RADIO
Theo Gillen Showing Off All his Tools In the Minor Leagues
The Tampa Bay Rays top outfield prospect Theo Gillen is having a very good age-20 season between two levels of the minors in 2026. Now with Double-A Montgomery, Gillen has hit .320 combined between two teams with 20 homers and 74 RBI to go with 78 runs and 39 stolen bases. The left-handed hitting outfielder is producing in all five categories and offers a very balanced statistical profile for future fantasy leagues. But right now, Gillen may need more nurturing in the minors and could be looking at a few years down the road for a major-league debut. He's a name to remember, however, because of his 60-grade hit tool and 60-grade speed. He could be a very appealing power-speed combination in years to come. Dynasty managers will want to snatch him up for future teams as he looks like a potential stud.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Jacob Melton On 7-Day Injured List At Triple-A Durham
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Jacob Melton currently has a right hamstring strain and is on the 7-day IL at Triple-A Durham. The injury comes at an unfortunate time for Melton as he is looking for a shot at a big league chance with the Rays, but it isn't expected to be long term. Melton made his big league debut last season for the Astros before coming over to the Rays in a December trade. The 25-year-old has played at two levels this season in the minors (mostly with Durham) and has hit .306 with six homers and 26 RBI in 134 at bats. The No. 6 prospect for Tampa Bay, Melton could see time in Tampa Bay this season assuming he recovers smoothly from his right hamstring strain. Given he already has big league experience, he is a name to monitor as someone who can produce for the Rays at the end of this season.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Jacob Melton Currently Injured but Could Still Debut With Rays
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Jacob Melton (hamstring) was placed on the seven-day injured list with a right-hamstring strain and is expected to miss about a week at Triple-A Durham. Melton has had a nice season with Durham, batting .285 in 123 at-bats at Triple-A with five homers and 23 RBI to go with 24 runs scored and 23 stolen bases. The 25-year-old has shown off his five-category ability this season with Durham and is currently the No. 6 prospect in Tampa's system. He has 60-grade power and 60-grade speed, which shows off his ability to hit at a high level while also establishing himself as a stolen base threat. Melton debuted with the Houston Astros at the major league level in 2025 before being traded to Tampa Bay in December of 2025. Melton has MLB experience and could play for the Rays before the end of this year. He is worth stashing as he returns from his injury.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Jacob Melton Dealing With Hamstring Tightness, Breakout Season Interrupted
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Jacob Melton (hamstring) is reportedly dealing with right hamstring tightness after being removed from a Triple-A Durham Bulls game on Saturday, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The No. 6 prospect in the Rays' system has already missed time this season due to left ankle discomfort and could miss additional time while recovering from the new issue. Melton is hitting .306 in the minor leagues this season, posting a .407 OBP and a .952 OPS with six home runs across 41 games at two levels. The injury is not expected to be serious for the 25-year-old, but it creates another interruption during what has been the best season of his young career in the Rays' organization.
Source: Marc Topkin
Source: Marc Topkin
Aidan Smith Headlines Prospect Haul for Mets in Trade With Rays
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Aidan Smith, along with two other prospects, is heading to the New York Mets in exchange for right-hander Freddy Peralta. The Rays bulk up their starting rotation, but it costs them three prospects. Smith is the most notable, as he ranked as the Rays' 15th-best prospect in their system. The Mets also acquired right-hander Gary Gill Hill and second baseman Emilien Pitre in exchange for Peralta. According to MLB Pipeline, Hill and Pitre ranked as the 26th and 27th-best prospects in the Rays system. Between the three, Smith holds the most upside, but he still needs time in the minor leagues. None of these players is likely to contribute right away, but it's not a terrible return on Peralta, who is a free agent after the season.
