The Tampa Bay Rays have entered the offseason with the hopes of improving their team and contending in a very challenging American League East next year.
Coming into the winter, the Rays have a lot of good things in place already to start. They have widely been considered a team that can be a contender in 2026 with a few adjustments, and that will be the goal for the franchise.
As always, this is a team that prides themselves on developing young talent from within. Tampa Bay might have new ownership, but a drastic shift in spending is unlikely to occur this offseason. With the recent decision not to exercise the option of closer Pete Fairbanks, the team is going to be looking to allocate that money into a couple of other areas of need.
As the team looks at some external options to improve the roster, they will also be hoping that some of their young players continue to get better. One guy that the franchise will be counting on to help lead the way in 2026 is their current top prospect.
MLB contributors recently wrote about one potential Rookie of the Year candidate from each team heading into 2026 and named Carson Williams for the Rays as the choice.
Williams Has a Massive Upside
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As the No.1 prospect in their system and one of the Top 100 in all of baseball, there is a lot to like about Williams and what he can accomplish in 2026. The young shortstop got his feet wet with the team at the end of the 2025 campaign, but the results weren’t great.
However, getting reps in the Majors is a valuable experience for the slugger, and he will now be able to head into next season knowing what it is like to be a professional player. While he should certainly have the inside track to be the starting shortstop, he might have a short leash.
In 2025, his offensive numbers after being called up weren’t significant, and he struggled to put the ball in play. That could certainly be something that he improves over the winter and spring, but shortstop has been highly talked about as a position of need for the franchise.
The pressure will be on Williams to start the year with the Rays, and his success or failure could steer the franchise in either direction this coming year. Hopefully, the top prospect is able to live up to the hype, or Tampa Bay might have some trouble at a key position.
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