If there is one thing that the Tampa Bay Rays have been good at in recent years, it is developing pitchers. They have turned into a pitching factory, bringing aboard hurlers who many have struggled at previous stops and turning them into productive players at the Major League level.
Whether it is relief pitchers or starting pitchers, the Rays have excelled at getting the most out of talented arms that needed a little bit of a tweak. There are plenty of examples of players in recent years who got their careers on track after working with Tampa Bay coaches.
It is something that the entire organization has excelled at, from the lower minor leagues through the Big Leagues. There are a lot of exciting arms in their farm system, headlined by starting pitcher Brody Hopkins and Ty Johnson.
Both players have taken their long-term outlooks to new levels since joining the Rays organization via trade from the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs, respectively. But there is a lot of pitching depth that excites scouts and evaluators within the organization.
Jose Urbina flashing major upside for Rays
Apr 3, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A general view of a Tampa Bay Rays hat and glove during the seventh inning of the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. | Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images
One player to keep an eye on is Jose Urbina. Signed for $210,000 as an international free agent in 2023, he made quite a name for himself in 2025, being selected as Tampa Bay’s breakout prospect of the year by Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis and Sam Dykstra of MLB.com.
He has seen a major rise in the Rays’ prospect rankings. Entering 2025 as the No. 29-ranked player, he now sits at No. 17 entering 2026. Some of the untapped potential that made him such an intriguing prospect was on display this past year.
At only 19 years old, Urbina pitched 92.1 innings with Single-A Charleston. There, he struck out 96 batters and owned a stellar 2.06 ERA, which earned him a call-up late in the year to High-A Bowling Green to finish things out.
According to @MLBPipeline, #Rays RHP Jose Urbina was the prospect who’s stock rose the highest in 2025
Urbina is currently the No. 17 prospect in Tampa Bay’s system #RaysUp
— SleeperRays (@SleeperRays) December 29, 2025
Urbina already owns multiple solid pitches in his arsenal, which should enable him to remain as part of the starting rotation. His fastball sits between 95-97 mph on average, but he can touch triple digits.
Along with the dynamic fastball, he pairs a slider that averages that sits in the mid-80s velocity-wise, which has a lot of sweeping action. His changeup has also flashed the potential of being a plus-pitch for him to work with as well.
Sticking as a starting pitching prospect has helped Urbina surge up the organization’s prospect rankings. If he can continue curtailing the walks issue that plagued him early in the year, his arrow will continue pointing straight up.
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