Source: Mark Feinsand
Source: Mark Feinsand
Theo Gillen Extends Hit Streak With Two-Homer Game
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Theo Gillen extended his 13-game hit streak with a two-homer performance on Wednesday night for Double-A Montgomery and continued his red-hot month of July. In 68 at-bats for Montgomery in July, Gillen has six homers, 22 RBI, 14 runs scored, and seven stolen bases, all while hitting .338. At age 20, Gillen is the top prospect for the Tampa Bay Rays. He's split time between High-A Bowling Green and Montgomery this season and is on a tear at Double-A. Earlier this season at Bowling Green, Gillen was equally impressive with 12 homers and 44 RBI to go with 53 runs scored and 28 stolen bases while hitting .342. Blessed with a 60-grade hit tool and a 60-grade run tool, Gillen is a rare prospect to monitor. But it still might be a bit before he reaches Tampa Bay, as he is just 20 years old.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Jacob Melton Producing in Injury-Shortened Season
Tampa Bay Rays prospect Jacob Melton is working his way back from a left ankle sprain and has produced in limited action between the FCL Rays and Triple-A Durham. Melton has had limited at bats (125) but has five homers and 24 RBI with 28 runs scored and 22 steals while hitting .296. The No. 6 prospect in the Rays system, Melton has shown good signs in his age 25 season when healthy. He boasts 60 grades on the scouting scale in power and speed. Melton came over to the Rays in a December trade with the Houston Astros after he was a second round pick by Houston out of Oregon State. He played 32 games with the Astros at the big league level before his time was cut short by an injury. He showed off his speed with seven steals in 70 at bats with Houston and could easily bring the same threat on the bases to Tampa Bay. Melton looks like a sneaky stash as someone who could produce for the Rays as soon as this season.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Jacob Melton On Impressive Tear as MLB Promotion Approaches
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Jacob Melton has quietly been one of the top hitters at the Triple-A level over the last several weeks and is emerging as a top prospect to stash. Over his last 13 contests at Triple-A (since returning from injury), Melton has carried an elite .327/.421/.592 slash line with four doubles, three home runs, three stolen bases and a sharp 11:7 K:BB. On the season, Melton has posted a .272/.377/.500 line through 33 Triple-A contests. During this noted stretch, the outfielder has swiped 20 bags and added 12 doubles with four round-trippers. Given his impressive play, Melton has put himself one step closer to joining the Rays for the final stretch. While the recent surge of Victor Mesa Jr. has delayed a call-up, Melton has positioned himself as the clear top name if a starter were to miss time with an injury.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Jacob Melton Remains a Stash Consideration for Stolen Base Potential
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Jacob Melton is hitting .327 at Triple-A Durham since his return from the injured list back on June 24, with four doubles, three home runs, three steals, and a 7:11 BB:K over 13 games. For the season, the former second-rounder is hitting .272 with a solid .377 on-base percentage thanks to a 14.4 percent walk rate. The slugging percentage is good, too, at .500, but it is the speed that makes him intriguing for fantasy. The Rays' fifth-ranked prospect has swiped 20 bases in just 33 games for the Bulls, utilizing his 90th-percentile sprint speed. The 6-foot-2 slugger debuted with the Astros in 2025, showing off his speed then as well, with seven steals during his limited action. The 25-year-old could get the call to the majors again in the coming weeks, and with his speed, he's one of the top stash options for steals, with the potential to hit for a decent average and a little bit of pop to go along with it.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Jacob Melton a Top Stash Option for Stolen Base Potential
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Jacob Melton has been good since coming off the injured list in mid-June, hitting .341 with four doubles, three home runs, and three steals in 12 games since being reactivated. That includes his latest four-game stretch in which the former second-round draft pick went just 2-for-13, but still managed to get on base four other times via walk compared to just three strikeouts over that same period. For the season, the 6-foot-2 slugger is slashing .275/.383/.514 with four home runs and 20 steals in 32 games at Durham. The left-handed hitter debuted with Houston last season, and although he hit just .157, he was still able to swipe seven bags thanks to his 90th percentile sprint speed. A 32.1 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A this season doesn't bode well for hitting for high average in the big leagues, but his speed should be an asset, especially in fantasy. For managers scouring the wire for steals, Melton is a worthy stash ahead of an eventual recall to the Rays.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Theo Gillen Launches First Double-A Long Ball After Two-Week Slump
