The Show Before the Show: Franco, broadcasting
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review "Minor League Baseball podcast" on iTunes. The podcast is also available via Spotify,
Rays invite Franco to Spring Training camp
The defending American League champs will have a big name in their Spring Training camp, and he isn't even out of his teenage years just yet. The Rays have invited top overall prospect Wander Franco to Major League Spring Training as a non-roster player, the club announced Monday. This will
Rays’ Franco repeats as top overall prospect
For the second consecutive year, the Rays reign supreme in the prospect world. Led by consensus No. 1 overall prospect Wander Franco, Tampa Bay boasts a Major League-high eight prospects on MLB.com's Top 100 list, released Thursday night. Following Franco at the top are the No. 1 overall picks in
Winter ball roundup: Dominican League
Without a Minor League season in 2020, top prospects headed to various locations across the globe for offseason work. Over the next few weeks, MiLB.com will look at the highlights from winter ball seasons worldwide. First up: the Dominican Winter League. Season summary Perhaps baseball’s most iconic current winter circuit,
State of the System: Tampa Bay Rays
Starting in October and running through the end of the year, MiLB.com's State of the System series will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each Major League organization, highlights prospects who've made the biggest strides in 2020 and offers a peek at 2021.
Rays' Franco to miss rest of winter league
Thursday brought good news to the Rays organization and fans and bad news to anyone hoping to see the game's top overall prospect on the field this winter. Wander Franco was diagnosed with shoulder soreness and biceps inflammation, Tampa Bay announced after the shortstop met with doctors in St. Petersburg,
Wander leaves winter team with sore shoulder
Baseball’s top prospect is headed back to the States after injuring his shoulder in the Dominican Winter League. Wander Franco, the Rays’ star youngster and MLB Pipeline's No. 1 overall prospect, left the Leones Del Escogido this week to return to Tampa Bay for tests, the team announced Wednesday.
Toolshed: Prospects with World Series connections
This is not a World Series for the prospect lover. Then again, not many World Series are. Sure, there are two ranked prospects left -- both from the Rays roster -- and they have their own stories to tell. No. 19 Tampa Bay prospect Randy Arozarena has been one of
Prospects in the Rays' 2020 player pool
As part of the new rules for the 2020 Major League season, each of the 30 organizations will maintain a 60-man player pool for the duration of the campaign. Some members of the player pool will feature on the active Major League roster while others will work out at an
The Road to The Show™: Wander Franco
Each week, MiLB.com profiles an elite prospect by chronicling the steps he's taken to reach the brink of realizing his Major League dream. Here's a look at Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco. He's 19. He hasn't met much of a challenge yet in professional baseball. He's moved rapidly through
Toolshed dream lineup: The teenagers
There may be no Minor League Baseball right now. That's not going to stop us from dreaming about lineups.In the coming weeks, Toolshed will craft the best possible prospect lineups, sorted by age groups. This opening edition focuses on teenagers, i.e., those who will be playing at age 17, 18
Toolshed: Rays will make most of middle infield
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- At some point in the hopefully not-too-distant future when the coronavirus pandemic passes, people are safe, rosters are being set and the season is around the corner, the Tampa Bay organization is going to have some tough decisions to make, specifically in the middle infield of
Reports: Franco to play in Olympic qualifiers
When Wander Franco is an option, let Wander Franco play. That's what his native country intends to do later this month.MLB.com's top overall prospect has been granted permission by the Rays to compete for the Dominican Republic in the Olympic baseball qualifiers from March 22-26 in Arizona, according to reports
Farm system rankings: 21-and-under talent
With the 2020 season rapidly approaching, MiLB.com is looking at the state of all 30 farm systems and ranking them in different ways. After looking at position-player prospects (30-21, 20-11, 10-1) and pitchers (30-21, 20-11, 10-1), the third installment focuses on prospects who will be 21 years old or younger
Farm system rankings: Position players, 10-1
With the 2020 season rapidly approaching, MiLB.com looks at the state of all 30 farm systems and ranks them in several different ways. This first installment, broken into three parts, focuses on position players and considers the quality and quantity of talent in each system. Here are the top 10
Rays take charge of 2020 prospect rankings
In terms of both quantity and quality, no team has prospects like Tampa Bay. The Rays boast six players among MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects, revealed Saturday. That's more than any organization, with shortstop Wander Franco remaining in the No. 1 overall spot. The top prospect reached Class A Advanced Charlotte
Franco, Ryan top Rays' deep prospect pool
Each offseason, MiLB.com goes position by position across each system and honors the players -- regardless of age or prospect status -- who had the best seasons in their organization. Click here to locate your favorite club.Plain and simple, all Tampa Bay's system did in 2019 was win, win, win.So much so
Rays shine as Farm System of the Year
There are a lot of ways to win. In 2019, Tampa Bay Rays affiliates may have found them all.At Class A Short Season Hudson Valley, players got on and ran wild on the bases. At Triple-A Durham, they worked walks. At Class A Advanced Charlotte, they leaned on their lights-out
Head of the Class: Class A Advanced
With another Minor League season in the books, members of the MiLB.com staff are looking back at some of the most notable performers from the 2019 campaign for each level. After looking at Triple-A, Double-A, Class A, Class A Short Season and Rookie Advanced, we turn our attention to the Class A
Rays name Franco 2019 Player of Year
The game's top overall prospect adds another line to his already impressive resume.The Rays named Wander Franco their 2019 Minor League Player of the Year on Monday. The organization also honored their No. 15 prospect, Joe Ryan, as the system's Pitcher of the Year.
Tommy Romero named FSL Pitcher of the Year
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (August 29, 2019) - Stone Crabs starting pitcher Tommy Romero has been named the 2019 Florida State League Pitcher of the Year, the league office announced Thursday.Romero becomes the first pitcher in Charlotte history to earn the honor outright, after Jake Faria shared the award with Daytona's
Larnach, Romero grab top FSL awards
The Florida State League may be known as a pitchers' league, but the biggest names on this year's list of honorees are reserved for those on the hitting side.Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach (Fort Myers) and Rays right-hander Tommy Romero (Charlotte) were named Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, as
Franco, Sampen, Betts Named to Midwest League Post-Season All-Star Team
Bowling Green, KY- Richard A. Nussbaum II, President of the Midwest League of Baseball Clubs, has announced Caleb Sampen, Chris Betts, and Wander Franco were named to the Midwest League Post-Season All-Star Team on Friday. Franco earned Prospect of the Year honors while all three players earned their second All-Star
Thomas, Franco headline MWL All-Stars
There was plenty of young prospect firepower in the Midwest League this summer, and the Class A circuit's final list of award winners clearly reflects that.D-backs top prospectAlek Thomas was named Most Valuable Player and Rays top prospect Wander Franco took home Prospect of the Year honors as the Midwest
Late comeback falls short in 7-5 loss to Miracle
FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 21, 2019) - Wander Franco reached base four times and the Stone Crabs mounted a late comeback, but the Fort Myers Miracle held on for a 7-5 win at Hammond Stadium.With Charlotte (77-50, 42-19) trailing 7-3 entering the ninth inning, Zac Law singled to start the