Rays' Prospect Could Be Answer For Position of Need

Mar 30, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; A detailed view of the Tampa Bay Rays hat at American Family Field. Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Rays' Prospect Could Be Answer For Position of Need

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated May 5, 2026 7:00 PM ET

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The Tampa Bay Rays are off to a fantastic start to the season, but there are still some areas that they can improve.

With one of the best records in the American League, the Rays have been playing some excellent baseball and have proven to be one of the top teams in the league. Tampa Bay has been able to exceed expectations, and they are showing no signs of slowing down.

As winners of nine of their last 10 games, the Rays have been keeping pace with the New York Yankees in the division. Tampa Bay might be winning a lot of games, but they do have a couple of notable issues. One that has been a hot topic is the performance of Cedric Mullins in center field. The free agent signing hasn’t performed well at all at the plate, and there is a need for a change.

Furthermore, while center field will be an area to address, the Rays might also need to find an offensive upgrade for another position as well.

Kiley McDaniel of ESPN recently predicted that Rays catcher Dominic Keegan would be the next prospect to be called up.

Keegan Getting Opportunity Makes Sense

George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

With the decision to put him on the 40-man roster before the start of the year, it was pretty clear that the Rays had him in their plans for 2026. This offseason, the catcher position was one that Tampa Bay figured to need to upgrade, and their two current options have been serviceable, but not great.

So far this season, it has been Nick Fortes getting a majority of the playing time behind the plate. He has slashed .264/.304/.356 with one home run and eight RBI. An OPS under .700 is certainly not ideal, and as the Rays look to be a contender, improving offensive production behind the plate remains a need.

Of their prospects, Keegan has flashed some upside offensively, but has started off a bit slow. In 25 games in the minors this year, he has slashed .182/.388/.364. While the batting average and slugging are down a bit, he has shown some great patience at the plate with an on-base percentage of nearly .400.

While it would be nice to see him improve a bit at the plate in the minors, he could be an option for the team this year if Fortes and Hunter Feduccia continue not to perform well offensively.

This article first appeared on Tampa Bay Rays on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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