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Theo Gillen snapped his lengthy power skid at Double-A. On Friday evening, the team's No. 1-ranked prospect (according to MLB.com) went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run. This snapped a lengthy 14-game power drought for Gillen since moving up to the Double-A level. The outfielder spent the first half of the season at the High-A level, where he posted a .342/.449/.589 line with 23 doubles, 12 home runs and 28 sotlen baes. However, it took him some time to find his footing at Double-A, as he posted a low .190/.277/.241 line thorughh is first 14 games at the level. Dynasty managers should continue to keep a close eye on his progression at Montgomery as the No. 9-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline could put himself in a great position to begin the 2027 season at Triple-A Durham.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Second-Half Bounce-Back Seems Unlikely for Cedric Mullins
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Cedric Mullins has really struggled at the plate in 2026 in his first season with the Rays, as he heads into the second half with a rough .200/.278/.339 slash line with a .617 OPS through 82 games and 319 plate appearances. On the bright side, he does have 11 home runs and 14 stolen bases to go with 30 RBI and 32 runs scored. There's obviously still some power and speed there from the left side of the plate, but with an expected batting average of .190 and an xwOBA of .262, which is fifth-worst among hitters, fantasy managers shouldn't be looking to buy low here. The 31-year-old former All-Star and Silver Slugger winner isn't playing much against left-handed pitchers, and he's gone just 14-for-66 (.212) against southpaws this year with none of his 11 home runs. Mullins just isn't making great contact either, ranking in the 15th percentile in hard-hit rate and the 17th percentile in barrel rate. His xSLG also sits in the fifth percentile. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect Mullins to get to the 20-20 mark for the second time in his career.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Is Jacob Melton a Top Stash Target?
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Jacob Melton has been among the top hitters across Triple-A since returning from injury. Melton had been on the shelf since mid-April due to a left ankle sprain. However, since the No. 5-ranked prospect in the Tampa Bay system returned to the Triple-A diamond on June 24, the young outfielder has been playing at an elite level. Over this nine-game stretch, Melton has carried a dominant .394/.487/.758 line with three doubles, three home runs and two stolen bases. During this stretch, he has struck out just nine times and drawn five walks. On the season (29 contests), Melton has held a .286 AVG with a .933 OPS, four home runs and an elite 19 stolen bases. Given his high-end contact skills and speed, Melton could emerge as an immediate fantasy contributor once he earns the call to Tampa Bay, making him a worthy stash option in deeper 12+ team leagues.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Jake Fraley Gets Pulled Off Rehab Assignment
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jake Fraley (groin) was pulled off his rehab assignment on Sunday. Fraley was five games into his rehab assignment before feeling something in the area of his hernia surgery. He'll head back to the doctor for further examination before the Rays decide what to do next with him. He seemed to be nearing the point of finally returning, but will now need to ramp up again. Once healthy, Fraley could offer some deep league value. At this point, it's unclear when Fraley will finally play, so fantasy managers should move on in all formats.
Source: Marc Topkin
Source: Marc Topkin
Theo Gillen Surging Up Prospect Rankings Amid Impressive First Half
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Theo Gillen has seen his productivity surge dramatically over the first half of the season. Entering the All-Star break, the former 18th overall pick from the 2024 MLB Draft is now listed as MLB.com's No. 9-ranked prospect (in all of baseball) and Tampa Bay's No. 1 prospect. Gillen began the 2026 season at the High-A level, where he produced at an elite level, carrying a .342/.449/.589 line with a 1.038 OPS. During this 57-game stretch, Gillen hit 12 home runs and swiped an impressive 28 bags. He has since been moved up to Double-A, where he has posted a .180/.268/.240 line with no home runs. However, given that he is only 20 years old, managers should expect some growing pains. While a 2026 debut is highly unlikely, Gillen could enter the 2027 season as a consensus top-10 prospect if he maintains this pace.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
