TAMPA BAY RAYS TOP 10 PROSPECTS
1. SHANE BAZ, RHP
AGE: 23. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-2. WT: 190. DRAFTED: HS—Tomball, Texas, 2017 (1st round). SIGNED BY: Wayne Mathis (Pirates).
TRACK RECORD: If the Pirates had traded Baz for Chris Archer as a one-for-one deal, the Rays would have reason to be pleased. The fact that Baz was the player to be named in a trade that also included Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows makes it one of the most lopsided deals of the 21st century. When younger, Baz struggled to throw strikes, was prone to over-throwing and had a pronounced head whack. His delivery has calmed down, as much from improved core strength as any significant tweaks to his delivery. He’s allayed concerns that he would be too wild to start by developing into a consistent strike-thrower. After throwing strikes on 59% of his pitches in 2018, Baz upped that figure to 68% in 2021. His 8.7 strikeouts for every walk led all minor league pitchers with 70 or more innings. After pitching for Team USA in the Olympics, Baz made his MLB debut on Sept. 20. After three regular season starts, he stepped right into the Rays’ playoff rotation.
SCOUTING REPORT: As a Pirates prospect, Baz threw twoseam fastballs and curveballs, which didn’t really fit his skill set. Now he blows hitters away with four-seam fastballs and sliders. Baz had both those pitches in high school—he touched 98 mph at his best in high school and flashed a plus slider—but the Rays made a point of getting him to re-emphasize them.
Baz has one of the best fastballs in baseball. He
