RBLR Roundtable #14 – Rays of the Past, Present, and Future

This week our writers took a look at a future Ray, a former Ray, and how the current left fielders are performing so far this season.

Jacob Macauley (@raysfarmreport) : Carson Williams

Rays fans should be very familiar with Carson Williams as the 21-year-old former first-round pick has dawned the number one spot within the Rays organization since Junior Caminero’s graduation from prospect status in September of last year. For Williams, it has been a relatively linear development path throughout the minor leagues. Williams has touched one of each league through A-AAA since 2022, and coming into this year Williams was a well above average producer at each stop – compiling a 132 wRC+ across A-AA.

Now, we enter 2025 where Carson has hit a bit of a blockade in AAA. Williams is having by far his least productive season in his professional career, slashing: .168/.288/.351. Good for a pretty miserable 71 wRC+. Most scouting services always remarked about the risky hit tool, but as I previously mentioned, it never seemed to hinder Williams in any way. But unfortunately, this year has been different. Williams’ K% has spiked 9.9% from his career norm, and his 40.5% rate ranks him dead last amongst qualified international league hitters. So, after reading all of this, there probably should be no room for optimism? Right? Although the whiffs have certainly not gone away since 5/1, Williams is showing immense power potential. Williams is running a .262 ISO in that stretch, which, if he were to run that for the entire season that would rank him 8th amongst qualified international league hitters this season. Since the calendar turned over to May, Carson is producing plus exit velocities; averaging 90.2mph throughout his 25 BBE (63rd percentile in AAA during that time). Although it has been a tough year for Tampa Bay’s top prospect, I’m still holding out optimism for the 21-year-old shortstop. He is -4.6 years younger than the average AAA player, who by all accounts, is a 70 grade defender at the 2nd most important defensive position in baseball, and has plus power already.

Sandy (@SandyAndTheRays) : Austin Meadows

Last week, I was caught off guard and taken down memory lane when a video from Jolly Olive of Jomboy Media popped up in my YouTube feed. The title immediately grabbed my attention: “He was MLB’s Next Great Outfielder. Then His Anxiety Took Over.” If you’ve followed baseball in recent years, you may already know this story. And if you’re a Rays fan like me, you probably recognized the player from the video’s thumbnail alone: Austin Meadows.

Affectionately known as “Meads,” Meadows spent several formative years with the Rays from 2018 to 2021. He was named an All-Star in 2019, and I especially remember his 2021 season, when he racked up 106 RBIs for a 100-win team. But after that standout year, things began to unravel. Just days before the 2022 season opener, the Rays traded him to the Tigers. His time in Detroit was marred by injuries and multiple absences due to mental health struggles. Though he re-signed for the 2023 season, Meads played just six games before being placed on the injured list due to anxiety. To their credit, the Tigers supported his decision to step away from the game, though they ultimately didn’t bring him back for 2024.

With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, Meadows’ story feels especially timely. What stood out most was the compassion he received — not just from the Tigers’ front office and teammates, but from fans as well. In a sports culture that can often be toxic, where underperforming or even injured athletes are met with criticism rather than empathy, it was genuinely heartening to see a different kind of response: one rooted in understanding and humanity.

As Jolly Olive noted in the video, Meadows’ openness about his mental health struggles felt like a turning point. It was one of the first times a MLB player spoke so candidly about mental health. Meadows’ story is a powerful reminder that sometimes, it’s not always just about the game. We’re all human, facing battles — some visible, many not.

It’s unclear what Austin Meadows is doing now. But one thing is certain: By sharing his struggles, he’s helped move the conversation forward, leaving a lasting impact on mental health awareness in professional sports.

Jake Shutters (@JakeShutters) : Lacking in Left Field

Left field has been held strong by the presence of Randy Arozarena from 2020 until July of 2024 when he was traded to Seattle. Since then, the position has been in flux for the Rays.

In 2025, the left field duties have been shared between Morel and Chandler Simpson, as of 5/18 Simpson has played 68 innings in the position while Morel has played 238. Simpson has been getting better offensive results than Morel this season, however their skillsets cannot be more wildly different. Seriously, Morel has a 97th percentile barrel rate with a 1st percentile K% (approaching 40% and makes him unplayable at times), while Simpson has a 1st percentile barrel% (zero) and a 92nd percentile K%. With the types of skillsets these players have, it almost imposes a hard ceiling on their production, Simpson will likely peak as a slightly above average hitter who can get on base and make things happen on the basepaths (which there’s nothing wrong with and definitely a spot for on the Rays roster going forward), while Morel will always be a high whiff and strikeout guy who can crack a few homers, a skillset that is incredibly hard to tap into when the K% approaches 40. Both hitters have been below averaging this season and have accumulated a total of zero fWAR.

To add on to the struggles at the plate, they are also one of the worst defensive LF duos in baseball. Morel has –3 DRS and Simpson has –2 DRS in LF, both ranking in the bottom 20 out of 60 LFs with a minimum of 50 innings in the position. Outs above average agrees, as Morel has –2, and Simpson has –1. Clearly, there’s an issue with the position, so what can the Rays do about it?

Richie Palacios should help, as he was a positive defender by both DRS and OAA last season as well as a solid bat, but when exactly is he returning? He was projected to miss 4-6 weeks about a month ago, and some of the only reporting available is from early May, saying he was cleared to start jogging on a treadmill. Jake Mangum also appears close to returning, as he is being evaluated this coming week and could be sent on a rehab assignment soon after. Mangum was also a positive defender as well and showed signs of being a quality bat who could fill in during a pinch. The internal options are there, however continued injuries and bad performance from Morel could cause the Rays to look at a longer-term external option in the very near future.

The RBLR Rays Roundtable is a weekly collection of analysis, insight, and perspectives from a cast of writers assembled because of their unique backgrounds and experience. Check this space weekly for new updates and features covering the Tampa Bay Rays, the Rays’ minor league prospects, and more!