The Tampa Bay Rays have entered the offseason with some optimism regarding their new ownership and the fact that they will be back at a real ballpark this coming season. 

As new ownership figures out where the long-term home of the Rays is going to be, they will once again have a roof over their heads at Tropicana Field. On the field, the team will be hoping to sustain the level of play that they were able to achieve in the first half of the 2025 campaign. 

Coming in the 2026 season, the roster will have some new faces, but a good part of the core is expected to return. Due to some of the struggles in the second half of the year, it allowed the franchise to get a look at one of their top young prospects, and gaining experience in the Majors is always a good thing for a young player. 

Now, the team will likely be hoping that he can step up to the plate and perform well as one of the best prospects in baseball. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently ranked the top 100 prospects in baseball. For the Rays, shortstop Carson Williams came in ranked 51st. 

Fair To Have Concerns About Williams’ GameTampa Bay Rays shortstop Carson Williams getting a single

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There is no guarantee that Williams is going to be the starter at shortstop for Tampa Bay. However, after getting his feet wet in the Majors at the end of last year and the team hoping that he is going to be a staple at the position going forward, he should have the inside track. 

While Taylor Walls got a majority of the starts at the position and was a gold glove nominee, he brings nothing of value to the plate, which severely limits his upside. On the flip side, Williams does have some strong abilities at the plate, but there is still a lot to improve. 

The young shortstop is already a strong defender, which is a significant plus if he is going to be taking over from Walls, but he does need to cut down on the swings and misses and try to create more contact. There is a lot of power in his swing, but he is very much boom or bust at the plate currently. 

During the offseason and into Spring Training, this should be the focus of the talented prospect. There is going to be an opportunity for him to be the starting shortstop on Opening Day for the Rays, but he must seize it. 

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