Port Charlotte, Fla. - MLB’s Spring Breakout will again put former RiverDogs in the spotlight this week. For the second straight year, the game’s top prospects assemble for a 4-day event that features matchups between the future stars of MLB organizations. The RiverDogs’ affiliate, the Tampa Bay Rays, will put their top prospects up against the Red Sox’s prospects in one of the event’s most star-studded matchups. The game takes place at 7:05pm Thursday at the Rays’ home spring training park in Port Charlotte, Fla.
The game features two of the top three farm systems in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. The Rays (No. 2) will send nine of their Top 10 prospects into the game, while the Red Sox (No. 3) will feature all but one of their Top 15 prospects. This game is one of two events throughout the weekend that feature a total of nine of the Top 100 Prospects on MLB Pipeline.
The Rays’ Spring Breakout roster is littered with former RiverDogs, headlined by Carson Williams, MLB’s top-ranked shortstop and No. 9 prospect overall. Williams was a key contributor to the RiverDogs’ 2022 championship, and in 2024 he belted 20 doubles, 20 homers and 69 RBIs, to go along with 33 SBs for a slash of .256/.352/.469 for Double-A Montgomery. He is considered by many to be the best defensive player in the minor leagues, but what sets him apart is his power at a position that historically lacks it.
Another former RiverDog that has stolen headlines (pun intended) across national media is Chandler Simpson, better known as “the fastest man in baseball,” who stole 81 bags for Charleston in 2023. He led all of affiliated ball with 104 SBs in 2024, split between High-A Bowling Green and Double-A Montgomery.
Other notable prospects slated to play are power-hitting first basemen and 2023 RiverDogs Xavier Isaac and Tre’ Morgan, as well as last year’s 1st-round pick Theo Gillen (2024 RiverDogs). Brayden Taylor (2023 RiverDogs) and Aidan Smith (2024 RiverDogs) are other top Rays prospects that excel in multiple areas. Eighteen-year-old and No. 10 Rays prospect Brailer Guerrero prospect has not yet made it to Charleston but will feature in the game to showcase his tremendous bat speed and upside.
The Rays have been lauded for their pitching development over the years, and there will be no shortage of impressive pitchers on the bump in this year’s Spring Breakout game. The four pitchers expected to get roughly two innings of work each are former RiverDogs Santiago Suarez, Gary Gill Hill and Trevor Harrison, as well as No. 14 prospect Jackson Baumeister, who the Rays acquired from Baltimore in the Zac Eflin trade last season.
Suarez led the RiverDogs in IP (111.2) and SO (115) last year with a WHIP of 1.11 and is the ranked as the Rays’ No. 9 prospect. Gill Hill, another 20-year-old who helped the dominant 2024 RiverDogs pitching staff, maintained a 3.15 ERA over 108 IP. Harrison was a later addition to the RiverDogs rotation, but the No. 11 Rays prospect impressed with 48 Ks over 40 IP and a hitless five-inning performance on August 30 against Fayetteville.
On the Red Sox side, there are plenty of top-name prospects on the roster, but none surpass the “Big 3” of Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer, all near-MLB-ready hitters who rank in the Top 12 of all MLB prospects.
The game will be available at 7:05pm ET Thursday on MLB.TV, MLB.com, the MLB App, the FDSNSUN App, NESN, MLB Network, WEEI 850AM, and RaysBaseball.com.
