FanGraphs writer and prospects maven Marc Hulet continued his league-wide examination, turning his attention to the top 30 prospects in the Tampa Bay Rays system. Hulet's blend of scouting and statistics makes his work some of the most compelling out there. Also, since he does not focus on a single team, he offers a greater perspective that eludes many single-team writers and fans.
Still, his analysis of the present Rays proves somewhat lacking, suggesting at one point the young Jeremy Hellickson may start the season in AAA or in long relief -- when the club has already firmly committed him to the fifth starter's slot. These are the mistakes places such as Rays Prospects do not make because they are more intimately in tune with the 2011 Rays roster.
Still, Hulet's input does come with great weight. For instance, fringe prospect and Cuban defector Leslie Anderson has never made his way onto Hulet's lists. Meanwhile, Rays fans, possibly suffering from the endowment effect, typically find some spot for Anderson among the Rays top 30 or so prospects.
Overall, the Rays minor league system looks stacked. Hulet clearly seemed impressed with young pitchers Jeremy Hellickson and Matt Moore -- who's overtaken Desmond Jennings as the team's second highest prospect. Also, the aftereffects of the Matt Garza trade look rather impressive in Hulet's eyes, as he rated Chris Archer (#4), Hak-Ju Lee (#8), Brandon Guyer (#13), and Robinson Chirinos (#19) all among the top 20 Rays prospects.
Readers can find Marc Hulet's full article on FanGraphs.