s still a consistent plus runner who has a chance for center field, a strong throwing arm and plus raw power.
Most Intriguing Background: Quinn-Irons (5) was one of the most impressive small school college hitters over the last three years. He’s a career .371/.459/.632 hitter with George Mason and hit 33 home runs, 41 doubles and stole 58 bases. In a breakout 2025 season, he hit .419/.523/.734 with 16 home runs and 24 doubles. His .419 average was good for ninth-best among Division I hitters.
Closest To The Majors: Summerhill’s (1S) well-rounded game, hitting polish and strong debut make him a solid candidate to move quickly. Another good option here is NC State LHP Dominic Fritton (4), who has a solid 3-to-4 pitch mix and will be playing his age-23 season when he debuts in 2026.
Best 11+ Round Pick (Or UDFA): Jackson (11) signed for just under $500,000 and was the biggest investment the team made after the 10th round. He has some of the best pure stuff in this class. The Rays signed RHP Trace Phillips (UDFA) as an undrafted free agent. He ranked No. 190 on the BA 500 and has a fastball up to 97 but dealt with a back injury this spring.