Sep 26, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) in the dugout during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Surprising Pitcher Was Best Player for Rays This Season in Minor Leagues

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Oct 2, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Rays have started up their offseason, and this will be a winter filled with intrigue regarding the direction of the franchise. With new ownership in place, there should be some optimism that the Rays will start to spend some money and also get a new stadium.

While those two things work themselves out, Tampa Bay will be focused on trying to contend once again in 2026. The Rays have been one of the more consistent teams in the American League in terms of being a playoff team despite their small payroll.

A significant reason for that is that the team does an excellent job of having one of the best farm systems in baseball year after year. While the unit might have taken a little bit of a step back in their rankings this campaign, it is still a system filled with potential.

Even though there are only two Top 100 prospects for the franchise currently, there have been some players who have performed well. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the best minor league player for the Rays this year being pitcher TJ Nichols.

Nichols Shining in Tampa Bay’s System

While Nichols might not be regarded as the top prospect in the Rays’ system, the 23-year-old was extremely impressive for them in the minors this season. The right-hander was a sixth-round draft pick from the Arizona Wildcats, and he hit the ground running in 2025 with Tampa Bay.

He spent most of the campaign in High-A ball, totaling a 10-3 record, 3,64 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 96.2 innings pitched. His strong performance resulted in him moving up to Double-A, where he continued to shine. At the next level, he totaled a 4-0 record and 0.97 ERA.

While the sample size might be small, it was extremely impressive for Nichols. The right-hander was very good in his first season in the minors, and he might not be there for long.

The 23-year-old will likely get some more time in 2026 in the minors, but if he continues to produce at a high level, he could be called up quickly next year. Even though Brody Hopkins is considered to be their top pitching prospect, it is Nichols who is rising in the ranks. There is no such thing as too much pitching in baseball and the young arms of the Rays could be called up soon.